How to Create a Place For Your Dog to Dig

Some dogs dig purely for enjoyment.

The act of digging is a natural activity for your dog, and triggered by a number of potential causes. You can try to train your dog not to dig, but some breeds will reject this training and resort to digging when they can. Digging can be dangerous for your dog if it chooses to dig in areas with hard or sharp rocks, or if digging allows your dog to leave your backyard. Additionally, digging can be damaging to your yard or your property, especially if they dig inside your house. You can provide your dog with its own digging environment to prevent these dangers.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Select an area for your dog's digging space that has a concrete base, such as your backyard patio. Move your backyard furniture to create a clear area for your dog's digging space. Rearrange your backyard furniture so you can still enjoy your backyard. Remember that your dog's digging space will be a place where your dog will enjoy spending time and you can share in its enjoyment by watching your dog play.

2. Place a small, plastic wading pool in the area you cleared. Optionally, use a plastic sandbox or another sturdy, plastic based container. The plastic base is better for your dog's claws than harder materials. Fill the wading pool halfway with playground sand. Keep any excess sand stored in a safe, dry area to ensure that you have extra sand to refill the pool later.

3. Bury a few dog treats and toys in your sandbox. Bring your dog to its new digging spot. Give it time to smell the sand and get used to it. If your dog seems uninterested, uncover some of its treats and let it smell the area again. Reward your dog with encouragement when it digs in the sandbox. Give your dog time to grow accustomed to its new digging spot. Be patient and remember that your dog may require a few days to its figure out what to do with its new spot.

4. Sweep the concrete area around your dog's sandbox every evening, returning the sand to the sandbox. Refill the sandbox once its sand level gets under half and periodically add more toys or dog treats to its sandbox. Watch your dog as they bury more things in the sandbox and remove anything that could be dangerous or harmful to your dog, such as dead animals.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep hard, sharp objects out of the sandbox to protect your dog's feet and nails.

References

• Dog Obedience Training Review; How To Stop Dogs From Digging
• Humane Society; Dig This: How to Get Your Dog to Stop Digging; November 2009