How to Stop Your Dog From Digging Up the Lawn

Digging can be either a characteristic of your dog's breed or evidence of separation anxiety and a desire to escape. Here are a few tips to help prevent your dog from digging as well as preserve your lawn.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wading Pools
• Dog Bones
• Dog Dishes
• Dog Leashes
• Dog Toys
• Dog Training Aids
• Dog Training Leashes/collars
• Dog Treats
• Electronic Fences
• Shovels
• Shovels

1. Avoid punishing your dog for digging ' this only teaches her not to dig in your presence. She may resume digging when you're not around.

2. Take her on walks. Dogs often dig to expend energy, and walking is a less destructive way to accomplish this.

3. Put up a fence to keep your dog out of areas ' like your well-manicured lawn ' where you don't want her to dig.

4. Confine your dog in a dog run with toys, shade and water.

5. Keep your dog's sleeping area shaded in hot weather, and supply a wading pool if it's hot outside. Dogs often dig in search of a cool place to lie down.

6. Turn on the sprinklers or spray your dog with a hose each time she starts digging ' this may discourage her from digging if she doesn't like water sprayed on her.

Tips & Warnings

• Digging is often a result of boredom, so keep your dog occupied with other activities.
• Give your dog her own place to dig ' a sandbox or dirt area ' and encourage digging in only that spot by hiding treats for her to find. This allows your dog to enjoy the natural behavior of digging without ruining your yard.

[lordkhomar]

on 7/10/2009 Some good tips, I'll try these..

[msnicki23]

on 6/14/2009 ITS NOT EVEN MY DOG ITS THE NEIGHBORS DOG. SHE HAS BEEN DIGGING IN MY YARD FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW AT FIRST IT WAS UNNOTICEABLE, BUT TWO DAYS AGO I PLANTED SOME PLANTS IN FRONT OF MY UNIT AND THE NEXT MORNING SHE DUG A BIG HOLE. ITS BAD ENOUGH THAT I HAD TO GET RID OF MY DOG BECAUSE SHE WAS BARKING TOO MUCH. THIS LADY JUST LETS HER DOG OUT TO ROAM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

[PRICKthis1]

on 9/10/2008 To the comment on putting thorn bush clippings in the recent holes I would think would be a horrible idea. My dog just recently sliced its paw open on some rose bush clippings he thought he would sneak and play with and I was stuck having to take him to the ER vet at 8:00 pm and waited 3 hrs there left him over night for stitches. and wound up with a $500 bill. SO BAD IDEA!!!!

[MissQ15]

on 7/15/2008 i have a dog pool,and her cage is in the shaded patio..i am starting to walk her..i hope it works..

[murphlogic]

on 7/11/2008 Although putting dog feces in spots where the dog digs does help I have a huge yard and they just go somewhere else. How can I stop it altogether?