Dogs dig for a variety of reasons. The most common reason for digging is fun. Digging up sprinkler or drip system lines is quite fun and challenging for the clever dog. Dirt plays back, especially when it is combined with water. Particularly in this hot climate, dogs dig to stay cool. Underneath that hot dirt, there is a nice cool area on which to lie! Some dogs dig to bury or unbury things. Certain breeds, like Terriers, were born to dig. It just is a natural instinct for them. Finally, some dogs dig to imitate their green-thumbed owners. Dogs are great imitators, and we can actually teach them to dig by allowing them to watch us landscape. It is best to look at their reason for digging before deciding how to treat it.
Dogs need to be kept indoors during the day. It is too hot for them outside. Keeping your dog indoors will help prevent their digging to find a cool place to rest. It will also help prevent other problems like escaping from your yard, nuisance barking and destructive behaviors that stem from boredom. Don’t forget to keep your dog indoors when sprucing up your landscaping.
For those occupational or recreational diggers, it is better to redirect their behavior than to try to suppress it through punishment. Punishing a dog for digging all the time will not stop him from digging. It will stop him from digging when you are around!
The most effective method of controlling a digging problem is to create a small digging pit for your dog. It can be as small as a 5-inch by 5-inch area that has a different surface than the rest of your yard. For example, try playground sand, topsoil or pulverized granite. Encourage him to dig in this area by burying bones or treats a few inches deep and play with him in that area. Whenever you catch him digging elsewhere in the yard, disrupt the behavior and get him over to the digging pit! Encourage his digging in that area. If you redirect his desire to dig to an appropriate area instead of trying to squelch the desire altogether, you will have a happier dog and a yard without holes. Dogs learn more quickly when you work with their motivations instead of relying on punishment to do the trick.
Sam Freeman, CPDT-KSA, is the president and owner of Pet Behavior Solutions and Edu-Care for Dogs in the East Valley. She is the creator of the Core Behavior Assessment, which is the behavior evaluation program used by many animal shelters and animal control agencies in Arizona. Freeman is certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and has completed specialized education and training in psychology, learning theory, ethology, family counseling, behavior modification techniques, aggression, canine and feline behavior issues, and grief counseling.
