K-9 LifeSavers

A dog taking a bone and running outside to bury it is a stereotypical act that we see all the time in the movies, but may not be quite so cute if it happens to be in the middle of your prize rose garden. 

Dog trainers and vets agree that digging is a natural and normal dog behavior, and in many dogs it is an instinct they were bred for as hunters to dig prey out of their dens.  Though most of us aren’t using our pets to help being home dinner any more, dog digging is still a behavior that many dogs exhibit, and can be caused by many things. 

Like many destructive behaviors, dogs often dig out of boredom and if they are offered better stimulation or more exercise the digging will diminish or go away entirely. 

Some dogs, especially those that spent a lot of time outside are trying to create a shelter, or a protective area.  The digging may be alleviated by providing a dog house, or even a wading pool in hot weather.

Other dogs are well-exercised, loved and protected, but simply enjoy the feeling of digging. Certain breeds, such as terriers, dachshunds and beagles may fall into this category, and in this case training comes into play in a couple of ways.  Obedience classes solve a variety of problems as your dog looks to you for guidance before taking on actions on his own. But the perfect solution may be to combine obedience classes with the creation of a digging spot for your dog.  This could be a sandbox, or just a small plot of dirt that’s all his. 

Though you may never entirely eradicate the digging by training your dog to do his digging in one spot you save your yard, and yourself quite a bit of frustration, and make everyone happy.