How to Keep a Dog From Digging Under the Gate

It's natural for a dog to dig. In the wild, dogs dig to hide food or create shelter during a storm. But when your dog digs under your gate, it is digging to escape. Your dog may want to escape because it's scared or bored, but whatever the reason, you must stop the behavior before your dog runs away and injures itself or people. Understanding your dog's motivations and taking extra precautions will keep your dog safe in your yard.

Things You'll Need

• Loose dirt Chicken wire Cement or stone slabs

Instructions

1. Exercise your dog regularly, and he won't have extra energy for digging.

2. Spay or neuter your dog. A dog with no hormones is less likely to dig an escape tunnel under your gate.

3. Provide your dog with a friendly digging area. If your dog digs for entertainment, lay some loose dirt in a section of yard that is appropriate for digging. Reward your dog for digging in this area.

4. Lay chicken wire on the ground in front of the gate. Dogs don't like to walk on chicken wire, and they'll avoid the area.

5. Pave the path under your gate, or place a cement or stone slab in the path.

Tips & Warnings

• If your dog is an avid digger, don't leave it in the yard unattended, or provide it with a variety of toys to keep it busy.

• Don't punish your dog for digging. Punishment is a form of attention, and that may be exactly what your dog is seeking. Don't fill your dog's hole with water. This will not prevent your dog from digging.

Resources

• How to Fence in Your Dog
• Dog Behavior.