Fats Schindee

We just got a new dog (~1 year old now, black lab/golden shepherd mix) and he's been digging holes in the back yard, especially along the fences and foundation slab. We scold him when we catch him doing it and divert his attention to something else, but aren't always hanging around watching him to be able to catch him in the act. We do keep him inside when possible, but that's not always feasible and he does really like playing in the back yard. What have any of you done that has worked to curtail a dog digging? I've seen some chemical stuff that you can spray/pour on the spots where he digs that's supposed to deter him. Also was considering one of those remote shock collars (but again, we'd have to be watching him for this to be effective). Any suggestions are appreciated... thanks!

__________________
"Some are born with more and some born with less
So don't take for granted the life we've been blessed
It's hard to understand that we're only a guest
And each one of us shall be put to life's test

And we must all have the will to live"

-Ben Harper

lockarooney

Have you thought about paving your entire yard?

Mrs. Sitterley

First of all, put the shock collar notion away. WHY would you want to cause pain to a loved member of your family? The best way to confuse a dog and give him a reason to dig under the fence and take off is pain.

OK, so that's done.

Dogs dig, its what they do. Instead of trying to "break" them of a natural instinct, work with it. Your dog wants to make you happy above all things. Even digging. Give your pal a place to dig and teach him to use it. You can create a dig spot in your yard by digging a hole (have doggie watch you do this, telling him this is THE SPOT). You can fill it with sand or some other loose material... and a bunch of toys, chews, cookies, whatever turns your dog on. You can get on the ground and show him what a GREAT place it is to dig. If you think its the only way to go, so will he. He wants you to be happy! OK, so your neighbors are going to think you are bizarre, but who cares? The point is, your dog is going to dig. He's a lab, they dig. Give him a place to call his own and let him go to town. When you see him digging somewhere else, go to his spot, call him and show him what to do. It won't take long if you are consistent.

With that said, I will admit that our backyard looks like a moonscape. Lack of consistency on our parts has led to our three Samoyeds to think they own the joint. Truth be told, they do. However, all three will go to a designated spot over and over if we hold to the plan.

You can also try other ways to keep him busy. A 2-liter pop bottle, lid off, with a handful of kibble or some broken cookies entertains our girls for hours. Giant kongs are good for that too.

Paul Rosenberg

I highly endorse Cesar Millan's (A.K.A. "The Dod Whisperer" on the National Geographic Channel) method of dog training. Check out Welcome to Cesar Millan's Official Web Site

He recommends a leadership approach towards dog training. There are no quick fixes. It is an ongoing technique that lasts the lifetime of your pet. However, the results are highly rewarding and satisfying.

As for your specific problem ... if Mrs. Sitterley's suggestion works for you, it could be a viable option. Dogs have tons of energy ... most of it is misguided and tends to get directed towards undesirable outlets. By providing an "approved" activity for your dog, it's a win - win situation.

On the other hand, if your goal is to completely prevent your dog from digging ... different measures should be taken. As Mrs. Sitterley said, dogs just simply want to please their owners. By training your dog to understand that you are "not pleased" with an undesireable action, they will slowly stop doing that behavior ... simply to please you. To put this into action ... until your dog is trained not to dig, you cannot allow him/her to be in the backyard unsupervised. This puts a large burden on your family ... but, dog training is a full-time commitment. When you see your dog begin to dig, immediately push him/her away from the spot. The goal is to establish leadership ... to train your dog to respect your wishes and accept your guidance. For some dogs, they will properly understand what is right or wrong the first time. For others (hyper dogs, puppies, etc.) this type of reinforcement will have to be repeated many times to develop the desired results. Do not give up !!! Stick to your plan ... dogs crave structure. Consistency and persistency are the mottos of a succesful dog training program. Good luck !

Fats Schindee

Thanks for the replies. I do think that it will just take more time spent with him in the backyard to "shape" his activities. Mrs. S, I do agree about the shock collar - I didn't really want to consider this, but was just wondering if they do even work. Thanks for the ideas!

__________________
"Some are born with more and some born with less
So don't take for granted the life we've been blessed
It's hard to understand that we're only a guest
And each one of us shall be put to life's test

And we must all have the will to live"

-Ben Harper

superdantx

Had a dog that liked to dig up any new plantings we put out. Little bit of Cayenne pepper sprinkled around the area's she liked to dig and she decided it wasn't fun to dig there. Its not toxic, but isn't all that pleasant for puppy when he goes out to sniff for an area to dig. Between that and correction when you see puppy dig, but anything with "lab" in it is going to be stubborn to break from the digging habbit, awesome dogs tho.

tom boucher

My dogs loved the red pepper and licked it all up. You can put some of their own poop in their holes and they will stop. My favorite was to tack in chicken wire on the ground in their favorite spots. They stopped immediately and the grass grows through and covers it. My two are a Golden Retriever and a Corgi. The Golden is a natural too.

beto

I have a golden retriever who is about 2 yrs old and digs as well. They do have a lot of energy, so make sure you take him out to a park to burn some of it off. Trying to catch him in the act is pretty hard in my opinion. Leave the dog and area where he or she can dig and do not patch it, as it will let your dog know that this is his or her area to dig. Good Luck, oh stay away from those shock collars.

DMP9679

One of my dogs would eat it, really!

Exercise that dog like a mo-fo. There is no real fix to this type of problem, just let it go to the dogs!

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"Get a rope"

Captain X

Both of these techniques were suggested to us by our vet. The crap one broke our dog of the habit of digging out at the gates.

The chicken wire tip was given to us in reference to a dog who "knocks on the door" to be let in.

Otherwise, I agree with Erin to build a dig pit for your pup. Some nice railroad timbers and a bunch of sand can actually make it look somewhat nice too. Once they grow out of the digging phase it becomes a nice cool place for them to lay outside too and the sand is easier to brush off than mud or dirt.

Most importantly though is exercising the dog. Many people today just own pets as a kind of house fixture rather than a family member they spend time with. Labs LOVE tennis balls, frisbees, retriever dummies/bumpers, running and swimming. Tire poochy out 3 times a week and I bet the digging will cease too.

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A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.