Digging

[Whippetsmum]

This is the situation, 6 months old pup who has company all day from an older dog has decided to dig in the lawn, the lawn digging started on Monday. We have previously fenced off the garden beds because of some minor digging, and she does like to dig in a pebbled area, which is less of a problem because the pebbles are easy to rake over. This digging is now getting extreme. 4 new holes in one day. The lawn digging is a major problem as the holes pose hazards when the dogs are zooming around. It doesn't matter if the pup is alone for an hour or a day, a new hole appears. I work 3 days and am home for 4. If I go out for a few hours, a new hole can appear.

I have put doggy poop in all existing holes, but precictably, a new hole is then opened.

There are heaps of toys and treat balls.

I have never had a digger before, so I am really worried. What should I do, eg: allocate an area of garden that is allowed to be dug in? Do clam shells for digging work? Is it better to leave one hole so they don't make new ones? I don't want to put a balloon in a hole, because she is the kind of dog to eat it and then end up at the vet. Someone please tell me this is just a phase!

Please help!

[supercharged]

I can relate to that!

My old girl at the same age we nicknamed Komatsu (after the digging machines) for her ability to dig in just about anything. We tried for months but week after week in a rental property mind you, we had a nine hole golf course happening! Did the dog poo thing, tried chilli pepper, tried Dog Off products etc etc.......nothing worked. In the end we just resigned to the fact she would outgrow it and she did after about two years.

A simple thing we found that reduced the intensity was to keep on top of her nails - I mean weekly clipping to keep them as short as possible - can't dig properly with short short nails! She was never interested in clam shells, well she was until the treats were found, then the lawn was better to get the grubs out.

Now, I have a new digger another six month old!! Gotta be a phase for some, they were both ACD's.

Weather the storm try the clam shell (you can always fill it with water instead!) or a section of the garden that seems to be preferred and if you find something that works let me know!

S

[Adnil444]

Hi, I wish I could and maybe it will be a phase for your dog. One of my dogs is a digger and didn't start until he was about 2 yrs old (he is 3 now) and he will dig for pleasure and loves it. I have given him a garden bed to dig away in, but unfortunately he keeps digging elsewhere. I have several holes in the yard which are quite large. I did lay chicken wire all over the lawn and the grass has now grown through and holds the wire down firmly in place and it does work well (except in small pockets of the yard where I didn't put the wire down). He just loves dirt and unfortunately the previous owners of my house, were extremely proud gardeners (I'm not!!) and they had garden beds within garden beds - I would really like to concrete the whole yard in a nice way with huge pots/urns in the corners of the yard with hardy succulent plants and have climbers around lattice work on the fence line to soften it.

Try the chicken wire, as it has worked for me, just looks ugly until your lawn grows through it, and you have to make sure that when you mow, that you raise the blade!!

[Whippetsmum]

Thanks,

I've even tried white pepper in her 2 holes that she has managed today.....she seems to like the pepper, isn't deterring her at all. She is definately hunting for rocks, I saw her find one prize pebble and proudly cart it off to her den.

I am really thinking about chicken wire now, and then topdressing the lawn.