Dogs enjoy digging. If your dog digs in your flower beds or tracks dirt and muck all over your house, this can be a particularly aggravating reality of life. Dogs dig for a variety of reasons, but the good news is that there are a few things you can do to prevent damage.
What Makes Dogs Dig?
The impulse of a dog to dig is exactly that: instinct! Digging might be as instinctive in your dog as barking or sniffing1! The majority of the reasons your dog may dig holes in your yard are instinctual.
Instincts of Predation
All dogs have a predatory impulse, even the classic couch potatoes of the dog world. It's why your dog enjoys chewing on squeaky toys and chasing squirrels when out for a stroll. When your dog is exploring the yard, he or she may hear and smell underground animals. Dogs with a high hunting drive, particularly terrier types, may dig in the yard in order to catch the rodents they hear and smell.
Food and Object Storage
Some dogs may have a strong instinct to cache valuable items like food, bones, or even toys. They do it because it's instinctive for them to hide items for safekeeping. Of course, you don't want their beloved, chewed-up Nylabone, but your dog isn't aware of this. Your dog just knows that the Nylabone is his or her favorite toy and that he or she does not want to be without it.
Temperature Control
Anyone who has ever been inside an underground cave knows that even a few feet below ground, it may be substantially cooler. If it's particularly hot outside, your dog may dig up your yard to find some cooler dirt and rest there. Malamutes, Huskies, and Elkhounds, for example, are particularly fond of digging in the soil to cool off.
Anxiety and Stress
When dogs are agitated or frightened, they may engage in a number of traditional displacement behaviors. If a worried dog is pushed past a certain point, he or she may become so anxious that he or she begins digging feverishly in an attempt to escape whatever is terrifying them. This can be the case even if the ostensible threat isn't one at all.
How to Get Your Dog to Stop Digging
You may not be able to entirely stop your dog from digging because it is a deeply ingrained instinct in him. Instead, most behaviorists and trainers agree that it's critical to give your dog more acceptable outlets for digging and to address the conditions that cause your dog to dig in the first place.
Appropriate Outlets should be provided.
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 that were originally bred to hunt small animals. Unfortunately, only a few breeds, including most small to medium-sized terriers and the Dachshund, are qualified for Earthdog competitions under the AKC. Even if your digging dog does not fall into this specific category, there are still things you can do to give him something to do.
Giving your dog a sandbox (or sandpit, if they like to dig deep holes) might help you define a digging zone in your yard. This is especially advantageous for dogs who dig to hide toys and treats.
Controlling Rodents
If your dog digs up your yard, it may be prudent to install some rodent control, whether you want to make your backyard a Certified Backyard Habitat or just appreciate nature from afar. There are a few things you can do to make your yard uninviting to rodents. Planting fragrant herbs and plants like mint, basil, and thyme, for example, can help. Rodents like to burrow and nest in soil mulch, therefore it's best to avoid it for flower beds. There are also solar-powered repellents that use sound and vibration to keep rats away, although the frequencies used vary.
Shade should be provided.
If your dog enjoys digging up the yard only to sleep in the overturned earth, a shady location to relax in may be beneficial. Providing a shady location for your dog to get out of the direct sun can help them cool down without resorting to digging in the dirt.
You'll never be able to stop your dog from digging. That doesn't mean you have to put up with your dog causing potholes in your yard all of the time. Providing outlets and managing your dog's environment will help you both stay happy while preventing your yard from being destroyed.
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