Pet sitters are sometimes asked how to solve doggy digging. Remember pet sitters are not behaviorists, but we do learn a few tricks in the trade. Have you said 'enough already?' to reinforcing your fence or just looking at your moonscape of a backyard?
There are lots of reasons dogs dig. Your dog may be bored, wants to escape, chasing critters (like mice, voles, groundhogs), cooling pits, unearth buried treasure, or they just are made to dig. For example, terriers and dachshunds were born to dig. Clear your yard of these pesky pests they seek and your dog will stop digging.
Most moonscaping dogs dig in freshly turned earth. Loose soils like a recently installed a sprinkler system; your garden, or replaced part of the fence. In all these situations, your dog probably just loves the loosen soil compared to the hard-packed areas. The solution may be to choose an out of the way area of the yard to create a digging pit. It doesn't have to be big. Mix soil with some sand and turn it so the soil is loose. Enclose it with rock landscaping or some border. To get them started, throw in some dog biscuits in the soil and have your dog dig them out. Always reward your dog for digging in its designated area. Some dogs dig to create cooling pits. During hot summer months most dogs, and especially the heavily coated dogs, will dig pits in shady areas for the moisture in the ground. Plastic kid pools can serve to eliminate this sort of digging.
Digging under the fence got you going crazy? Aside from the loose soils, your dog may be protecting your yard. Create open spans in the fencing with chicken wire or similar fencing, or install a bubble window that allows your dog to see on the other side of the fence. Install rock or harden the soil around your fence with other landscaping material that discourages digging.
Just a couple ideas about some dogs that want to escape because they love to run. For the dogs that need to run, take them regularly to the dog park. I often seen people taking their big dogs daily run.
You know when your female dogs is in season. For male dogs, you can only tell by the way he behaves. Under both conditions, the female dogs should be kept inside with limited outdoor activity to reduce the urge. If you do not plan to breed your dog, consider having it spayed or neutered.
Well, there you have several ideas on how to stop that doggy from digging up the back yard and making you both happy!
There are lots of reasons dogs dig. Your dog may be bored, wants to escape, chasing critters (like mice, voles, groundhogs), cooling pits, unearth buried treasure, or they just are made to dig. For example, terriers and dachshunds were born to dig. Clear your yard of these pesky pests they seek and your dog will stop digging.
Most moonscaping dogs dig in freshly turned earth. Loose soils like a recently installed a sprinkler system; your garden, or replaced part of the fence. In all these situations, your dog probably just loves the loosen soil compared to the hard-packed areas. The solution may be to choose an out of the way area of the yard to create a digging pit. It doesn't have to be big. Mix soil with some sand and turn it so the soil is loose. Enclose it with rock landscaping or some border. To get them started, throw in some dog biscuits in the soil and have your dog dig them out. Always reward your dog for digging in its designated area. Some dogs dig to create cooling pits. During hot summer months most dogs, and especially the heavily coated dogs, will dig pits in shady areas for the moisture in the ground. Plastic kid pools can serve to eliminate this sort of digging.
Digging under the fence got you going crazy? Aside from the loose soils, your dog may be protecting your yard. Create open spans in the fencing with chicken wire or similar fencing, or install a bubble window that allows your dog to see on the other side of the fence. Install rock or harden the soil around your fence with other landscaping material that discourages digging.
Just a couple ideas about some dogs that want to escape because they love to run. For the dogs that need to run, take them regularly to the dog park. I often seen people taking their big dogs daily run.
You know when your female dogs is in season. For male dogs, you can only tell by the way he behaves. Under both conditions, the female dogs should be kept inside with limited outdoor activity to reduce the urge. If you do not plan to breed your dog, consider having it spayed or neutered.
Well, there you have several ideas on how to stop that doggy from digging up the back yard and making you both happy!
About the Author:
To read the original article on Aunt Kit's web site go to Aunt Kit's article, Stop that Doggy Digging. Pet tips and clues like this article can be found at http://tinyurl.com/3quctaw.. Unique version for reprint here: Stop that Doggy Digging!.
No comments:
Post a Comment