Discovery Of Digging!

[Sticks1977]

Over the past week or so Fraser has started to discover that he can dig with his paws in certain parts of the backyard. Luckily he has not dug near any fences or escape routes.

The main areas he has been digging have been near the sliding door (where he goes in and out for toilet or access to the backyard) and also near the rear roller door for access to the garage. Each hole has been up against the slab of the house and have been rather deep (at least 1-1.5 feet in depth).

My partner finally managed to catch him in the 'act' tonight and disciplined him, telling him to get on his mat. He had a rather guilty look on his face - this has been the first time we have been able to discipline him for it as in the past we have come home to discover the holes and are unable to punish him as he would not remember what he had done.

I doubt that he would be bored, when we are at home we are always willing to play with him and I take him for daily walks around the neighbourhood which he seems to enjoy. The only thing I can think of is sometimes he watches me when I am on 'poo patrol' and picking up his droppings. I then proceed to dig a hole with the shovel and bury the droppings in there. When I was first digging holes he seemed absolutely fascinated with the shovel and what it could do.

Are there any tips or advice you can give to refrain him from digging? Is it something he will grow out of? He is left for approximately 4-5 hours during the week when we are both at work but we leave him with plenty of toys and rotate around different toys every day so he does not get bored of them.

My partner has just called me (as I am at work) and mentioned that she caught him just starting to dig again in the same place near the sliding door and said he seems to be wanting to get small rocks that are underneath the soil - perhaps this is what he is after? I have also noticed lately he seems to be spending a bit more time in the backyard when we are both home.

I took him on his walk last night and when we arrived home he was in the backyard for a good 30 minutes (in light rain) and when he was near the sliding door he did not want to come back inside. As I mentioned earlier he is left outside when we are not home but all other times he is inside (sleeps alone in the Laundry at night) - is this perhaps a way that he is telling us that he prefers to be an outside dog at times?

Sorry for all the questions - I am a first time dog owner (had family dogs when I was growing up, but never been responsible for one of them 24/7). Apart from the digging, he is an absolute joy to have around home and as a companion. The amount of walking I have done in the past month I owe all to Fraser, he is responsible for getting me (and him) both fitter and healthier...

Regards, Shaun (sticks1977)

PS. My partner just sent me a MMS picture message showing Fraser asleep on the couch, wish I was at home!

[pebbles]

I've got two who dig for different reasons - Jedda, Whippet 6mths just digs for fun, she will be running around and suddenly stop and dirt will fly everywhere. With the drought my yard has been just dirt now it's littered with craters which I fill in when she's not looking, if she's with me she will dig it out as fast as I fill. Mick, 2 years, Min Pin. is a insect hunter, if he sees one go under a rock or whatever he digs like mad to get it but they're long gone as he just digs where he saw it vanish.

Afraid I haven't got any solutions, my yard isn't worth saving since the drought. The only hole Jedda started to dig near the fence I filled with old bricks and she hasn't dug there again.

[sidoney]

Perhaps you could set up an area in which he is allowed to dig. Digging is natural for them. Mine dig, usually to find grubs and worms and eat them. If he had a digging area in which you buried treasures for him, it could get the digging out of his system and keep it in one area.

Just a question, how old is he? How much walking one does with a pup depends on how old it is - even if it thinks it can walk further, to walk too much can damage growing joints.

[chloebear]

Holly 6mths diggs, so I burry her poo in the holes, it stops her from digging in that hole so then she just moves onto the next. She too has heaps of toys and gets played with.

[Sticks1977]

Just a question, how old is he? How much walking one does with a pup depends on how old it is - even if it thinks it can walk further, to walk too much can damage growing joints.

Fraser is 25 weeks old (just short of 6 months?) and I walk him roughly for 20-25 minutes per day (depending how much sniffing along the way he does). I just measured out roughly in Google Earth how far that is and it gave me the measurement of 1.56 km

[Stewie_the_Frenchie]

Turtle has just discovered the art aswell in the last few days and he is the same age. He only does it along the back porch...although, all we have is sand (outback) so it doesn't matter that much. I'm not looking forward to when we come back east though, and we have lawn and a garden...that ain't gonna stay! I'll be interested in what people have to say!

[Animal House]

Get him a clam shell pool and put sand in it. That can be his place to dig. Bury some treats in there (like a toy) and prasise him when he digs in there.

I wouldnt be burying his droppings either,(health reasons) just put them in a plastic bag or two and in the garbage bin, I think it probably encouraged his digging to start with.

What you can do though, if he digs in the same place (worth a try) is to put his poop in the hole he has dug, most dogs wont dig there. If that fails, get a couple of pavers and put them in the places he digs, but try the clam shell with sand, so he has a place to dig, afer all, it comes pretty naturally to dogs.