How to Stop Dogs from Digging?

Dogs are adventurous little creatures, but at times they can be messy. We often see our dogs digging holes in the yard and sometimes it can be so annoying.

You fix it, and they dig out again.

If you are irritated by this habit and want to stop dogs from digging, you need to find out the main reason behind this behavior. Digging is a natural habit in dogs, but sometimes dogs may be digging out of anxiety or boredom. They may be seeking protection or entertainment, or they might be looking for prey underground.

If you want to stop dogs from digging under the fence, it is crucial to look for its reason and then train them accordingly.

Entertainment

Sometimes, a dog digs in the yard because he enjoys that activity and finds entertainment in digging. The dog digs in yard when he does not have enough playful activities or if he is feeling bored.

He may also be digging if he has no playmate or a joyous toy to keep him busy in the yard. Then, he entertains himself in this way.

Action you can take

To keep dogs from digging, you should consider the following tips:

• Place some joyful dog toys in the yard to draw attention from digging.
• Entertain them with a game like playing fetch or frisbee.
• Practice some tricks with them daily as a source of significant energy output.

Attention

When you fail to give a dog enough attention, he may display unwanted behaviours, like digging in the yard or disrupting you while you do work. Those actions tell you that he needs a little more attention from you.

If you punish the dog for this behavior, he considers it a source of attention and repeats the same to get attention when he wants that.

Action you can take

• To prevent dogs from digging, you should give them attention by spending valuable time with them.
• Ignore attention-seeking activities and praise them as much as you can so that the dog feels good and does not repeat these attention-seeking activities.

Comfort and Protection

A dog may dig in the yard if he does not find enough comfort and protection in this house. He digs out the soil on a hot sunny day and sits there to enjoy the cool soil inside.

If he does not find a cool and cozy shelter, he digs out holes and looks for the one near the building foundation, shady trees or a water source. He may do excessive panting as a sign of heat.

Sometimes pregnant dogs dig holes, to provide a safe place for their young ones, a behavior called denning.

Action you can take

Here are some of the tips that can help to stop dogs from digging:

Provide a suitable shelter to the dog where he feels comfortable and protected.

• On a hot sunny day, bring the dog inside to keep them cool.
• Give them easy access to water so that they enjoy whenever they want and do not dig in the yard.

Hunting Underground Prey

Dogs are active hunters. They keep hunting underground animals and burrowing rodents with their remarkable sniffing ability. They keep digging in a pathway following the prey or dig at a specified area where they find the prey. Sometimes they dig near the roots of the trees, looking for prey.

Action you can take

To stop dogs from digging and hunting underground prey, you can take the following steps:

• Remove the underground animals safely from the yard
• Use any insect repellent, but avoid using any poison as it can be poisonous for your dog.
• Engage your dog in the toys that can draw their attention when in the yard.

Escape

Your dog may dig to escape the yard. He might do so if he wants something that is not there or something is disturbing him.

Action you can take

To stop dogs from digging under the fence, you should find out the cause of disturbance and remove it immediately.

Some of the cheap ways to keep dogs from digging under the fence include:

• Install a chicken fence in your yard. To avoid any dog injury, use a plastic mesh instead of metal.
• Place some rocks at the bottom of the fence.
• Burry the fence 1- 2 feet deep in the yard so that your dog cannot escape under the fence.
• Use chain link fencing to block the bottom of the fence.If the dog hates water, install a motion sensor water sprinkler near the fence to sprinkle water on the dog when he tries to escape. This can be the best and the safest dog digging deterrent.

A Digging Zone – The Best Solution to Stop Dogs from Digging

Dogs are natural diggers as they inherit this habit from their wild ancestors. If you have tried different ways, but still the dog won’t stop digging, then to your surprise, you may own a dog breeds that dig . It is the nature of such types of dogs to dig several times. So, be careful while choosing a dog breed as a pet.

• You can make a digging zone in your yard to combat this problem.
• Encourage your dog to dig in this digging zone.
• You can do this by placing a sandbox just like the one children used to play with.
• Reward them and treats them when he digs in the digging zone.
• To make it interactive, you can hide certain toys in the sand.
• If you don’t have enough space to set up a digging zone, you can put a digging toy, in which the dog can dig through the material and find different toys hidden inside. This would be a great fun activity for your dog.

Things to Avoid

Avoid punishing your dog or beating him for digging in the yard because punishment will worsen the situation and weaken the friendly bond with your dog.

FAQs

How to Stop Dog from Digging under the Fence?

Install a chicken fence in your yard. To avoid any dog injury, use a plastic mesh instead of metal.

• Place some rocks at the bottom of the fence.
• Burry the fence 1- 2 feet deep in the yard so that your dog cannot escape under the fence.
• Use chain link fencing to block the bottom of the fence.

Does Vinegar Stops Dogs from Digging?

Vinegar has pungent smell which dog dislike. So you can use it as a dog digging deterrent. It is temporary remedy to stop dogs from digging.

How Do I Stop Dogs from Digging Holes?

Dogs usually dig holes as an entertainment and an output of energy. You can take following steps to stop them:

• Place some joyful dog toys in the yard to draw attention from digging.
• Entertain them with a game like playing fetch or frisbee.
• Practice some tricks with them daily as a source of significant energy output
• Spend valuable time with them