Stop a Dog From Digging Some Simple Steps

If you are stressed and anxious to stop dog digging,understand his motivations and you are part way to success.

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Its pretty hard to control dog training through traditional training methods.

Training doesn’t work well on digging, because it’s a behavior that is hardwired into your dog’s instincts. Certain things trigger the impulse to dig; once triggered, it won’t stop. Not, that is, unless you remove the thing that triggered it.

It can be difficult to understand your dogs motivations as it can appear pretty pointless to us. Sometimes figuring out the motivation behind the digging is difficult for us, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.

But even if his digging seems pointless, it isn’t. There are several reasons digging is such a powerful urge. It’s connected to many of a dog’s natural survival instincts.

For example, if you dog’s digging seems to be concentrated along the edge of his fenced play area, or at a gate, the instinct that’s driving him is that to escape. It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s afraid of something inside the fence, or wants to “run away, ” though–dogs also try to dig out simply to explore, or because being enclosed just triggers the urge to have more space.

There’s another instinct that can cause the impulse to dig. That is the desire to hunt. Some dogs are more likely to respond to hunting impulses this way. Terriers, for example. However, any breed of dog may manifest hunting instincts through digging. To pinpoint this cause, watch your dog’s behavior and location while digging. If he seems excited and inspects the hole often, sniffing and wagging his tail, that’s probably what’s happening.

Digging has proven a versatile behavior for survival, so there are other instincts linked to it as well. These include hiding and hoarding impulses–like when your dog buries bones, and seeking protection from the elements.

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Getting to grips with a few basics may help you deal with dog digging. The first is that punishment for digging does not work. Giving your dog a reprimand may stop him digging, then but its not a long term solution.

The second is that if you can remove the trigger or take away the fun of digging, he’ll stop. If you have a dog digging to escape, for example, bury large, flat rocks or wire mesh at the foot of your fence. If he’s digging for protection, provide him with an adequate dog house or don’t leave him outside too long

Lastly, boredom and anxiety make digging behaviors escalate. These can result from spending too much time alone. Be sure you spend time together training, and playing. Teaching him games that provide mental and physical exercise helps too,games like fetching or catch.

Digging is part of a dogs nature and you can’t remove it completely. But you can outsmart them, and with proper strategies, you can stop dog from digging.

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