Clear and psychological reasons why dogs dig. Does the dog dig holes in the yard? Why and how to wean? What to do when a dog digs holes

Digging holes, burrows is quite normal for representatives of the canine family. But so that such a habit does not cause you problems, consider how to wean a dog from digging holes in the yard. Here are some useful tips and tricks that will wean your pet from spoiling beds, lawns, flower beds.

Such a habit in most cases does not indicate a bad upbringing, and even more so, it does not mean that the pet does the owner out of spite.

If your dog constantly spoils the lawn, the entire local area is dotted with freshly dug holes of various depths, and the dog, even in your presence, digs into the ground with pleasure, before proceeding with the behavior correction, we will understand the reasons for such behavior.

Important! Digging up the earth is an instinct inherent in nature, an innate reflex act inherent in all representatives of the canine family without exception.

At the same time, the natural instinctive behavior of dogs that live in private homes provides owners with a lot of trouble. If your dog vigorously digs holes, he destroys flower beds, plantings, lawns. And the territory of the site, dotted with "craters", does not look too aesthetically pleasing.

Reasons for digging earth and digging holes:

• genetic, breed predisposition;
• banal boredom;
• arrangement of a rookery, construction of a hiding place;
• curiosity, excitement, overflowing energy;
• search for a partner, an attempt to escape if the dog digs and digs holes under the fence;
• lack of attention;
• anxiety state;
• hunting, parental instinct.

It is not uncommon for dogs to dig holes to hide supplies for a rainy day. Our smaller brothers bury not only the remains of delicacies, bones, but also their toys. At the same time, dogs often check whether their “treasures” are in place and can hide them so that no one steals them. Therefore, new freshly dug holes appear on the site. Digging holes for hunting, hound dogs is quite a familiar job. Representatives of these breeds have a highly developed hunting instinct, and as you know, voles, moles, and other living creatures that can be hunted live in the ground.

In addition, many breeds were bred specifically for burrow hunting (, terriers,) and it is almost impossible to wean a pet from such an activity. The dog simply cannot resist the natural instinct and digging holes is one of his favorite pastimes. If it is too hot outside, the dog living in the yard begins to look for coolness, digging the ground, removing layer by layer in order to lie down in a hole with his stomach on a damp cool surface and get rid of overheating.

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Some females, preparing for the upcoming birth, dig deep holes, equip a den for their offspring. Animals believe that such a shelter will protect newborn cubs from the harsh realities of the world around them.

Important! If the puppy bitch before pregnancy did not show interest in digging the ground, and before giving birth, the pet showed strange behavior, show the dog to the veterinarian to eliminate the risk of developing possible diseases and pathologies.

In dogs that do not leave the yard or most often sit in enclosures, digging and digging the earth is associated with sexual instinct or banal curiosity. When digging under a fence, a dog can smell a bitch in the hunt, so he will do everything in order to escape. It is also possible that the dog just wants to explore the surrounding area, to find out what is happening outside of his yard.

Additional reasons

• Curiosity. Dogs are incredibly inquisitive animals that learn about the world around them and get information from smells. Many gardeners use organic matter, meat and bone meal for fertilizer, and it is this smell that attracts dogs.

• Lack of vitamins. A pet can also be attracted to what grows in the ground. For example, a dog digs the ground in search of edible roots or root crops. Perhaps the dog lacks certain vitamins and minerals and thus it makes up for their deficiency.

• Boredom- Another reason that provokes this behavior in dogs. Animals lack communication, they feel lonely and sad, so in this way they attract the attention of the owner.

• An excess of energy. Dogs need physical activity and daily long walks, mental stress. If the dog rarely leaves the yard, the pet has few toys, be prepared for the appearance of "craters" on your site, damaged flower beds and lawns.

• Feelings of fear, anxiety. Perhaps the dog anticipates something or reacts in this way to a strong source of irritation. It is possible that something hurts the dog and so it attracts your attention.

Effective Ways to Solve a Problem

If it is almost impossible to wean burrowing hunting dogs to dig holes in the area, representatives of other breeds and outbred counterparts can be taught good manners. But before correcting behavior, be sure to find out the root cause of this phenomenon. First of all, do not allow the dog to walk in flower beds, beds. To prevent an inquisitive pet from invading the garden or flower beds, install low fences from any available material.

Read also: The first days of a puppy in the house: how to help your pet adapt

In order for the dog to see the border that cannot be crossed, put some obstacles in front of the beds, for example, boards, metal mesh, an old hose, large stones. Several times a day, make a joint walk, walk near fenced areas, praise your pet for good behavior .

Important! Never use physical force, do not scold, do not yell at the dog. You will only exacerbate the situation and cause a backlash. The Forbidden fruit is sweet. Use censure in combination with encouragement.

As soon as the dog decides to dig a hole or decides to walk through the flower beds, call the dog and give the forbidden command in a stern tone. If the dog has shown obedience, reward with praise or a treat. As a punishment, as soon as the dog starts digging in the ground, use harsh sounds, for example, pops, ultrasound, Fisher disks. You can also spray your dog with water from a spray bottle or hose it down.

The effect of surprise is great for a naughty pet. In some cases, it is permissible to use an electric impulse (electric collars), but before using them, consult a dog handler.

To attract a pet to the right place, dig a shallow hole and put a bone in it. This will attract the pet and add excitement to dig in this particular place. If the dog starts digging in the wrong place, scold the dog and take it to a place specially equipped for this purpose.

To wean dogs from digging holes will help:

• intense physical activity;
• systematic training, classes with a cynologist;
• long active walks;
• attention, the presence of various interactive toys;
• communication with relatives;
• destruction of sources of temptation;
• extermination of rodents living on the site;
• creation of a personal zone for a pet;
• providing a cool comfortable shelter.

Activity, moderate physical activity will allow the dog to throw out energy. The dog will not feel lonely, and dig holes out of boredom in the beds and lawns. Too energetic dogs can be interested in agility, sports competitions. Let the pet communicate with his relatives on walks. If the male is constantly digging tunnels under the fences, you do not plan to involve the pet in planned matings, the male is best. The dog will become calmer and he will lose the desire to run away from the yard.

Quite often, owners are puzzled by the question of how to wean a dog from digging holes in the yard. Many, even experienced owners, believe that behavioral correction for such a problem is useless. Let's look at the issue in more detail.

First of all, we will analyze the reasons why dogs dig holes and determine the methods by which you can avoid the destructive behavior of a pet. If you can discover the reasons why dogs dig holes, your chances of successfully correcting the behavior will greatly increase.

In some cases, dogs dig holes without much motivation, just out of boredom or to use up energy. If holes appear in the yard with enviable regularity, the dog's behavior is clearly associated with one of five reasons: boredom, physical discomfort, lack of exercise, a desire to escape or find prey.

Important! Regardless of the reasons why a dog digs holes, one must always keep in mind that he acts instinctively.

Even with the most competent adjustment and the right motivation, the instinct that makes dogs dig holes cannot be completely eradicated.

Lack of attention

Quite often it turns out that the destructive behavior of the dog is associated with a lack of attention from the owner. Many companion dogs are capable of destructive acts in order to attract attention. The algorithm works like this: the dog digs a hole, you swear, the pet understands that his recent actions have attracted your attention and repeats them. In fact, the dog is not trying to do something bad, he just repeats the actions followed by communication with the owner.

If you find that the dog has dug a hole, it is advisable to remain completely calm and ignore the damage. At the same time, it is necessary to show a strong positive reaction when the pet behaves correctly.

Boredom

The second most common cause of destructive behavior is boredom. Most often, the dog starts digging holes in the yard if it has nothing to do. A dog can get bored if it hasn't been out for a long time, rarely sees the owner, or doesn't get enough exercise.

Increasing the intensity of physical activity and switching the dog's attention to toys will quickly and effectively eliminate boredom in a pet. Toys should be changed every two to three days to keep the child interested.

Even if you live in a private house, and the dog has free access to the street, it needs to be walked. When time is short, take your dog out for short but intense walks. For example, you can leave the ball to the dog for 15 minutes or let it play with relatives.

Socialization and communication with other dogs is an important part of the life of any pet. Try to bring your pet to public walking areas as often as possible so that he can get to know the four-legged animals and play with them. By the way, the active play of dogs is a good load, after which your pet will return home tired and will hardly want to dig holes.

How to prevent destructive behavior

Any undesirable action of the dog should be crowned with consequences that will make the pets worry about their actions. In the case of digging, things are not easy, because in most cases, the owner discovers the results of destructive behavior after the fact.

In rare cases, the pet can be caught in the process of digging. If you caught a pet "hot", its actions must be sharply and decisively stopped. Quickly approach the dog, take it by the collar and silently lead it to its place. It is important to show as defiantly as possible how unhappy you are with the behavior of the pet.

The method of punishment depends on the pet's temperament: isolation, restriction in toys or attention.

To avoid damage while you're working on your pet's behavior, it's wiser to use garden fences to help protect the beds.

If you notice that the dog is constantly digging in the same place, you can bury a large flat stone in the next hole. Usually, when a dog bumps into something hard while digging, he loses interest in the process. To protect freshly planted beds, a fine metal mesh is used, which is covered with a thin layer of earth.

If mechanical obstacles do not stop the dog, it may be necessary to resort to more severe but effective methods. Most dogs avoid places that smell like their own poo.

To discourage a pet from the garden, feces must be placed in several places and sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. This method is not relevant for all tetrapods, since some of them are not only calm about the smell, but also eat their excrement.

You can bury a few inflated balloons in the ground. The more "surprises" will be buried, the faster you will achieve results. In the process of digging, the dog will catch the ball with its claw, it will burst, frightening the pet.

This method is not suitable for working with puppies, because the dog may become afraid of sharp sounds and explosions.

An automatic sprinkler that can be turned on manually is a great tool to keep your dog away from the garden. Wait until the pet starts digging and put it into the water. Again, like all the above methods, watering is not always effective. Many dogs love the water and will be happy to dig in the mud.

If the dog digs only in certain places, they can be generously doused with essential oils (or their solutions) with the smell of citrus, mint or eucalyptus.

What to do if none of the methods help? There can be two reasons for your failure: a sharply developed instinct of the pet or an incorrect establishment of the cause. If you have failed, it is worth contacting a dog handler who will help to establish the causes of destructive behavior. The task of the cynologist is not only to train the dog, but also to identify the owner's mistakes in the process of raising a pet.

A sharply developed instinct for digging the earth is observed in hunting breeds of burrow specialization. Fighting the instincts that have been instilled in dogs for centuries is almost useless.

To reduce the desire of the dog to dig the ground, it must be tired on walks. The problem is that most hunting dogs are very hardy, if your pet goes to dig the ground upon returning home, it is worth considering regular exercise.

Change of conditions of detention

Before you give up and abandon gardening, you should try to change the conditions of detention.

Permitted places for digging

Most owners have been able to control their pet's destructive behavior by providing approved digging areas for them. Choose a spot in your yard and fence it off like a children's sandbox.

Reward your dog every time he digs in the allowed area. If the cause of destructive behavior is a sharply developed instinct or boredom, the dog will quickly get used to the sandbox.

A place to cool off in the heat

If your pet only drips in hot weather, the reason for the behavior is the need to cool off. The fresh layer of earth has a lower temperature. The dog undermines the dry soil and lies on the damp ground, which greatly alleviates its condition.

If you notice that the dog is actively digging the ground in the summer, a canopy is equipped for it. If you have the opportunity, place a bathtub or a large container of water in the yard so that the dog can cool off at any time. With a place to swim, the digging problem will most likely be solved on the first day.

Get rid of rodents

Carefully observe your pet's behavior while the device is in operation, as some hunting breeds have very acute hearing and can respond to even the highest sound frequencies.

Learn to dig outside the garden

Some dogs dig holes because they enjoy the activity or enjoy the duration of the exercise. Take your pet out for walks more often and let him dig holes in the ground outside the yard.

Reward your pet when he digs the ground on a walk. If the dog managed to find a root or some kind of trophy, make sure that it is not dangerous. Try to walk your dog intensively so that he comes home tired.

An urge to escape

Some dogs try to run away at the first opportunity. Digging a hole under the fence is a great escape plan. If you notice that holes only appear along the fence, do not ignore the problem! Bury thin metal nets along the fence to prevent digging.

Large stones placed along the fence help to dampen the dog's enthusiasm. Many owners have overcome the pet's bad habit by making the fence deaf. When the dog does not see what is happening on the street, he partially loses interest in escaping.

The more temptations your pet has, the harder it is for him to resist the urge to dig. The incentive for digging holes can be fresh earth. If you have recently dug up beds or a garden, temporarily limit your pet's movement.

Dogs often dribble in the same place because they have buried a bone or other valuable trophy before. Many pets dig up a trophy, admire it, and bury it again. This algorithm can be repeated dozens of times until the pet finds a more valuable trophy and buries it.

Very often, the owners of furry four-legged friends may encounter a problem when a well-mannered and cultured dog begins to actively dig the ground, beds, flower beds and scatter dirt around. It is possible to wean a dog from digging holes in the yard only after the owner understands the reasons that prompted the animal to such actions.

Knowing the main reasons, a person can indirectly influence the situation, and cope with the actions of the animal in a fairly short time.

Scientists have proven that digging the ground is a natural and normal physiological behavior of an animal. This is not a deviation from the rules, but a manifestation of one of the basic instincts that arose back in those days when the dog was not tamed by man.

Animals dug burrows in which they arranged accommodation for themselves and brought their offspring into the light. In hot weather, holes were dug to remove the top layer of soil, reaching cooler places.

Dogs dig holes for several main reasons.:

• hunter instinct, which is inherent in all dogs, and especially in such breeds as dachshunds and terriers. Pets try to find animals and their holes hidden in the ground. It was the breed of dog - the terrier, that was bred to dig the ground in search of foxes, raccoons and other animals.

• Getting rid of boredom. Endowed by nature with excessive energy, dogs may begin to dig in order to keep themselves busy with something. This is especially evident in all types of huskies - huskies, malamutes, Korelo-Finnish huskies. These dogs have a large supply of energy and in the absence of proper attention to them from the owner, pets can begin to dig the ground in parks, beds and flower beds.

• Escape attempt. Often the reason for digging the ground in dogs is the instinct of procreation. The male, smelling the female, will try in every possible way to get to her, using various methods for this. One of these methods is digging a tunnel. You can avoid this behavior by finding a mate for the dog or, in the absence of a desire to receive offspring from the dog in the future, contact the veterinarian for castration.

• Looking for coolness in the heat. On hot summer days, dog owners note that the animal not only seeks shade, but also begins to dig the ground intensively. This behavior is associated with the search for coolness. Removing layers of heated soil, the pet tries to find a cooler and more humid place. This allows the dog to avoid heat stroke. To avoid such cases, it is necessary to provide the aviary with a trough with water, or lay a wet rag on the floor.

• Creation of stocks. Hiding treats in case there is nothing else is one of the main instincts left in dogs from distant ancestors. Dogs can also bury their favorite items, toys and things, and not just food. After a certain period of time, the pet begins to dig again in another place in order to hide its valuables.

• Attractive scent. It is no secret that dogs have an unusually sensitive and subtle sense of smell, distinguishing the slightest smells. One of the reasons for digging beds is the smell of previously applied fertilizers. Compost and meat and bone meal are not attractive to humans either in appearance or smell. With dogs, the situation is different, it is the smells of musty and rotten that dogs like the most. The pet will dig the ground until it finds the source of the smell.

• Preparing for the upcoming birth. Females may start digging in the last weeks of their pregnancy to make their own den. This instinct is difficult to overcome, although it is temporary.

Behavior Correction Methods

Having understood and determined the reasons that prompted the pet to such “dirty” actions, certain measures can be taken. There are a great many methods, but they are all based on an integrated approach to the problem.

It is worth remembering that in a few days it is unlikely that it will be possible to get rid of the current situation. You need to be patient and be prepared to spend your time eradicating the problem.

Read also: How to wean a dog from whining: simple and effective methods

Joint communication

First of all, you need to start by spending time together. The main goal is not to turn communication with your pets into an unnecessary routine or work. It is important to make sure that the dog gets the maximum amount of communication and attention from its owner.

When the animal is given enough attention, she will be confident, not cowardly, shy or fearful. In most cases, dogs begin to dig the ground in order to attract the attention of their leader.

It is worth noting that this almost always works.

Walks and toys

Joint walks and new toys will help relieve the animal from boredom. Without paying due attention to the pet for serious reasons, you need to think about how to entertain the dog. It is not uncommon for owners to be advised to get another dog. Communication with their relatives will help them become more independent from the owner.

Sufficient physical activity is not just a method of distracting a dog from unwanted actions, but also a vital factor in the education of all breeds of dogs, and especially hunting breeds.

Note! If the owner does not know how to entertain an overly active dog, cynologists recommend resorting to games in the water. Classes are not terrible for fragile joints, all muscle groups are involved and the animal really gets tired, which will allow him to eat after the games and immediately fall asleep.

Socialization

One of the skills that helps a pet to exist in harmony with the outside world is socialization. It may be that the dog simply cannot understand that digging holes is something out of the ordinary. In such cases, it is necessary to make it clear to the animal as correctly as possible what is the norm in behavior and what should not be done.

Hello dear readers! Often, the owners of a four-legged pet do not know how to wean a dog from digging holes in the yard, in the garden or in the garden. This is especially unpleasant for residents of private houses and summer residents. Of course, a dug up garden or yard is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. Such a hooligan hobby is often found in domestic animals, which, by definition, must be well-mannered and trained. But the fact remains a fact and requires its permission. What can be done in such a situation so that both the plot is preserved and the friendship with your beloved furry friend is not lost?

Reasons why a dog digs the ground

Experienced dog handlers identify several main reasons for this behavior:

1. Firstly, the dog may do this with the goal of finding a cooler place for himself.
2. Secondly, as it does not seem banal, out of boredom. Unspent energy needs to be released.
3. Thirdly, this instinct wakes up if the animal is upset or worried about something.
4. The fourth reason, although rare, also has a place to be. If the animal is in a confined space for a long time, then he has an irresistible desire to escape, which is expressed in the fact that the dog digs holes. How to wean her to do this - that is the question.

In any case, regardless of the reason that prompted the pet to dig, it is important to find an appropriate way to solve the problem. There are a few tips on this:

The process of weaning from digging flower beds and the yard requires patience, perseverance and calmness from the owner. With the right and methodical approach to business, it is quite possible to wean your pet from this bad addiction. And then the problem of how to wean a dog from digging holes in the yard will be solved positively for everyone.