14/04/2022
Main reason dogs dig is boredom. Digging gives a dog a job to do. It gives them something to focus on. And it wears them out. Want to fix it? First let’s look at your dog. What do they love to do most? Tug-a-war? Ball? Chasing? Digging? Second let’s look at ourselves and what we do with our dog. How much do you play with them? What games do you play with them? What have you taught them so far?
Now if you’re dogs answer is they love digging I wonder what your answer is for what you do with them.
How to fix digging. First find out what really gets them worked up and then perform that action at least 3 times a day. Second anytime your dog goes outside don’t leave them unattended. Going outside is only to use the bathroom and go back inside until they understand you’re going to play with them enough to wear them out. Lastly and most importantly teach your dog what to do when you’re not paying attention to them. Get them interested in a chew or lick mat when you’re going to do something when you won’t be able to give your dog attention. If that’s not something you can do all the time or they aren’t interested in it. Teach them the command for laying down, also you can’t use the word “down” for this if you use the word “down” for telling them to get off of something. If you’re staying in one area put them in a “down” and go about doing your task or watching tv but you still have to check in on them to make sure they’re staying in their down or sitting in the spot you placed them. If they left or are sitting put them back in a “down”. You can use leash to keep them close if they aren’t staying down for too long. But watch out for them chewing the leash and still continue to put them in a “down”. The goal is for them to do behaviors that aren’t destructive. Chewing on a given bone or staying in a down position gives them something to do. Staying in a down is more challenging for a dogs brain then it might look. The dog has to stay in the position move around to be comfortable but stay. Each time they want to move or hear or see something but they keep still they are correcting themselves in their mind because what they are doing or supposed to be doing is “staying down”. It’s just are much work as chewing on a bone.
Stop digging: physically exercised, mentally exercised and taught what to do when there’s nothing to do. Don’t forget to practice this outside as well.
