Digging Behavior in Dogs

Fiia A. Jokela, DVM, DABVP (canine/feline) Practice Limited to Veterinary Behavior 219-781-6868 (Phone) 888-680-3334 (Fax) [email protected] DIGGING BEHAVIOR IN DOGS Digging is a normal behavior for dogs. To the digging dog, it is just trying to be a dog! Yet we humans find it very undesirable and destructive to our landscaping. We simply want the behavior to stop! But since digging is a normal instinctive behavior, it is difficult for a dog to understand why they should not do it. We have to do more than just tell them “NO”. We also need to understand their underlying motivation and consider what underlying need digging behavior fulfills for them. Then we need to see if we can teach the dog an alternative and a more acceptable behavior to fulfill that need. Fixing any behavior problem or changing any behavior in a dog requires a change in our mindset. Instead of focusing on what we want a dog to STOP doing, we need to think of what we want them TO DO instead!! A major problem with trying to stop the digging without training a more acceptable behavior is that the dog will be left on its own to choose another activity (such as barking, running the fence line, chewing, or pulling laundry off the clothesline ) all of which can be just as annoying. So let’s focus on giving our digging dogs something better to do! Let’s not punish them for being a dog and doing normal doggy stuff. Let’s focus and positively reward them for doing good stuff that we like to see! Why do Dogs Dig? What are their motivating reasons? As a form of play, exploration, and mental stimulation. For physical exercise and to relieve boredom. For attention, if the behavior leads to a scolding, an attention deprived dog may still seek that out. To bury or retrieve bones and toys. To dig for prey. To find a cool or warmer place to lie down. To escape from confinement or something fearful. To remove or resolve these underlying motivations we have to ask; does this dog receive enough exercise, does he have enough mental stimulation, is he left alone outside too long, are they prey species in the yard, is he suffering from separation anxiety or noise phobia, is the weather extreme and is he in need of shelter from heat or cold? Working to resolve these underlying causes may help decrease the need for digging. Management Strategies Take an active role in changing your dog’s behavior. Left outside unattended, a dog has no way of knowing that we do not want this normal behavior. Supervise your dog while outdoors and interrupt the behavior if you catch the dog digging. But do NOT punish the dog as it is extremely confusing for a dog to be punished for doing a normal instinctive behavior. Simply get your dog’s attention and then redirect to another activity. Reward for the new activity. Behaviors that are rewarded will be repeated. One of the best management solutions is to meet the dog half way! Begin by preventing access to undesirable digging areas but then create a more acceptable area to dig and let the dog meet his needs! Prevent access to undesirable digging areas by: Using chicken wire or hardwire over the area that can be anchored with landscaping anchor pins. Use paving stones, bricks or place gravel or rocks in the area Place something over the hole like a table, or bench Fence off or confine the dog away from the area. Make the area less desirable by placing mildly aversive booby traps to deter digging at the undesirable spot: Place balloons that will pop if digging occurs Place something safe but undesirable such as water in the hole (some dogs might find this even more fun) Place a motion detector water sprayer such as The Scarecrow Motion Activated Animal Deterrent But be observant and use care when using these even mildly aversive methods. If aversive deterrents create fear or anxiety they should be removed! NEVER use any deterrents that cause shock or painful noises, these cause severe anxiety and even more severe behavior problems. Design a Doggy Digging Pit that is way more exciting than the rest of the yard or garden! Build a sand pit in a desired location. Use a Child’s sand box. For example search Amazon for “half shell sandbox” Use a plastic kiddie pool and fill it with loose sandy soil Fill the new pit with exciting items, treats and toys for the dog to find, and rotate them to keep them exciting. Allow the dog to watch as you hide some fun items; show the dog how exciting the new pit is! Release the dog and cue “Go Find It”! Encourage him to dig and search out hidden items. Enthusiastically praise and offer even more great treats when digging is done in the designated area. Over time the need to bury items and praise the dog will diminish as the behavior becomes self-reinforcing. Section off a small part of yard Choose a shady area (who wants to dig in the heat?). Till or shovel the digging pit area, which exposes and loosens the dirt, making digging easier and fun. While your dog watches, hide treats, chews or kibble within the loose dirt. Several times a week, hide treats in your dog’s new digging pit and cheer him on while he’s digging in his new spot. Create an Indoor Digging Area Find a large box, then cut a side hole so your dog can easily enter and exit the box. Now fill the box with old towels and newspaper, then scatter treats within the layers. Turn your dog loose, show him the hole and now he has a digging pit! If he’s not sure about entering the hole, scatter a few treats next to the outside and inside entrance. To be successful, building a new digging pit does take enthusiasm and commitment. If your heart isn’t in it, then the dog's heart won’t be in it either! It is important that until this habit is well practiced and established that the dog is always supervised so that it does not return to further practice digging in inappropriate areas. To be most effective in your training be proactive not reactive! If the dog is heading toward a previous favored digging area, happily call him and show him the new digging spot BEFORE he even thinks about digging! Waiting and catching the dog in the act and then trying to removing him is much less effective. This is why supervision is so critical in the early stages of training. Consistency, repetition, and rewards for choosing the right place to dig will improve and speed the learning process! For much more help and many more ideas about solving digging and creating more acceptable outdoor behaviors we recommend viewing these excellent Internet Sites: Dig This: How to Get your Dog To Stop Digging From the Humane Society of the United States Website Why Dogs Dig and What You Can Do About it! From the ASPCA PetwebMD www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-4-tips-to-stop-your-dog-from-digging Digging Handout from Dr. Ian Dunbar How to Create a Digging Pit for Your Dog Also from the ASPCA Virtual Pet Behaviorist Website .

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