DIGGITY DOG
By Jaime Van Wye, CMDT
With summer approaching, the garden is a lovely place to get your hands dirty, plant some vegetables and flowers, and revel in the sunshine. But your dog may think that the garden is lovely for digging too, leaving your yard looking less like a magazine spread and more like the La Brea Tar Pits.
Digging, unfortunately, is a normal and natural canine behavior, just like chewing. However, whereas many dog owners provide their dogs with chew toys to keep them occupied, a dog’s innate drive to dig is largely ignored. If given a nice soft patch of soil or grass, most dogs will engage in digging at some point, particularly if they are young and bored (which is so often the case with dogs left in backyards).
Terrier breeds in particular have a genetic drive to “go to the earth,” which can make keeping a yard without craters in the lawn seem impossible. However, you can do a lot to channel your dog’s digging into appropriate outlets. Like chewing, the goal isn’t to eradicate the behavior; rather, it’s to teach your dog where he can dig and where he can’t. Just as you had to teach your dog not to chew on your shoes, but to play with his own toys, you’ll need to spend some time educating your dog about acceptable places for digging.
The first thing you’ll need to do is create a place where it’s okay for your dog to dig. You can either choose a space out of the way in your garden where he can go to town, or you can create a “dig box” out of a children’s wading pool (they run about $8 at your local drugstore or a big-box toy store) or even a large, shallow under-bed storage container. Fill this box up with children’s play sand (available at a home improvement store) and place it nearby your dog’s current excavations. Hide a few toys and new edible chews in a few different locations throughout the sand. Then, introduce him to the box, encouraging him to dig in it by praising him and “helping” him by digging yourself. This can actually be quite a fun bonding experience, albeit a messy one.
He’ll soon figure out that this box is far more exciting than his boring old holes because this box hides magical treasures. Remember to keep his dig box filled with desirable objects; even boring dry biscuits are exciting when they’re hidden. If you work away from home, stock it up before you leave in the morning to keep him busy during the day.
If you know that your dog is likely to dig into something freshly planted in your yard (recently transplanted seedlings fresh from the nursery are high on the list), block it off until the soil has had a chance to harden up around the new plants. Even those flimsy wire garden borders can work to keep your dog away from tempting new sites. Fencing off, even temporarily, the old holes will prevent your dog from revisiting them while he gets used to using his dig box. If fencing is difficult, try covering problem areas with an upside down box. If your dog has dug any deep holes, or holes near fencing, fill them up with coarse gravel or river rock before covering them up with a layer of dirt. Dogs generally avoid digging in rocks because it’s uncomfortable on their pads.
If you see him attempting to dig in a non-approved area after you have dig box in place, follow the same techniques you used when he was a puppy to keep him from chewing forbidden objects: Startle him with a loud “Ahh!” or noise, and then redirect him to the dig box. Reward with praise in a happy, upbeat voice when he begins to dig in the right place.
Finally, provide your dog with more exercise if possible, even if it’s just a quick game of fetch in the backyard. A dog that is exhausted will generally want to just conk out in the sun rather than re-landscape your yard. Also, confirm that you don’t have a vermin problem that is causing your dog to dig. Rats, groundhogs, snakes and ground squirrels can burrow under your garden, driving your dogs crazy.
The bottom line is that digging is irritating but can be fixed with a little focused attention. Be patient and consistent, and soon both you and your dog will be enjoying your hole-free yard.
WHY DOGS DIG:
» Boredom
» Trying to escape
» Loneliness
» Excess energy
Jaime Van Wye is the owner and founder of the Zoom Room, a dog training franchise specializing in obedience and agility based out of Los Angeles. She is also the Dog Daycare chair for the Pet Care Services Association. Visit www.zoomroomonline.com.
