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There are few things more frustrating than a yard digging dog. All the time, effort, not to mention money you have put into a lush green lawn and flowers, and landscaping and there is Max out there digging holes and uprooting the flower beds. It is enough to make you scream. Dogs naturally like to dig, some more than others for a variety of reasons, so below we will go over what we can do to put an end to a yard digging dog and claim your yard back!
When dealing with a yard digging dog we first need to understand there is always a reason why the dog is digging his array of holes. Once we understand this we can track down what it is he is after by tearing up the yard. Almost one hundred percent of the time the dog has smelled something under the surface he wants to get. It can be anything from yard moles to old buried bones he has forgotten about.
Other times your dog, especially if he is an outside dog, will dig holes in shady areas to stay cool when the weather is hot and humid. This makes perfect sense to me. Try looking at it from the dog’s point of view—it is hot and he is wearing what amounts to a winter coat, so he needs a cool place to beat the heat. I would do the same, and I imagine so would you. And then there are those pooches that dig holes just because they are bored. These guys should be exercised more to relieve the boredom.
There are many commercially available products you can buy and spread over the yard to rid your yard of moles and this is a good first step. Other ideas are buying products that you spread on the yard and flower beds for repelling the dog’s interest in digging there. These do work but over time they become diluted and eventually washed away by rain so they are a temporary fix at best.
The one method I would advise using is like killing two birds with one stone. You have to scoop the poop out of the yard anyway, so instead of just tossing it into your neighbor’s yard put it in the holes the dog has dug. Dogs do not like soiling themselves in their own poop and will avoid further digging. It really does work.
A yard digging dog might appear to have the upper hand but with this one simple tip you can stop the digging.
Does your dog dig? Please leave your thoughts and ideas below.
Diane
says:We’ve been filling the holes, but our dogs just move elsewhere. We live on an unpaved acre and don’t have a lawn. They’re pretty good about staying out of the garden areas though. The trainer I’m using right now says don’t do this, you’ll just end up with poop ground mines all over, but her idea of distracting the dogs isn’t feasible, I can’t keep an eye on them every minute!
We do have a doggy pool, maybe we’ll try filling it with sand and see if that works out.
Rob
says:I have a vegetable garden, I dig in it and so does my little dog. A few times, she dug up a mole. She hides her biscuits in the holes too. She only digs in the garden, not the grass. Try setting aside a dirt spot of the yard, I’m sure your dog will prefer digging there. Or fire 2 blasts from a shotgun like joe Biden says.
Sandy Caldwell
says:I will try this but given that my dogs also eat poop, I am not hopeful. 😉 Worth a shot!
MJ
says:using a baby pool or making a space just for digging works well. I have an Igloo dog house with no bottom. THe dogs bury toys and bones in there. It’s in the corner of the yard. No more random holes! Yippy!
Karen Y
says:Well, putting poop in the holes where she digs won’t do for us b/c she likes to eat poop ! UGH !
kathy bowden
says:My pitty loves to dig. I bought him a kiddy swimming pool. I filled it with sand and tossed his toys in. he loves it.
Kat
says:Wow Kathy that sounds like a great idea. I will have to try that with my pitty. Thanks
bonnie massicotte
says:my 5 yr old chi/terrier doesn’t dig, but his nose is forever to the ground smelling the moles and the rabbits we have under our deck. he has chased the rabbits when he sees them out.then smells the boards they are under. but I cant figure out what in heavens he finds that he will roll his head in and/or wriggle his body on in the yard. he will smell and then do this rolling in it. it doesn’t leave an odor on him and its almost any place in the yard. and no he is not just scratching his back
Nicole
says:Im happy mom of three dogs =) And they LOVE to dig. When they dig they didnot complain they boring, they dont chewing shoes and dont chase neighbors cats. So I just let them digging =)
Dee
says:Our dogs dig up skinks…a kind of lizard here in Florida. We’ve the repellent, but until they dig up the skink they won’t stop. Putting their waste in the hole afterwards doesn’t keep them from looking for another and digging it out. I see no solution for my problem.
Kat
says:My dog Max does the same. I to am in Fla.. They just find another spot to make a hole!
Sharon
says:We put the poopie in the hole and our Doberman STOPPED forever digging.