stopping a dog from digging...

[Mace]

7 month old puppy (lab/mix) digging the crap out of the grass in my back yard. Anyone have any good ideas for stopping her from digging??

Chewing I have under control (mostly) but the potholes are starting to bug me...

 

[cruiser88]

Hell my pups are digging to china

 

[calstyl2]

labs are tough, I have used pepper spray before, but in areas that were previously dug, not sure what it does to lawn

on a side note, how does your grass do in summer?

 

[Mace]

Perfectly, you just water the tar out of it
(4 times per day, 4 min each time, in the morning and in the evening)


If I could keep up with the holes and dead pee spots I would be golden..


I would put booties on her, but she would chew them off in less than 10 secs..

 

[PScottBx]

I used cayenne pepper in the previously dug holes... and sprinkled where mine would dig. I honestly don't think ANYTHING helps. Shock collar if you catch them every time they're digging. But you'll not be able to catch her/him all the time.

Someone told me to stuff her nose in the hole and rub the dirt in her face. That just gave her an irritated eye. (and did nothing for my irritated backside from her digging).

My wife would by mine HUGE cow femurs and she'd bury them all...lol.

Good luck bud. I think it's a losing battle.




Bx

 

[calstyl2]

Perfectly, you just water the tar out of it
(4 times per day, 4 min each time, in the morning and in the evening)


If I could keep up with the holes and dead pee spots I would be golden..


I would put booties on her, but she would chew them off in less than 10 secs..

pee holes suck, i have a open area that my puppy digs in, likes the open dirt, but Golden retrevers will put a hole anywhere, and the big paws move some dirt

 

[KliersLC]

Lay heavy gauge chicken wire under your sod. They won't get very far....

 

[Box Rocket]

One more trick for you to try. I got this one from a friend with a German Shorthair. Put a dozen or so pennies into an empty soda can and duct tape the can so pennies don't fall out. Next time you catch your dog digging (needs to be caught in the act) chuck the can at her. You don't necessarily need to hit her with the can but get it close. If you do try to hit her with it don't throw it too hard. But then scold the crap out of her so she knows you mean business.

We did this with our Corgi that had a serious problem of herding our boys and nipping their ankles. After that first threat with the can, all I need to do now is shake the can and the noise of the pennies in the can stops her in her tracks, no matter what she is doing.

When you shake the can to get her attention be sure to scold whatever behavior is happening that you don't want so she associates the sound of the can with "oh sh*t, I shouldn't be doing this".

Good luck.

 

[MOfj40]

I've got a siberian husky that digs like a gopher. The simplest solution is shovel some of their poop into the hole and fill in the rest with dirt. They don't like digging in their own sh*t (who does?) and won't dig there again. They'll probably dig somewhere else, but this method keeps it down to the occasional little hole instead of the trenchworks I was dealing with.

 

['74 UA FJ]

If he is digging while you are gone, then it will be a losing battle. You pretty much have to correct it when he's doing it...

 

[photogod]

Let the dog dig a big hole then fill it with water and hold their head in it for a few seconds. They won't dig again.

 

[Matador98]

I've got a siberian husky that digs like a gopher. The simplest solution is shovel some of their poop into the hole and fill in the rest with dirt. They don't like digging in their own sh*t (who does?) and won't dig there again. They'll probably dig somewhere else, but this method keeps it down to the occasional little hole instead of the trenchworks I was dealing with.

Bingo. We brought in a dog trainer to help us with this issue with our goldens. The trick is to catch them in the act. If it is more than 5 sec. after the fact, the dog is incapable of making the connection if you punish them, so don't punish them. However, I do yell at them anyways, for my own benefit, and there is a part of me that thinks they know when I yell "No F'n Digging!".

But, to keep them from hurting the lawn over and over in the same place, poop works. But, I do keep sod on the side yard watered and ready to go, though, for when they dig. Some of it is fact of life.

 

[PScottBx]

... poop works. But, I do keep sod on the side yard watered and ready to go, though, for when they dig. Some of it is fact of life.

Your golden is obviously smarter than my lab. On second thought... she's smart enough not to dig in the poop filled ones... (done that). She moves over about 5 inches.


Good luck

Scott

 

[jrfj40]

Photogod is right. hold em under
I thought it was cruel at first when my buddies dad did it to his lab
until I got a lab of my own I got her to stop chewing up things but the digging was out of hand. fill hole with water then hold em uder.
the dog will stop digging shortly.

I've got one for the excessive wagging tail syndrome too. If you want. you nknow the one that knocks things off the shelves and coffee tables not to mention takes the toddler out as dog waslks by.

 

[-Spike-]

I've got two Siberians that love to dig. Been fighting them for 11+ years. It's worst when it's hot outside and there's a damp spot- guaranteed hole.

I've used shock collars to train them for walking and general obedience, which worked very well. As mentioned before, catching them in the act is the key, and of course with collars they have to be wearing them, which they normally aren't. I have an idea to put the collars on, bury a scented rag or box in my sand volleyball court and wait. Now if I could just motivate myself to actually do it instead of talking about it...

I did try the water, they just avoid water. I've heard of many success stories with this method though.

-Spike

 

[beaufort-fj60]

Perfectly, you just water the tar out of it
(4 times per day, 4 min each time, in the morning and in the evening)


If I could keep up with the holes and dead pee spots I would be golden..


I would put booties on her, but she would chew them off in less than 10 secs..

if you shallow water your grass... your grass root system will be shallow. That is not good for the grass in the long run or during drought times. Also, watering in the evening will~can put your grass leaves at risk for health problems.

 

[coinless]

Fill the hole with dog poop. Even dogs hate their own poop.

 

[scottm]

Lay heavy gauge chicken wire under your sod. They won't get very far....

This truly works, I dated a girl in High School who's dad did that. It might suck when you need to dig a hole for something.

 

[Mace]

if you shallow water your grass... your grass root system will be shallow. That is not good for the grass in the long run or during drought times. Also, watering in the evening will~can put your grass leaves at risk for health problems.

Here in Vegas it is the only way.. You have to remember, there is no moisture in the soil except for the water we put there...

 

[Mace]

I am gonna try the dog poop thing..

(and the water )