Help with digging

ChuckE

$ Forum Donor $
Does anyone have any advice on how to stop your Doberman from digging in the yard. Tank did it a couple time, but we used chicken wire over the holes and he gave up. Gotham who is 8 months now just will not stop. My back yard was gorgeous last summer and now it has huge deep holes everywhere and she keeps finding new ones to make. I have tried the chicken wire, setting up barricades and nothing seems to be working. I have recovered the holes and she just keeps digging. I am sure it is out of boredom and now with all the Covid-19 stuff going on, all of our off leash dog parks are closed.
I would love some advice to curb this behavior.
 
Yeah, sounds like he is bored. Left to their own devices they can become destructive.

The only way I was able to stop my red girl from digging was to keep her busy both physically & mentally by interacting with her more then before. If she started digging while I was out with her, I brought her in. For a while, she was pretty relentless even with me outside with her. So I changed it up... when I let her out in the yard, as soon as she did her "business" I had to engage her in activities..ball, frisbee, tug, basic obedience commands, leash her, let her pee and brought her in. Little to no ALONE time in the yard. It took a few months before she was allowed any alone time in the yard, and she gradually got a little more time and she quite digging.
 
I used hot pepper flakes and hot powdered red pepper. Every time I saw her digging I would say NO! and walk over and sprinkle the hole generously with pepper. She immediately went to sniff what I'd put down and didn't go back. I started doing this within a couple of days of the very first hole (I had to go purchase cheap bulk pepper) and within a week or two she quit. It may be harder for you now that Gotham has made it an ongoing practice. I'd start with what Panama said - no time out there without a leash so the habit can't be practiced. With my puppy half the digging was interspersed with snuffling her nose in the dirt. If yours just digs the pepper may not make any difference.
 
I agree that constant supervision and distraction is the best method. Our trainer also told us the pepper method is very effective. Albert wasn't digging holes in the yard but he found a spot on the deck that he started chewing and it started becoming a habit.
 

Back
Top