[Mrs Minxter]

Hi everyone, my dog, Dylan, who is almost 5 months, has recently started digging in my garden, whether it be the flower beds, the lawn - wherever!

And, it's driving me nuts!!! I've had dogs previously but not one of them have been diggers - until now. I don't know what to do to stop him as he's ruining my garden and getting extremely dirty too. He's even eating the soil!

Does anyone have any advice please on how to prevent him from digging = except to say watch him every second he's out there.

Thanks in advance. Appreciate your help.

Jeannette x

 

[Sosoprano]

I don’t have any advice because I’m in the same boat with Pippa, but I do sympathize. Really hoping someone chimes in with a solution!

 

[abowman]

Well I ran into a similar issue. I was working on fall prepping the gardens turned my back and this is what happened.

 

[nolefan]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What a funny picture!!!! that's hysterical!

My first golden Baxter, was a digger, it only took a couple years for him to grow out of it....
I've noticed my Mack only digs now when he has a play date over and they dig together. Makes me think that it is an overabudance of energy and excitement. Other than not leaving him unattended (Sorry, I know you didn't want to hear that) I'm afraid my only idea is more exercise....
Has anyone on this forum had success with providing a sand box just for the dog to dig in? Baxter used to love to dig in my daughter's box....

Still laughing over the photo....

 

[FeatherRiverSam]

He's just trying to give you a hand with your gardening

My Woodrow is a digger, LOVES GOING AFTER GOPHERS!!! The only positive way I found to stop him was to stay on top of him 24/7 when he was out. He got the "awh" before he even got a chance to get his paws dirty. So now he's very good about not digging in the back yard and is still a very happy camper...he's discovered squirrels

I don't think. there is much you can do if you're not there to redirect them short of making the area he's digging in inaccessible with fencing.

Good Luck,

Pete

Well I ran into a similar issue. I was working on fall prepping the gardens turned my back and this is what happened.

 

[estesbubba]

This worked with our 2 cockers and so far stops Peyton from digging in the same area. When you fill the hole back bury some their poop in with the dirt. I guess they don't like that.

 

[abowman]

I might try that, as my gardens took a beating as well!

 

[Wimbles]

This worked with our 2 cockers and so far stops Peyton from digging in the same area. When you fill the hole back bury some their poop in with the dirt. I guess they don't like that.

This technique worked for us. Hector kept going back to one big hole right in the middle of the lawn. We filled it in a little, put in some of his pooh, then filled it over completely. He's never dug there since!

 

[StephB]

Harvey started to do that, but as soon as I started taking him to the beach regularly he got his fill of digging in the sand there, and I didn't' have to care about the holes! I watch him when he's in the yard and so far he hasn't tried to dig anything up again.

 

[AlanK]

My boy has a passion for digging and thankfully he does not dig in the garden or yard any more. He seemed to grow out of it or the scolding he got worked...not sure which? He only digs back in the wooded area any more:uhoh:

 

[darbysdad]

Well I ran into a similar issue. I was working on fall prepping the gardens turned my back and this is what happened.

That is too funny

 

[Mrs Minxter]

Well I ran into a similar issue. I was working on fall prepping the gardens turned my back and this is what happened.

OMG!!! That is sooooooo funny!!! I love it. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't but it is just so cute. Not sure I would be laughing if my dog was doing it tho...........
lol

 

[FeatherRiverSam]

Just like Woody Alan. No digging in the backyard only out at the lake - Gophers!!! :bowl:

Pete

 

[Elisabeth Kazup]

Quote"

" except to say watch him every second he's out there."

This is what I did for that first puppy summer. Watch, distract, fenced off a couple of flower beds. It isn't a very popular solution but I felt she would outgrow the urge if it didn't become a habit. It worked for me and she has never wanted to dig after that first summer.

 

[Aislinn]

This worked with our 2 cockers and so far stops Peyton from digging in the same area. When you fill the hole back bury some their poop in with the dirt. I guess they don't like that.

Yes, this WILL stop them from digging in that hole. It does help overtime, but they will at first dig new holes. It takes a while. I just broke my son's dogs of digging out from under the fence by doing this. It took a couple of weeks. Now I need to work on Dakota...

 

[quilter]

Way cute picture. I am taking the opportunity to teach the "dig" command. I can use that to get the puppy to wipe his feet when he comes in the house. Clearly my dog doesn't dig much. He does love to dig in new molehills, though. Lots of those this time of year.

 

[Sasha'sDaddy]

My Golden Candy would dig under silver maple trees in the lawn just to get to the smaller roots so she could eat them. I thought she was after the worms, but I saw her eating the roots. You might try spraying bitter apple in the gardens / flower beds to repel Dylan, but you might have to buy it by the 5 gallon pail. Doggy poop sounds cheaper.

 

[jluke]

Bored?

Maisie only digs when she's bored. It's especially a problem on really rainy days when it's no fun to get her a lot of exercise. I don't know if that's what's going on with your "diggers", but I just have to make sure she gets lots of physical exercise on nice days and mental stimulation when we can't walk a lot.

When she has dug a hole in her favorite spot, if I fill it in and then cover it with mulch or dead leaves instead of leaving a dirt surface that seems to help for some reason...

 

[kbiocic]

Also wondering if anyone tried the "digging box". Bella really wants to dig too (I also notice it more when shes hyped up or not getting her way) so I bring her to our wooded area and let her dig. But then she starts to eat the dirt so it doesn't really end well. We took her to beach this weekend and she started to dig to China and before we knew it she got so excited digging started to eat the sand - we ended that game quickly! I'm now a little afraid of making her a sand box - can't have her eating sand.

 

[Willow52]

When Hank was a puppy he was a digger. I wasn't sure the landscaping in the back would survive, but it did and he has pretty much out grown those digging days.