How to stop your dog from digging

Does your dog love digging under the fence? Digging up your plants? We acknowledge that digging is part of dogs’ instinct, but they might be doing it for a reason. If you’d like to know how to stop a dog from digging, read on for our best advice.

1) Understand why your dog digs

Firstly, you should identify the reason your dog is digging. Some of the most common reasons your dog may be digging are:

• • Food hunting / storing
  • Anxious
  • Bored / Fun
  • Escape
  • Seeking shelter from the heat
  • Natural instinct
  • Breed-specific behaviour

Once you have identified the main reason, you can start implementing some solutions on how to stop your dog from digging.

2) Exercise

Exercising could provide the mental stimuli and physical activity your dog needs. Remember to take your dog for daily walks as this is a great way to keep healthy and burn off your dog’s energy.

3) Make a dig pit

Create a digging zone for your dogs to play could minimise damage in your garden. Cover the digging area or place a sandbox for kids filled with soil. Reward dogs when they dig in the dig pit to encourage them to dig only in the area.

4) ‘No dig’ command

Teach your dog that it is not ok to dig by using a ‘no dig’ command.

• • Say ‘no dig’ immediately when they start digging inappropriate places
  • Give them rewards if they stop

5) Dig-proof your garden

Another way that you can prevent your dog from digging is to work on your garden structure to make it dig-proof. A few ways to do this are:

• • Avoid using fertilizers that attract dogs (e.g. bones, blood)
  • Place interactive toys in the garden
  • Bury rocks or a longer edge of the fence at the bottom of your fence