Home
>
Pet
>
My Dog Won?t Stop Digging - What Can I Do?

My Dog Won?t Stop Digging - What Can I Do?

Lonely, bored, tired of eating that same old stick, then maybe you would like to dig yourself a hole.

When it comes to the canine thought process this could be the reason why Scraps keeps tearing up your finely groomed lawn. This article will help you find the behavioral reasons why your dog digs and offers some suggestions on how to stop your companion's pesky habit.

First and foremost as an owner don't go placing blame on your good friend until you are sure it is their fault. A good way to find out if your dog has been digging is to check its paws and nose for soil or pica. This is a good indicator to see if they have been eating dirt. In this case consult a veterinarian because there are all kinds of nasty bacteria in dirt that can affect your dog's health. Another full proof method to find out if your animal is the culprit is to hold yourself a stake out and catch it in the act. Don't start correcting the problem until you are sure it is your animal causing the problem. Otherwise you might cause the dog more anxiety than it has already endured from watching some other animal dig up its master's lawn.

Once you have assessed that it is your dog doing the digging then you need to find out why it is digging. It is instinctual for dogs to dig for a number of reasons: boredom, loneliness, animals in the yard, to cool down, or just for fun. First you can judge by the nature of the whole and where it is located why your dog is digging. If your dog is digging next to the house or in shaded areas then it is probably too hot for it. If it continuously digs up the same spot in the yard then it is most likely a foreign animal and you should thank it for the early warning-gophers and moles can be a gardener's nightmare. If the placement of holes is sporadic then it is not receiving the stimuli or attention that a dog needs.

After you've come to a conclusion why your dog is digging then you can try some of these suggestions to help thwart its efforts. If it is an animal causing the problem then you should call an exterminator or animal control to handle the matter. Building a dog house or adding a pet door can give the animal the comfort level it needs while you are away. The more difficult digging scenario to mend is the digging out of boredom or digging for fun case. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, physically punish your dog as this will teach the animal nothing except disrespect for humans which can lead to biting and other misbehavior. If your dog is digging out of boredom try giving it a tasty alternative such as a rawhide bone. It is a common misconception that dogs bury their bones. More likely if they are digging for a bone it is because they can't remember where they left. So give them the treats where they can find them easily. If toys and chews don't work then try exercising your animal more often throughout the day. It could be that they aren't expending enough energy and need some kind of outlet. If these simple methods do not work then you might have to get creative. One method is to bury a piece of chain link fence where the dog has been digging-it will not like this rubbing against its paws. You can also bury a balloon or sneak up on it with a paper bag; the popping will work as shock therapy. Other suggested methods are burying the dog's feces, mousetraps, or moth balls to deter the animal.

In my own personal opinion the best way to keep the mischief down in an animal is to give them more love than they know what to do with. When you leave them alone they will more curious as to when you will return than with anything else.

Stephanie Hetu
Find over 200 pages of dog training tips, information and cute pictures at cutepuppydog.com

monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.