How do you get a dog to stop digging?
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Some dogs dig because they need to let out energy, so make time every day to take your dog on a walk and play with them so they're too tired out to keep digging. If you can't actively play with them, give them interesting toys or puzzles with treats in them to keep your dog occupied.
Dogs may also dig if they're stressed or need attention. Make sure you spend time with your dog and that they have food, water, and a comfortable place to lie down during the day.
If your dog is still digging, provide them with a small area of dirt or a sandbox where they're allowed to dig. Hide a few treats there when you let your dog out so they're trained to dig in that spot rather than somewhere else in your yard.
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Dogs may also dig if they're stressed or need attention. Make sure you spend time with your dog and that they have food, water, and a comfortable place to lie down during the day.
If your dog is still digging, provide them with a small area of dirt or a sandbox where they're allowed to dig. Hide a few treats there when you let your dog out so they're trained to dig in that spot rather than somewhere else in your yard.
Really guys..... you're gonna teach the dog to dig more and then think they're gonna stop when you want them to... it's not gonna happen!!! Dogs don't need to dig it's an instinctive behavior but it certainly isn't necessary... Dogs dig for fun and they dig to go after rodents and those are the typical reasons I know because for the last 40 years I have owned and managed facilities where the dogs are all out loose in large acre plus yards completely autonomous 24 seven and I have had to deal with this every single day with large groups of dogs and every single one of them learns eventually that they're not allowed to dig anywhere. It's dangerous for the dogs it's bad for the lawnmower it's unsightly. There is NEVER a reason for you to allow or teach your dog to dig anytime ever unless it's in the wild and they have to do it for survival.
This is the very simple process to teach any dog not to dig and it really is the only way that works permanently and for every single dog in every single situation.
First remember the basic rule of canine dogs only do exactly what they think they're supposed to do 100% of the time their lives literally depend on it so they don't know they're not supposed to do it and then decide to do it anyway if they're digging it's because they think it's OK so we must remember the only thing we need to do is figure out how to help them understand that they are not allowed to dig under any circumstance or conditions
In order for a dog to understand that they broken a rule that has to be some sort of physical interaction. Just telling them over and over is not enough and remember also unlike humans dogs don't even possess an angry gene they don't even understand anger they act react and interact but they do not get angry about anything it serves no purpose in fact anger as a flaw that is specifically human and in fact is the only emotion we possess that serves no positive purpose. If we get angry at them it just creates confusion and anxiety so avoid getting angry at your dog at all costs we're only human it's gonna happen but remember it serves no purpose and it will just set us backwards.
The other thing to remember is that post-infraction interaction in education is absolutely indicated especially a situation like this. Meaning this: while it is preferable to catch them in the act it is not necessary to affect change. Being proactive is important if you wanna affect permanent rapid change in any scenario and especially in digging. Case the yard daily to be sure you find any holes every single time you find a hole go get your dog bring them over to the hole get a hold of them by the scruff for the collar so that you can take them over to the hole make sure and hold them there so that they see the hole and make sure that they understand you're trying to get them to see something they will eventually figure this out after you've done it several times go take them and put them in a time out ( a proper timeout is going to be locking them to a carrier kennel or a location where it is difficult to impossible for them to see or hear the normal going on of the group they must feel shunned from the group this by the way as a fantastic educational technique that when applied properly imitates exactly but what happened to them in the wild when they break a rule and works without fail with every dog in every situation) after they're in a timeout for a while and the time will be determined by the age of the dog and the infraction the older the dog the longer it can be the worst infraction the longer it can be so on and so forth. When they're done with the timeout bring them back to the hole show them again and let them go and then ignore them for a while let it sit with them they need to understand that you're upset by the digging and you will be upset every time they get near the hole scold them make them feel bad for being anywhere near a hole you have to do this with every hole and you have to do it every day and keep doing it until it's done once this is completed your dog should never dig again or maybe we'll go through certain specific phases of their life which they will test again go through the same process it should get shorter and shorter every time. It's never failed in 45 years of doing this not a single time. Good luck and remember loving your dog is not about pampering them or being sweet and nice to them it's about doing the things that they need to be healthy happy and well behaved so that you're allowed to give them unlimited freedom responsibility respect and trust if they're breaking rules they're going to feel that you're upset and that's never going to be good for them.... Teach teach teach until they get it don't give up never give up a dog never gives up when we teach them we provide structure and fierce leadership they feel protected loved and cared for and they're then mandated by instinct to follow us forever utilize these philosophies and it never fails you will have not only a dog that's the best behaved but also emotionally mentally physically healthiest and happiest animal you will ever see trust me again I depend on these philosophy and methods daily and I have been doing this with dogs in large groups literally my whole life and I just turned 63
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This is the very simple process to teach any dog not to dig and it really is the only way that works permanently and for every single dog in every single situation.
First remember the basic rule of canine dogs only do exactly what they think they're supposed to do 100% of the time their lives literally depend on it so they don't know they're not supposed to do it and then decide to do it anyway if they're digging it's because they think it's OK so we must remember the only thing we need to do is figure out how to help them understand that they are not allowed to dig under any circumstance or conditions
In order for a dog to understand that they broken a rule that has to be some sort of physical interaction. Just telling them over and over is not enough and remember also unlike humans dogs don't even possess an angry gene they don't even understand anger they act react and interact but they do not get angry about anything it serves no purpose in fact anger as a flaw that is specifically human and in fact is the only emotion we possess that serves no positive purpose. If we get angry at them it just creates confusion and anxiety so avoid getting angry at your dog at all costs we're only human it's gonna happen but remember it serves no purpose and it will just set us backwards.
The other thing to remember is that post-infraction interaction in education is absolutely indicated especially a situation like this. Meaning this: while it is preferable to catch them in the act it is not necessary to affect change. Being proactive is important if you wanna affect permanent rapid change in any scenario and especially in digging. Case the yard daily to be sure you find any holes every single time you find a hole go get your dog bring them over to the hole get a hold of them by the scruff for the collar so that you can take them over to the hole make sure and hold them there so that they see the hole and make sure that they understand you're trying to get them to see something they will eventually figure this out after you've done it several times go take them and put them in a time out ( a proper timeout is going to be locking them to a carrier kennel or a location where it is difficult to impossible for them to see or hear the normal going on of the group they must feel shunned from the group this by the way as a fantastic educational technique that when applied properly imitates exactly but what happened to them in the wild when they break a rule and works without fail with every dog in every situation) after they're in a timeout for a while and the time will be determined by the age of the dog and the infraction the older the dog the longer it can be the worst infraction the longer it can be so on and so forth. When they're done with the timeout bring them back to the hole show them again and let them go and then ignore them for a while let it sit with them they need to understand that you're upset by the digging and you will be upset every time they get near the hole scold them make them feel bad for being anywhere near a hole you have to do this with every hole and you have to do it every day and keep doing it until it's done once this is completed your dog should never dig again or maybe we'll go through certain specific phases of their life which they will test again go through the same process it should get shorter and shorter every time. It's never failed in 45 years of doing this not a single time. Good luck and remember loving your dog is not about pampering them or being sweet and nice to them it's about doing the things that they need to be healthy happy and well behaved so that you're allowed to give them unlimited freedom responsibility respect and trust if they're breaking rules they're going to feel that you're upset and that's never going to be good for them.... Teach teach teach until they get it don't give up never give up a dog never gives up when we teach them we provide structure and fierce leadership they feel protected loved and cared for and they're then mandated by instinct to follow us forever utilize these philosophies and it never fails you will have not only a dog that's the best behaved but also emotionally mentally physically healthiest and happiest animal you will ever see trust me again I depend on these philosophy and methods daily and I have been doing this with dogs in large groups literally my whole life and I just turned 63
Try to figure out why the dog is digging. For many, this is boredom due to lack of exercise, so correcting the problems means increasing mental and physical exercise for the dog. Alternatively, for a hardened digger, provide the dog with a well-demarcated area where they are allowed to dig and train them to use this.
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