How to stop dog from digging

Richard · Feb 24, 2004

For those who read the saga about Otis...

Seems he's quite a little bulldozer and loves to dig /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

He has dug up several of wifeys flowers outright and has a starter hole about the size of a basketball dug around one of her favorite plants her father bought her, and our Dogwood tree in front of house (2 digging projects) along with several grapefruit sized divits.

Any tricks?

Richard

PineRidge · Feb 24, 2004

There are several radio controlled collars on the market that will give a unpleasant reminder to the dog when you press a transmitter button for conditioning purposes. We used one some years back successfully to discourage our dog from ignoring us when we called it. (Lived near a busy street at the time) You would be surprised just how quick we were able to get that dogs attention. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Tri-Tronics collars click here

And no, it won't work on the wife, I already tried. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

OkeeDon · Feb 24, 2004

I'd love to hear how to stop the digging, also. Our first adopted greyhound, Grandy, is an excavator. She likes deep holes, I guess to keep cool, and maybe for security. When she tires of one, she'll start another, and she rearranges them from time to time. They're so deep, she disappears when she lays in one.

We currently live in the "city" and have a small back yard, about 1800 sq ft. It looks like the surface of the Moon. I've given up, and just let happen. When we sell the place, I'll level it and resod, but I'm concerned about all the landscaping we plan to put in at the new place. Our second greyhound, Rocky, would much rather lay on his soft dog bed and totally ignores Grandy's holes.

I should note that Grandy was abused before we adopted her, and it has taken over six years of love and care to get her to come partially out of her shell. We tend to indulge her because she has a fragile personality (after six years, she will still not walk past me without slowly slinking by with her tail between her legs -- still absolutely frightened of males).

slowzuki · Feb 24, 2004

Our dog also likes to dig but will pick sand if available. Likes to lay in the hole in the summer, re-digs every so often.

Our last dog would dig to follow smells or feild mouse holes. We just filled them in the best we could. It's now the cats who like to dig, and its only to do one thing! The cats also including the potted plants in the house for digging :bleack: /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

jfh230 · Feb 24, 2004

That's a riot Don! I thought only my yard looked like that.

We have two diggers. Casey (irish wolfhound) is our track hoe. In 30 seconds he can excavate a hole that would make a backhoe operator proud. The size of his paws are like two shovels. Dirt flies everywhere. We measured one of his masterpieces at almost 36 inches deep. We call them her traps because my wife kept falling in them.

Sam (greyhound) finishes them by smoothing everything out like a nice finish rake. Then he lays in them and disappears just like yours. We also gave up trying to stop them and did exactly as you did. When we sold the place I trucked in topsoil and made everything like new.

They don't dig anymore in our new place. Mainly because our land is 1/2 inch of soil and then solid rock. The big guy can't figure out how to dig through rock yet. I'm praying he doesn't find the septic field /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Jack

OkeeDon · Feb 24, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( They don't dig anymore in our new place.)</font>

That's what I'm hoping, but not because of rock -- everything in Florida is sand. We're going from an 1800 sq ft back yard to something more than 200,000 sq ft, so I'm hoping that Grandy will find a place that isn't as visible to do her thing. She won't cross even a piece of string as a fence, so I'm going to put in a low garden fence around the house and pool and keep her out of that area.

But, I'm still hoping that someone has a behavioral trick that might work, because I already flipped my tractor into one hole, and I don't want any surprises. She's too timid for the electrical collars - one shock would traumatize her back to the zombie we adopted over 6 years ago.

Bob_Skurka · Feb 24, 2004

We fill the holes that the dog digs with dog poop. The dog seems to leave those alone and will move on to another spot. My big dog seems to be very sporatic. She may not dig at all for weeks, then all of a sudden she will dig 3 holes in one day. Can't figure out why, but she leaves the poop filled holes alone. We do cover those with dirt and let the grass regrow.

RobertN · Feb 24, 2004

Put thier do-do in the hole. Every time they start a hole, put thier stuff in it. They tend not to like that.

You could try the cayenne pepper thing, works sometimes. Sprinkle it where they start to dig...

Richard · Feb 24, 2004

interesting on the doggie doo into hole. If you have TWO dogs, do you need to be selective on whos gets deposited, or is poo, poo?

I'd hate to make issue of depositing doody #1 and have it dog doody #2 that's the problem

/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

(getting a sudden feeling of ickies come over me)

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

DAP · Feb 24, 2004

I could another book of stories to yours, Don.

We have two xracers. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Deerlope · Feb 24, 2004

you might try some of those little leather booties that are used on the Alaskan sled dogs.

NIXON · Feb 24, 2004

When I lived in Vegas ,I had two dogs that would dig holes to get cool . I ended up buying one of those 5' diameter kiddie pools . I put it in a shady part of the yard . The dogs loved it ,and it ended the digging . John

RobertN · Feb 24, 2004

They just don't like digging where the doogies are, so doogie #1 vs #2 wouldn't matter, assuming placement is of the #2 form either dog /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Dewave · Feb 24, 2004

I have lost 3 pair of shoes lately and the dog never digs in the same place. i was Bh'ing a stump the other day and up pops one of my shoes! I'd like a solution that doesn't involve hiding my shoes?

JJT · Feb 24, 2004

Often a dog that digs is a bored dog.

Try more exercise and a few more toys.

NIXON · Feb 24, 2004

I'd like a solution that doesn't involve hiding my shoes? )</font>

SANDALS ! John

bgott · Feb 25, 2004

Use a spray bottle filled with ammonia to spray the holes. It's a whole lot nicer to deal with than doggie doo!

Deerlope · Feb 25, 2004

Put moth balls around your wife's plants and any place that you don't want the dog to dig. I live in a highly wooded area near a stream and the Skunks are always digging up my wife's plants so she just uses moth balls and it works.

Hambone · Feb 25, 2004

Our dogs liked the little pool too!

Cliff_Johns · Feb 25, 2004

What you need is a sacrificial planting area. A place where
the dog thinks you have your most expensive and sensitive
plants, but where you've actually just dug up the ground a
little. When the dog digs there, act all dramatic and upset,
so he will think you care.

This also works on small children

Cliff