Here we can see, “How to Stop Dogs From Digging”
Dogs enjoy digging. This can be an aggravating fact of life if your dog enjoys digging in your flower beds or tracking dirt and muck around your home. Unfortunately, dogs dig for various reasons, but the good news is that there are a few things you can do to discourage them.
What Makes Dogs Dig?
The instinct to dig in a dog is exactly that: instinct! Digging can be as entrenched in your dog as barking or smell! The majority of the reasons your dog may dig holes in your backyard are instinctual.
Predatory Instincts
All dogs, including the classic couch potatoes of the canine world, have a predatory impulse. Your dog enjoys chewing on noisy toys and chasing squirrels on their walks. When your dog is exploring the yard, they may hear and smell underground animals. Dogs with a high hunting drive, particularly terrier types, may dig in the yard to get at the rodents they hear and smell.
Food and Object Storage
Some dogs may have a solid instinct for valuable cache items such as food, bones, or toys. They do this because they have a natural desire to hide things for safekeeping. Of course, you don’t want their beloved, chewed-up Nylabone, but your dog doesn’t realize it. Your dog understands that they adore the Nylabone and do not want it to be shared with anyone else. As a result, a dog may begin digging holes to hide a bone or toy.
Temperature Control
Anyone who has been inside an underground cave knows that even a few feet below ground, it may be substantially cooler. So if it’s a scorching day, your dog may dig up your yard to get to some more excellent soil and rest there. Nordic breeds, such as Malamutes, Huskies, and Elkhounds, are prone to digging in the soil to avoid the heat.
Anxiety and Stress
When dogs are agitated or frightened, they may exhibit several traditional displacement behaviors. For example, suppose a worried dog is pushed past a certain point. It may get so agitated with anxiety that he or it begins digging feverishly to escape whatever is terrifying them. This can be true even if the perceived threat isn’t real.
How to Put a Stop to Your Dog’s Digging
Because digging is a deeply ingrained instinct in your dog, you may not be able to stop it entirely. Instead, most behaviorists and trainers agree that it is critical to provide more suitable outlets for your dog’s digging and address the issues that are causing your dog to dig in the first place.
Provide Appropriate Outlets
The AKC Earthdog tests can be a fantastic outlet for dogs with a high prey drive, such as Jack Russell Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers, Dachshunds, and other breeds initially bred to hunt small animals. Unfortunately, only some breeds, including most small to medium-sized terriers and the Dachshund, are eligible for Earthdog competitions under the AKC. If your digging dog does not fall into this group, there is still something you can do to give your doggy a place to play. Giving your dog a sandbox (or sandpit, if they like to dig deep holes) might help you define an area of your yard where they are permitted to dig. This is especially useful for dogs who like to dig to hide toys and treats.
Control of Rodents
Whether you want to make your backyard a Certified Backyard Habitat or appreciate nature from a distance, it may be necessary to install some rodent control if your dog digs up your yard. There are various methods for making your yard unappealing to rodents. Planting fragrant herbs and plants like mint, basil, and thyme can help. Avoid using soil mulch in flower beds since rats like to burrow and nest in them. Other solar-powered repellents use sound and vibration to dissuade mice, but depending on the frequencies, these may also be irritating to your dog.
Provide some shade
If your dog enjoys digging up the yard only to sleep in the overturned earth, they could appreciate a shady location to relax in. Providing a shady area for your dog to get out of the direct sun will help them cool down without searching for cool dirt.
You may never be able to satisfy your dog’s drive to dig. But, that doesn’t mean you have to deal with your dog continuously causing craters in your yard. Providing outlets and regulating your dog’s environment will help avoid yard destruction and keep you and your dog happy.
User Questions
Does vinegar stop dogs digging?
Vinegar has a strong odor that dogs dislike, which may deter them from digging in your yard. Vinegar can be harmful to plants, so avoid spraying it directly on your lawn or garden.
What fragrance does it take to get a dog to quit digging?
You can spray vinegar and citrus oil to keep your dog from digging. There are also commercial dog repellant sprays available.
Are mothballs dangerous to dogs?
Camphor is one of the most poisonous ingredients often found in mothballs. Camphor consumption causes central nervous system toxicity, causing agitation and convulsions in dogs. The symptoms will appear rapidly after intake and can be fatal.
What can I do to keep my dogs from digging holes?
If you catch your dog digging in an unsuitable location, make a loud noise and firmly declare, “No dig.” Then transport them right to the digging zone. Next, make the undesirable digging sites unappealing (at least temporarily) by covering them with pebbles or chicken wire.
Will cayenne pepper cause harm to my dog?
Cayenne peppers are not harmful to your dog, but they will irritate his eyes, nose, and throat. To keep your dog out of your flowerbed, mix black pepper and cayenne pepper and sprinkle it across your garden.
Conclusion
I hope you find this advice to be helpful. Please use the form below if you have any queries or comments.
