Learn How to Stop Dogs From Digging

Is your dog a digger? Find out how to stop dogs from digging.

Does your dog dig holes in your yard or garden? Not only is he messing with your curb appeal, but he’s probably tracking dirt or mud through your house all over his paws. Now, I’ll be honest with you. I love to get dirty. There’s just something fun about mud matted in my curly white hair that I can’t get enough of. That being said, I’m not a fan of digging. It’s too much work just to get dirty. I’d rather just play in a mud pile.

Even though I don’t dig, I know a lot of dogs who love to dig in their yards or even at the beach. The big question is how to stop dogs from digging? Dogs often start digging holes in the ground for the following reasons:

• breed
• prey
• entertainment
• attention
• comfort
• or possibly escape.

The first thing to do is identify why your dog is digging, and then you can take steps to try to change their behavior patterns.

Is your dog digging for comfort? Often in the summer or winter, dogs will dig to make themselves a spot that will either cool them or protect them from the elements. In the summer, your dog may dig in order to lay in the cool earth. In the winter, your dog digs to create a shelter barrier between herself and the elements. If you notice your dog’s digging is a seasonal behavior take steps to assist your four-legged friend. Either allow her to spend more time indoors, or provide a well ventilated shelter for her outdoors.

Is your dog bored? Some dogs – especially certain breeds like Siberian Huskies – dig when they aren’t stimulated enough. Trying to figure out how to stop dogs from digging? Give them something to occupy their time. If you can’t spend time with them outdoors, give them complex toys to play with. The best way to keep them from digging is to spend time with your dogs. Toss a ball and keep your dogs running around. If you tire them out and keep them occupied, there will be no time left to dig!

Do you have a rodent problem in your yard? Dogs may dig in or around your property if they are searching for tiny animals like mice or squirrels. If this is the case, you might need to invest in different fencing or make changes in your yard to keep the rodents out. Remember to always use human treatments, and never use toxic chemicals. They could hurt your dog, too!

Finally, is your dog trying to escape your yard? Yikes! Why? It’s likely that your dog may be trying to escape if she hears something on the other side that she wants to get near. Maybe it’s a rodent? Maybe she is aggressive and hears new people that she wants to run toward. Are you neglecting your dog and she wants to escape and go elsewhere? Well, that’s easy to solve. Stop neglecting your pet! If you can’t provide a suitable home for your dog, contact your local no-kill shelter so your dog can be adopted by someone else.

There are no perfect solutions for stopping dogs from digging, but if you can identify your dog’s reasons for digging, you can stop her from practicing the behavior.

Are you wondering how to stop dogs from digging? What have you tried in the past? Let us know in the comments! 

---

Side note: Do you run a business in the pet industry? Would you like to drive more traffic and sales to your site through a search-optimized pet blog? Get in touch with my office-mates at Lantern Content Marketing!

---