The weather is getting warmer and your dog can enjoy lounging in the sunshine in the back yard. What a wonderful picture - until the gigantic holes that your dog has dug start cropping up all over the yard.
Digging comes naturally to most dogs. Many dogs also dig because they are bored or need more exercise. Luckily, there are tactics to try that address the causes of digging and help alleviate them.
Create a legal digging spot
Choose a part of your yard that is an acceptable place for your dog to dig. Loosen the dirt in the dig area so that it's soft and bury a rawhide, pig's ear, bone or toy in a shallow hole. After you've prepared the designated digging spot, let your dog sniff the area. A dog has an amazing sense of smell and the buried goods will act like a magnet. Your dog will probably start digging up the buried treat immediately.
On a daily basis (at first) bury something new in the dig spot. Go outside with your dog to make sure that he always chooses to dig in the legal spot and no other area. After about two weeks you can start to mix things up - three days without a surprise then two days in a row with one. The goal is to keep the dog enticed enough to dig in the correct area by providing occasional hidden surprises.
Distraction and engagement
If it's not feasible to create a legal digging spot in your yard, an alternative is to keep the dog engaged while he is outside so he doesn't commence digging out of boredom. There are many products on the market that can provide hours of fun for your dog. The most popular are toys that hold food and require the dog to figure out how to get at it. Buster Cubes are very popular, as are Kongs. You can make a less expensive version by cutting holes in a milk jug that are big enough for kibble to spill out of. Place the kibble in the jug, screw the top back on and throw it out in the yard. Depending upon the dog, the jug may not last long. Be sure to monitor your dog so that he isn't eating the jug.
Many people freeze treat-filled Kongs before giving them to their dogs. This makes the task of getting the compacted food out of the Kong more difficult. To make the task even more challenging, put the Kong in a cardboard box so the dog has to get the Kong out of the box before gaining access to it. Other options to alleviate boredom include placing a wading pool in the yard and providing lots of toys that your dog likes.
