Drilling holes in the garden is a natural and very common behavior in dogs, but it is not as common as chewing. Some dogs have a compelling urge to dig while others only do so if they are stimulated to do so. There are even some who never dig, although I dare to think that this has more to do with the education received than with the natural behavior of the species. The risk to dogs is usually less than for dogs that chew things, it is not non-existent.
On the contrary, there have been cases of dogs being electrocuted by destroying electrical wires while digging. There have also been cases of dogs destroying water pipes while digging. For all these reasons, digging is not a behavior that can and should not be happily accepted in dogs. However, it is not a behavior that can be eliminated in many cases. Therefore, the solution to this problem also involves environmental management rather than dog training.
Discover in this article on our site how to prevent the dog from digging holes in the garden.
Why do dogs run?
If your dog digs holes in the garden, he is trying to satisfy his needsin some way. A serious situation of stress or anxiety can lead you to try to alleviate your discomfort through intense physical activity or, in this case, digging in the garden.
There are several reasons why he may carry out this behavior, but the fundamental thing to try to help him will be identifying the cause that encourages drilling holes:
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They keep things: it is an instinctive behaviour. Dogs hide their precious possessions underground and for that they have to dig. However, dogs that live indoors and not in the yard can store their things under blankets, rugs, or inside their travel crates or dog houses. They don't always have to dig to "store" their favorite toys and food scraps.
That brings us to a topic of discussion, "where should dogs live?" Arguing about whether dogs should live inside the house or in the garden is very old and has no answer. Everyone decides where her dog should live. However, in my opinion, dogs are beings with whom we share our lives, not objects, and therefore they should live inside the house, along with the rest of the family.
- They look for cool places: Especially in summer, dogs may dig to find a cooler place to lie down. In this case, a comfortable, fresh and comfortable kennel for your dog can be a solution to help cool him down. Letting it rest inside the house and not in the garden is another alternative. It is essential that dogs always have fresh and abundant water at their disposal to avoid a possible heat stroke.
- They are looking for a comfortable place: this is a case similar to the previous one, but in which the dog is not looking for a more pleasant temperature, but a softer place to lie down. They remove the earth so that the place where they lie down is more comfortable. It usually happens with dogs that live in the garden and have houses made of wood or other hard material without mats or blankets.
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They want to escape from a place: Many dogs dig with the sole and simple intention of getting out. In some cases it is about dogs that escape from their homes to go "pataperrear" as it is commonly said. They are going to enjoy life as semi-stray dogs. In other cases they are dogs that are afraid of something. These dogs feel anxiety when they are left alone and try to escape from that place in search of protection. When the case is very serious, the dog can develop separation anxiety and in its attempt to escape it can try to dig hard surfaces until it destroys its nails and ends up with injuries.
- Chases burrowing animals: In some cases, dog owners think their dog has a behavior problem when the reality is that the dog is chasing animals that people have not detected. If your dog digs in the garden, make sure there are no burrowing animals that live there. It makes sense for a dog of any breed to dig when he chases an animal that is hiding underground.
- Because it's fun: Yes, many dogs just dig because it's fun for them. Especially dog breeds that have been developed to chase burrowing animals, such as terriers, dig for the hell of it. If you have a terrier and you notice that he likes to dig in the garden, do not waste your time trying to avoid it, it is part of his instinctive behavior. You may be able to redirect that behavior, but not eliminate it (at least not without side effects).
- They suffer from behavioral problems: dogs are very sensitive animals, for this reason it is essential to pay attention to their emotional well-being if we observe that they dig and makes holes in the garden. Aggressiveness, stereotypes, or fear can tell us that something is wrong.
How to prevent your dog from drilling holes
Below we propose three different options that can help you improve this situation. We encourage you to try all three at the same time so you can see how a dog changes if offered regular attention, warmth, and toys:
If your dog is not a compulsive digger and only digs occasionally or when he is left alone, the solution is relatively simple. Give him company and activities to do. Many dogs dig out of boredom and sadness, see for yourself how play and attention change their behavior in a positive way.
On the other hand, allowing your dog to begin to live indoors and spend more time indoors than in the garden is an excellent option. It will greatly improve his quality of life, you will avoid damage to the garden and you will have a happy dog. At the time of going out to the garden, it will be important that you accompany and supervise him, in this way you can distract him when his digging instincts begin to flourish.
Finally we encourage you to use dog toysIn the same way as for dogs that chew things, you can give your dog enough activity that he forgets to dig when he is left alone. Of course, keep in mind that you should restrict the places where you leave him alone, at least until you are completely sure that he will not dig in your garden. Of all the toys for dogs, we definitely recommend the use of the kong. The kong will help you channel stress, it will motivate you intellectually and allow you to develop an activity that takes you away from the garden.
Alternative for dogs that need to dig
If you have a terrier or other dog addicted to digging in the yard, it's redirecting their behavior. In these cases you will not be able to eliminate this behavior without creating other collateral problems, so the best thing you can do is to get your dog a place where he can dig and teach him to dig only in that place.
Teaching a dog to dig holes in a specific place
The first step will be to choose the place where your dog can dig and make holes without any problem. The most sensible option is to go to the countryside or to a nearby garden area. In that place, it will be delimited by a two by two area (approximately and depending on the size of your dog). We advise you to remove the soil so that it is loose. It's okay if your dog helps you break up the dirt, as that will be his digging hole. However, make sure the area is clear of plants and roots so your dog doesn't associate digging with destroying plants or may eat any of the plants that are toxic to dogs.
When the digging hole is ready, bury one or two of your dog's toys in it, leaving a small part of the holes sticking out. themselves. So, start encouraging your dog to dig them up. If you notice that it does not work, you can try to spread feed around the area doing a search to familiarize it with the place. When your dog digs up his toy, praise him and play with him. You can also use positive reinforcement with dog treats and snacks.
Repeat the procedure until you notice that your dog digs with more often in that place At that moment you will notice that digging in the hole of digging has become a much appreciated activity for your dog because he does it even when there are no toys buried there. However, from time to time, leave some toys buried so that your dog can discover them when he digs and reinforce the behavior of digging in the digging hole.
All this procedure must be carried out preventing your dog from having access to the rest of the garden when he is not supervised. Therefore, for a while you will have to place folding gates or other similar structures in some places to prevent your dog from having unrestricted access to the entire garden. You should only have access to the area where the dig hole is located.
Little by little, you will notice that your dog stops digging in other areas of the chosen area and only digs in the hole you have made for him. Then, gradually over several days, increase the space he has access to when he's alone. During this time, every day leave a toy buried in the excavation hole that reinforces your dog's behavior. You can also leave the food-filled interactive toys outside the digging hole for your dog to do other things besides dig.
Over time, your dog will get into the habit of digging only in his digging hole. You will have lost a little piece of garden but you will have saved the rest. Remember that this alternative is only for compulsive digging dogs. Not for the dog that occasionally digs and can learn to chew on his toys instead of digging
