Methods to Prevent and Stop Dogs from Digging: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Introduction

The following is a comprehensive guide that walks through the different methods pet owners may employ to curb dogs from engaging in destructive digging activities. To help prevent dogs from developing the tendency to dig, we tackle many of the common reasons that lead dogs to engage in destructive behaviors, explaining their causes and presenting solutions. Beyond digging from comfort, dogs may start to dig to escape their yards, but dog owners do possess a wide variety of options to stop their pets from digging. (Tsao et al., 2022)(Sung & Radosta2023)(Martin2023)(Pearson, 2021)(Ashworth, 2021)(McGregor, 2020)

Simply applying stress reduction and management techniques could aid in stopping dogs from digging. Pet owners might try to motivate their dogs to discontinue digging or curb their pet's ability to reach their yards' fencing. Even when prey and social drives are not the primary triggers of a dog's destructive digging, applying these and other training techniques can directly improve dog obedience, offering benefits in fields beyond digging cessation.

2. Understanding Why Dogs Dig

Understand that your dog's interest in digging goes beyond misbehaving and that it serves a lot of purposes. Canines are natural diggers, and this activity links back to their ancestral history. In the past, dog breeds used to go out and search for prey. For some of them, digging became a preying method. This can be noticed in hunting dog breeds. In a house with a garden, dogs or puppies might exhibit this type of behavior for two main reasons: boredom or wanting digging and shelter.

The first explanation is mostly valid for dogs and puppies left by themselves with nothing to do and no toys to play around. When you have a full-time job and there is nobody at home, the animal might feel lonely and get bored. Digging is a way for the pet to "pass the time". Puppies, in particular, have small energy space for which they can burn themselves out in a short period. For this reason, and also in order to prevent them from causing havoc in your house, playing games or installing chewy toys to keep them busy are good and efficient ideas.

The second motivation for your dog's digging behavior might be that it is looking for a cooler place to lie down and rest. This applies especially to very active dogs that have spent one too many hours playing in the sun, exercising, or being exposed to high indoor or outdoor temperatures. This is why it often happens that these animals dig a hole right next to the pool - it is not to ruin your beautiful garden, but to find a place that is not so hot.

Nevertheless, you must contemplate the fact that not stopping your pet's digging behavior could actually ruin your beautiful garden.

2.1. Instinctual Behavior

It is universally acknowledged that dogs have been bred for certain instincts, such as herding, hunting, companionship, etc., particularly in response to the needs of each owner. However, education and training may fall short in the control of some behaviors such as barking, chewing, chasing, and digging. All of these behaviors are connected to instinctual drives. Barking alerts a pack in response to a strange or unusual event, or to protect what is perceived as the dog’s territory; chewing is also an instinctual behavior, handed down from one generation to the next, that helps to relieve the boredom felt when a dog is left alone for a long time; chasing is a typical canine behavior that is linked to a desire to play or to the need to explore the surroundings, but it is connected to the possessive drive, instinctual prey drive, or pack hunting instincts; digging is often accompanied by other behaviors, it is a part of the digging instinct, which goes back thousands of years. When dealing with a young dog, it may be a form of play or may be prompted by a sudden gust of energy. It is also a means for a dog to reduce a high level of excitement or stress.

The behavior in question is typical of dogs, and mainly of adults kept as purebred or crossbred hunting dogs. Indeed, breeders and dog owners often recognize and appreciate their dogs’ predisposition to dig holes mainly when they follow a scent and in order to hunt down whatever is "hiding" in the den or lair (the digging instinct has proven to be a very useful instrument for controlling damaging wild animals). A myth has also been shaped around the behavior. As with other behaviors (e.g. restlessness, chewing, and barking), owners tend to forgive it by attributing it to such old atavistic "needs". The excavation/pack burrowing and lining behavior, a typical part of the digging instinct in dogs, if compared to hunting for a hidden object or resting, has been traced back to our dogs’ ancient ancestors. Digging showed a downward trend, and a high percentage of first-generation crosses decreased instinctual expression. Additionally, a very low percentage of domestic dog puppies aged five weeks were drawn to the scent of hare buried in the ground, whereas the large majority showed little, inconstant, or no interest. In conclusion, these results confirmed that digging is an instinctual activity, inasmuch as dogs choose more readily and tenaciously to dig when the aim is either burial or resting.

2.2. Boredom or Lack of Exercise

Your furry friend may be engaging in this behavior due to boredom or lack of physical stimulation. Many dogs dig as a way to alleviate boredom or pent up energy, so remember to exercise them both mentally and physically. Dogs who are bored or have a lot of pent up energy should have daily structured games or walks to help them emotionally and physically. If your dog is spending long days outside alone without any interaction, walks, or other activities, negative or undesirable behaviors can result. On top of mental and physical exercise, playing with your dog for a few minutes human-chew-toy-style right before leaving will help tire them out so that they are less likely to have anxious or destructive behavior. If your dog is digging due to boredom, then once you inhibit the digging, they will likely put that energy into other undesirable activities or behaviors such as chewing, barking, or whining. This is why it is so important for dogs to receive proper mental, physical, and emotional stimulation.

Some large breeds may dig as a way of creating a hole to lay in that is cooler than the surface of a yard on a hot day. Many dogs will dig a hole to lay down in on a cold day, and some take this a step further by doing the same in the summer. If your dog is of a breed that is prone to digging a hole to lay in, as opposed to a hole to bury something in, then it should be considered normal canine behavior and you will most likely need to supervise them to help prevent digging during certain hours of the day. Dogs that exhibit digging behavior because of heat should be provided with cool shelter, such as keeping them indoors during the heat of the day, providing them with a dog house in a shady spot if they are to be outdoors, placing a child's wading pool in the yard for them to lay in, or with access to air conditioning. Research shows that pets (especially those with lighter-colored fur) that have been shaved or have short hair are at a greater risk for skin cancer and developing skin problems post-surgery. The pet should be rechecked by a veterinarian if their skin worsens after the surgery.

2.3. Seeking Comfort or Shelter

Some dogs may dig as a form of making themselves more 'comfortable' on one level or another. It could be something they do to feel safer or a dog may decide to try to regulate their own body temperature, so seek out a cooler spot or warm up the ground before lying down to rest. This behavior tends to be particularly common in dogs that are kenneled, linked up or otherwise restricted in their options and cannot take themselves to another place or use any other strategy to achieve the same results. By and large, it is the physical aspects of the behavior that are important to change, rather than the dog's emotional response.

To address this problem, it is useful to ask six basic questions:

- What do I want my dog to do instead of digging here?

- What does the dog want?
- What does it get as the result of digging?
- Are there other, more acceptable ways to give the dog what it wants, without creating or encouraging other problem behaviors?
- What is making the dog want to engage in this behavior in this particular place? Is correcting any environmental deficiencies an option?
- In what other ways does the dog make or regulate its living environment in this location?

3. Training Techniques to Stop Digging

There are many things that you can do when training a dog to prevent digging. Several training techniques allow you to use the dog's natural instincts to alter their behavior. Before you attempt to address your dog’s digging, it’s always incredibly important to ensure they have a sufficient amount of mental and physical activity to prevent unsavory behaviors that are rooted in boredom and too much unspent energy. Use positive reinforcement to help you train your dog. Negative reinforcement is never a good way to train a stubborn dog. Although it might work in the short term, it can have bad side-effects or can cause permanent setbacks. Use the dog’s instinct to dig as a useful tool to encourage them into correction. For example, many products are made available to hide in the soil where the dog digs. These make a dog stop and think when they go to dig in that spot. Once they come across something unusual, they may even dig a bit more in one spot before they go sniffing around to see what else they may find.

Behavior redirection is another incredible tool that pet owners have at their disposal to get their puppies to reduce the amount that they are digging, and what dog doesn’t like toys and treats? Give your dogs the opportunities to keep their digging instinct in good use. One sure way to do this is to build a “Dig Box” to reduce the digging in areas you don't want them to use their instinct to novice digging in a location of your choice. Praise them when they go out to that spot as they will need lots of encouragement to know that is where they should be digging. The most important method in all training is patience. There is no separation between the training of humans or animals. The problem of countless bad behaviors between owners and their dogs as well have the exact same root elements in their development. This would be the lack of exercise, behavioral dysfunction, animal instincts, and finally returning to the pet world. There's no instant cure or control; it always has to be managed right. That is the only way as they practice and mature into admittance.

3.1. Positive Reinforcement

Through the understanding of how dogs learn and the principles of operant conditioning and classical conditioning, we have the ability to use systems of rewards and punishment to alter a dog’s behavior. In all honesty, the use of punishment tends to be utilized more often not because it is any more effective than positive reinforcement, but rather because most people simply do not realize the power of positive reinforcement.

Defined, positive reinforcement is the addition of something (something the dog values) that will increase the probability that a behavior will be repeated. One can couple a conditioned or unconditioned positive reinforcer with a clicker to mark and reinforce the exact behavior that will earn the dog his reward. The most effective people who make use of a clicker have an understanding of a behavioral principle known as "shaping". Shaping may prove to be the most effective means of treating your dog’s digging problem.

Shaping is defined as the development of a new behavior or action through the selective reinforcement of successive steps or stages in the desired behavior. If an organism is rewarded every time it engages in a good approximation, or step, towards the desired goal, that organism will tend to offer the successful behavior far more often. In other words, the person can gain an increasing level of control over the likelihood of occurrence of a particular behavior. In other words, a person can make slight incremental steps towards an ultimate goal.

In dog training, the goal is working behaviors that the owner prefers, i.e. "alternative behaviors". Such alternative behaviors can be "normal" ones such as SIT, STAY, WATCH, LEAVE IT, QUEUE "COME", or "distractible" ones, such as having the dog retrieve an object or target stick, HUP ON something, or engage in task-specific behaviors such as press levers, pick up discs, charge after a thrown article, etc.

3.2. Redirecting Behavior

Since a lot of digging results from excitement or energy, it can help prevent the behavior by redirecting some of that enthusiasm. Redirecting behavior involves reducing the reward the dog gets and/or increasing the convenience of other behaviors. The objective is to steer the dog's attention away from the activity that you consider inappropriate or which is not desired.

The goal of redirecting a dog's energy is to involve the pet in exercises that are positive and more controllable and practical, in addition to being less conflictive for people. After all, dogs like routines. Of course, pets should never be punished only for digging, as the animal may not associate this punishment with this behavior. Negative comments or punishment can lead him to be afraid and to act in defense; more common responses are withdrawal or excessive fear, which may aggravate the problem. Therefore, a better solution is to distract your pet from dirt and noise sources. You may need to change some equipment used to control the animal: revise the type of collar and leash; use body attachments, such as a safety muzzle, through a new system of positive reinforcements. In addition, it is worth stimulating the animal to live with enrichment devices, which can decrease in the environment a feeling of restriction or abandonment.

3.3. Consistency and Patience

Consistency is essential. If you are trying to get your puppy to quit digging up the yard, make certain that they do not have access to the yard where they are digging. If they are digging a hole in your garden while also running around and playing in an enclosed yard, they are likely to think they are doing what they are supposed to do. Divider gates or crates are helpful in this situation. Crating puppies when you cannot be present is also an excellent method to keep them out of mischief, as young puppies cannot be expected to have full control or understanding of their actions at such a young age.

Patience, patience, patience. This is the most important trait to have when dealing with any puppy training, not only digging. There will be good days and bad days, but if a consistent training routine is maintained, the animal will more than likely break itself of the habit. If you lose your temper because you feel the puppy is being "stubborn," it will not understand why. You must realize that no matter how hard-headed or strong-willed a dog is, you are still the animal that has control over the entire situation, and its complaint should not deter you. If a dog thinks it has the upper hand or a chance of being more powerful than a human does, then the relationship between dog and owner can quickly become more complicated.

4. Environmental Modifications

Some dogs dig because they need more physical and mental activity in their lives. By being sure to provide your dog with these things, you may see a reduction in digging. It is important to keep in mind the exercise requirements of a dog's breed or mix, and puppies may require multiple short periods of exercise per day. Additionally, eliminating territorial, protective or isolation anxiety by keeping dogs indoors and in climate-controlled environments with access to the family's daily activities, not chaining dogs alone in the yard, walking dogs, and utilizing a fence rather than a tie-out can help to decrease digging. Limiting scents in the yard, by keeping trash cans sealed and keeping clusters of dogs from staying at the fence line, can reduce the initial digging response in some dogs.

For some dogs, setting up a designated digging zone can help eliminate truncated normal digging. Whether things mostly happen outdoors or in a specific part of the yard may help to differentiate which dogs might find this kind of intervention helpful. Techniques to help encourage a dog to use a specific area include encouraging owners to herb the area attractively or to "seed" the area with toys, food puzzles or other items. Using a dig box buried in the yard or digging pit as a designated digging area can help some dogs get their needed digging out of their system and decrease other digging. Using stones, plaster, or pea gravel in these boxes may encourage digging even more than sand, which is more likely to get fouled quickly. Good work and play in a dig box is often rewarding enough that it is not necessary to lure dogs to the area with food at all, which can also reduce the decreased value of food in the container. That said, I recommend that you be careful to teach an end signal for all digging zones and to avoid asking for long, repetitive digging sessions to minimize the wear on the dog's nails. Lastly, providing dogs with a range of other activities (puzzle toys, retrieve games) can help provide an alternative for dogs who are stuck in a rut of digging as a reinforcing activity. This will help make initially rewarding or attractive alternative behavior more attractive. Furthermore, reinforcing the dog for not digging in places where they might still be restricting provided a reinforcing alternative can increase that behavior. Given that dogs are more likely to dig when their owners are not home, reinforcing the alternative behavior may require the use of a remote delivery feeding system, if correct placement is not possible. A barrier is only effective if the dog cares enough about the owner's relative absence to act on it. If the dog's motivation to dig when the owner is present is enough, reducing the problem is likely to require other methods as well. In places where a fenced area is not feasible and/or digging would still be reinforced or not enough to serve as an alternative, a barrier around the area that the dog cannot fit through can be used as a last shelter. If a dog combines these strategies and a barrier to these areas, the fence should be made of materials that are comfortable and have limited visual access to each friend and family member. Nodes cannot be placed in this sort of configuration in a way that the target will be less good. Deterrents. In the long term, aversion is unlikely to be effective with a dog who is solving a problem that is not 'owner absent' and may increase digging at other times. The more reinforcing the general digging behavior is, the less likely this will be effective. Deterrents occurring while the dog is engaging in the digging behavior can be effective if the dog's motivation is not compelling, such as when the die explores the slot's object value or investigates with wonder and explosives. In this way, punishment can reduce a pleasant behavior, particularly when the owner is absent.

4.1. Providing Adequate Exercise

Exercise can play a big part in reducing or eliminating digging behavior for dogs. Dogs who are bored and not getting enough physical exercise may resort to digging. Their energy doesn't just disappear; it might result in making your backyard full of holes. These dogs' instincts have always wanted to release this energy and play during the day, and it is not proper that we do not provide them with what they really need. Making sure that your pet is receiving enough time to play is crucial to ensure that they will not dig. Try playing a game of fetch with them or go for a morning jog before going to work. This is a good way of keeping current energy levels down.

Take some time also to ensure that you are giving your dog his or her daily amount of natural walks. These pets of ours need to have at least one walk a day, and they need to walk a lot more than just going to the backyard to do their business. Remember that a walk can not only provide your pet with the right amount of physical exercise but also an opportunity for some mental stimulation that they have always wanted to have. Also, did you know that with unwanted doggie habits, daily walks can be a great help as well?

4.2. Creating a Digging Zone

Creating an area - or "digging zone" - where the natural inclination for a dog to dig can be safely expressed is one approach towards dealing with problem behaviors entrenched in breeds. While this does superficially support the behavior that a pet is performing, this is still one of the best methods for stopping him from digging in the wrong places. Choose a location away from walkways where your pet doesn't commonly hang out. Make it easily accessible so he'll understand it's a good place to get to for scratching and cover enough ground so that he'll be able to do some serious digging. Cover the area with sand or soft topsoil in order to prevent injuries. For a big dog, six or seven meters is the right size represents the correct size. During the course of each season, take away any garbage like skeletons of small animals, birds, or rodents that have been buried here – nothing too obsessive, however, as a few bones left over will do your dog a favor.

Finally, keep the digging zone as appealing as it can be, so it will stay your pet's number one spot. Add rawhide strips, cow hooves, bones, carrots, or anything chewy or flavorful attached to a piece of string. You can get stiffer chewy items like hooves and bones at Ranch and Home. To ponder, discarding hooves and bones in your dog's digs. When playing alone, some pets might become overly entranced and gnaw too ambitiously on their bone only to collapse a dig, injuring their teeth. To keep your mates as cheerfully entertained as possible, put all of the interesting bits and pieces together in a hole and fill that hole with water. Wash them off and put them apart once soaked in concrete by a few men. When considering a digging zone, keep your pet's personal tendencies in mind. For some animals, a dog-proof sandbox works well.

4.3. Using Deterrents

If your dog is only digging in certain areas in the yard, you can try to deter them from digging in these areas. Sprinkling the area with strong smelling substances—such as cayenne pepper or citrus repellents—might make the digging less appealing. Some dogs dislike the smell of vinegar—this might be a good option if your dog is digging in a planting bed. There are also commercial dig repellents which can be lightly sprayed on the dirt. Deterrents should be reapplied after it rains or every two weeks.

If you have an area where you really don’t want your dog to dig, you might consider installing some form of physical barrier. Chicken wire can be an easy and cost-effective way to keep dogs away from an area. You can even cover the barrier with dirt or mulch to help it look nicer. It might also help to create a dog-friendly area for your pet where they are allowed to dig. This area might include a digging box or other soft ground to make the area appealing. Please note that some dogs might enjoy digging in their designated area as well as other areas of the yard. Bad weather might force some dogs to be inside. When this happens, make sure your dog has plenty of interesting things to do indoors, so she isn’t tempted to dig. Keep your dog from coming into contact with the surface you want to protect while you train her not to dig.

5. Professional Help and Additional Resources

Professional Help

Seeking help from a canine trainer or dog behavior consultant should be considered if your dog is disregarding your corrections, continuing to dig despite plenty of physical and mental activity, or showing any signs of fearfulness, anxiety, or aggression. Look for trainers and behavior consultants who use the skills of learning theory as developed by scientists such as B.F. Skinner, John Watson, and Ivan Pavlov. "Learning theory" classes are taught in many obedience clubs and commercial schools. The references below are for trainers who work primarily with dogs. Similarly, they can suggest digging solutions for the owners.

Additional Resources

Win FM (Associate Editor). 1998. From Nature to Nature: Theory Versus Experience, by Brenda Aloff - This article discusses challenging dogs and earth dog training. Websites: Dogwise Enterprises - General interest books on dog health, behavior, training, grooming, etc. Dogwise.com - General interest books on dog health, behavior, training, grooming, etc. Fidosforfreedom@AOL.com: Books, videos, and products that may prove of value to people. Full Circle Clicker Training - Deborah Jones is a trainer as well as an associate professor in the Psychology Dept. at Kent State University, a member of the Association for Pet Dog Trainers, an associate member of the American Kennel Club, and past-cancelled chair of the Delta Society. She has done six behavior books, including three volumes of "Click and Treat Training." Dogpatch.org: Reads starting with Chapter 3 to jump into solving the problem of your dog digging up or eating plants in your garden, or even trying to tunnel under the fence.

References:

Tsao, L. E., Feuerbacher, E. N., Hoffman, C. L., & Andrukonis, A., 2022. The great outdoors: fenced yards and their impact on companion dog activity and adoption. vt.edu

Sung, W. and Radosta, L., 2023. Unruly and destructive behaviors–canine. Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat-E-Book: Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat-E-Book, 362(360), p.345. [HTML]

Martin, D., 2023. Problem prevention. Canine and Feline Behavior for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses, pp.175-244. [HTML]

Pearson, C., 2021. Dogopolis: How Dogs and Humans Made Modern New York, London, and Paris. [HTML]

Ashworth, E. C., 2021. Shelter to Habitat. vt.edu

McGregor, J., 2020. Even the Dogs: A Novel. [HTML]