| Is your puppy digging in the yard every time you | | | | pup's behavior now. |
| turn your head? Is your lawn starting to look | | | | Dogs often dig to use up excess energy. You |
| like a battle zone? A digging puppy is more than | | | | can avoid this problem by providing him with |
| a nuisance. It can be dangerous if somebody | | | | plenty of exercise. You may be surprised to |
| steps in a hole and falls down and gets hurt. Is | | | | learn that your canine needs at least an hour and |
| there any way to prevent dog digging? | | | | a half a day of vigorous exercise. A long walk in |
| There are many responses to this destructive | | | | the morning and another in the evening will burn |
| dog behavior, but before you can stop dog | | | | off some of that energy. If you don't have the |
| digging, you need to figure out why your pup is | | | | time to do this, consider hiring someone to walk |
| digging in the first place. | | | | him. |
| Why Dogs Dig | | | | A good option is to provide him with his own |
| Canines are hard-wired to dig, and some breeds | | | | place to dig. Keep the soil loose so it's inviting. |
| are more prone to this dog behavior than | | | | When you catch him in the act of digging, clap |
| others. Terriers, retrievers, and hounds were all | | | | your hands to get his attention, and say "no" |
| bred as hunting dogs who would go to any | | | | loudly. Immediately redirect him to his digging |
| extreme to retrieve game, including digging a hole | | | | area. Scratch around to encourage him to dig |
| to China if need be. Do your homework and | | | | there. When he does, praise him and give him |
| choose your breed carefully when planning a | | | | lots of attention. This does take time and |
| canine addition to your family. | | | | persistence. Consistency is the key here. If |
| In the wild, canines dig dens, both for protection | | | | you're not able to supervise him when he's |
| from the elements, and also as a shelter for their | | | | outside, keep him in the house when you're |
| offspring. You may find that your pet digs more | | | | gone. Otherwise he may just dig when you're |
| in hot weather. The freshly-turned dirt is a | | | | not there. |
| comfortable place to lie down and cool off. | | | | Spend time every day training your new puppy. |
| Wild canines also bury food to save it for later | | | | It's up to you to teach him the rules of the |
| on. Not only does the cool soil help to preserve | | | | house. As little as ten minutes a day of training |
| it a little longer, it protects it from other | | | | will make a huge difference in his behavior. Keep |
| scavengers who might eat it before the pack | | | | the training sessions short, and make them fun. |
| returns. | | | | Your pup loves to learn new things, and he wants |
| All instincts aside, the number one reason for a | | | | to please you, so take advantage of this. He |
| digging puppy is boredom. | | | | also craves your attention, whether it's good or |
| A Bored Dog Will Find Something To Do | | | | bad, so focus on giving him attention for good |
| Keeping your pup occupied will prevent many dog | | | | behavior, not bad. A good dog training course will |
| behavior problems from developing. If left to his | | | | give you structure and help you avoid accidentally |
| own devices, a bored dog will find many things to | | | | training him to do the wrong things. |
| do, including digging holes and excessive barking. | | | | Your goal? Take charge now to avoid puppy |
| In order to prevent dog digging from becoming a | | | | digging problems later. |
| chronic problem, you need to take control of your | | | | |