my dog won't stop digging... Help
By saphire31
@saphire31 (18)
United States
January 23, 2011 1:57am CST
I have a beautiful doberman mix dog named Dixie she was a rescue from the local animal shelter. She exhibited all the character traits that my partner and myself were looking for in a dog. I only have one complaint about her... She's tearing my yard to pieces. I love my Dixie, she's absolutely my baby but if I can't figure out how to break her of that habit, I'm going to have to return her to the shelter. I've never had a dog that would dig the way she does. Any suggestions?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
23 Jan 11
Hello Saphire and welcome to myLot!
I think kittycatnut told you everything you need to know about this bad habit.
I only want to stress the need to exercise your dog enough. Whether she digs, she chew things around or she has any other unwanted behavior, things will change if you take some time to run off her energy. She's bored, that's why she destroy your garden. Knowing that "a tired dog is a happy dog", try to burn her energy before letting her alone in the garden. (of course, this and all the good advice kittycatnut gave you).
Please don't take her back to the shelter. She got used with you and it would be devastating for her to lose the family she loves.
I only want to stress the need to exercise your dog enough. Whether she digs, she chew things around or she has any other unwanted behavior, things will change if you take some time to run off her energy. She's bored, that's why she destroy your garden. Knowing that "a tired dog is a happy dog", try to burn her energy before letting her alone in the garden. (of course, this and all the good advice kittycatnut gave you).
Please don't take her back to the shelter. She got used with you and it would be devastating for her to lose the family she loves.
@saphire31 (18)
• United States
23 Jan 11
Thank you for the advice. I don't think I really would take her back... I have considered making her some shoes so she couldn't dig though. lol
@yogeshdhusa (2236)
• India
23 Jan 11
Dog digg in two condition, 1. To hide the remaining the food, few dog keep their food so that when they don't have food they have their treasure buried 2. Dig and sit in it. If the weather is hot then they want a cold place to sit.
So if its for food don't give extra food.
or if its heat / hot weather then arrange a cold place where your dog can sit.
hope these are the only reason. 
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
23 Jan 11
Hello yogeshdhusa,
These are two motives for digging that sounds reasonable for us, humans.
But dogs can dig because they don't have anything better to do. They dig when they play, they can dig under a fence to escape the enclosure, they dig after an imaginary mole or after an insect from under the ground...
It would be so easy if they dug only for cool or old buried bones.
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
26 Jan 11
Your dog is bored.. she should be accompanied while in the yard.. play with her she may need a playmate so they can get rid of energy together.. or maybe just walk her a lot and let her see the neighborhood an make friends, maybe at a dog park.. A tired dog will probably not have the energy to dig. It's just like having a bored 5 year old - you have to watch them all the time.. if they are too quiet.. something is probably up.. they brains need to be occupied just as much as their bodies.
@ANIME123 (2466)
• United States
24 Jan 11
My dog also digs all over the yard and I don't really know how to make her stop, but recently she has stopped because I think that the trick is to catch your dog in the act and than get the hose and they pretty much get scared of that and run away it's what I did to my dog to make her stop because if I didn't make her stop I think that we would have to get rid of her. Since my dad didn't like that our dog was ruining the yard he always got mad I am just glad that I finally made her stop.
