Digging

[Daniela Horth]

Hi all!  Our little Lucy is now 7 months old.  She's been a great dog and I really have no complaints.  She has tried to do a little digging in the past but we managed to nip it in the bud and it hasn't been an ongoing problem.... until the last few days.  We have a spot at the end of our yard where there is a small gravel pad for things like a wheelbarrow and the odd unused plant pot.  Lucy has decided it's fun to dig through the gravel and tear up the landscape fabric underneath, and has done so numerous times over the last several days... very frustrating for me and has made husband very unhappy :(  She gets plenty of exercise and attention and is also not in the yard unattended very often.  But lately, as soon as someone goes inside to get something or to use the bathroom, she's done it again!  Is this something that she will grow out of???  I have now tied a 50ft lead to a tree on the other side of the yard and have limited her mobility when no one is 100% supervising.  I feel bad doing that, but not sure what else to do.... any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!!

[Andrea, Belle and Honey]

Hi Daniela,

I have a 17 month old mini labradoodle, Belle, who has been an enthusiastic digger since the day she first set paw in our back yard. Many people consider digging an unacceptable behavior and train their dogs not to dig at all.  Belle took such joy in it that I decided too allow her some controlled digging.  At the suggestion  of someone, probably on this website, I made her a 2 foot square digging spot, visibly outlined by rows of old bricks, in a corner of the yard.  When she started digging anywhere else, I stopped her, immediately brought her to the digging spot, and praised her when she dug there. It took some time, but she hasn't tried to dig anywhere else for over a year (except when she smells that famous delicacy, deer poop. in our gravel driveway, then all bets are off). I'm sure other DKers will chime in with training tips to eradicate digging if you chose that route, but I wanted to let you know about this alternative that has worked well for us. Lucy is sooo cute, you probably wouldn't begrudge her some extra bathing, right? 

[Daniela Horth]

Thanks for your thoughts Andrea... I love that you embraced the inner digger :)  It is something I may consider yet.  I think I would have a hard time convincing my husband however.... the yard is something he takes great pride in.  We shall see.... 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Could you put some sort of decorative fencing around that area?  Such as:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ETMB5Y/ref=s9_top_hd_bw_bFhYL...

or garden border fencing?

Some people put dog poop in areas where they want to discourage digging.  You don't have to do it forever, just until she associates that area with something undesirable. 

[Daniela Horth]

Thanks for the tip... not something I had considered.  I keep hoping she'll just forget about it.

[Stella]

It is a phase they go through! I allowed my two to dig, but only in one place. If they tried anywhere else, I told them no and took them to where they were allowed. They dug a nice hole and when I listed that house for sale I stuck a shrub into the hole!!

[Daniela Horth]

haha!  As I mentioned in my other reply, it's something I may consider doing if it doesn't stop.  Convincing my hubby will be the hard part!  Thanks!!