Monday, February 16, 2009

How to Stop a Dog From Digging - Part 1 - Why Dogs Dig

When determining how to stop a dog from digging we must first determine why they dig to begin with. There are two schools of thought about dogs and their digging habits, one is that they are doing what is natural and should be allowed free reign to do so, the second is that they should not even think about digging in this years rose bushes. Once we have determined why they feel this need it will be much easier to curb this behaviour.

There are many common reasons that explain why dogs feel the need to dig, all easily explainable and some easy to solve. One of the biggest reasons that we see holes in the yard is due to an under exercised dog, they use it was a way to burn off that pent up energy. Another reason for digging up the flower beds is simple boredom; bored dogs need something to keep them busy, something to do to pass the time. For some dogs it is just the need to explore the unknown and see what is on the other side of the fence. The last reason, and possibly one of the hardest to deal with is separation anxiety. To a dog that is desperately missing its owner, the most direct path to you is through that fence.

As you can see there is much to think about when determining how to stop a dog from digging. You would use a different method to stop a lonely dog than you would for a bored dog. Now that you have reviewed the whys, start thinking about ways to stop the digging. I will cover these in a later article.

For more information on How to Stop a Dog from Digging or other Behavioral Dog issues visit The Obedient K-9.

No comments:

Post a Comment