digging MACHINE!!

jbr03 · Post by **jbr03** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:46 pm

hey all,

my pointer puppy is getting a little ridiculous with the digging. there is one section of the yard that she knows we cant see her in and does the dirty deed in that area. i usually am outside on the porch watching her play with my roommates 3 dogs and when she runs around that side of the house i say "come" and she comes back, deterring her away from her digging spots. i work during the day and i have my girlfriend and roommates take care of her and they dont care to watch her like i do. besides she wont listen to the girlfriend much anyway! ive read posts about putting poop in the holes and thats just not enough for her. my yard basically looks like an "L" she digs in the foot of the L it would be easy to fence off this area if i could but im not going to put a fence in the middle of the yard. would an inground fence work. my pups only 4 1/2 months would she freak if i put a collar on her and zapped her?

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:53 pm

Try putting Victor mouse traps in each hole she digs. May be effective, may not. It works a lot of the time though.

Don · Post by **Don** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:04 pm

gonehuntin, now I know we read the same book! Great call.

birdshot · Post by **birdshot** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:19 pm

trim front toe nails so that they are short enough that it is uncomfortable for your dog to dig.

jbr03 · Post by **jbr03** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:54 pm

could i use the ecollar after she is conditioned to it a bit to reinforce the fact that i dont want her to dig.

Don · Post by **Don** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:37 pm

There is nothing a 4 1/2mo old pup could do that I would shock it for. Mouse trap's, just salt the area with mouse trap's. She'll get snapped a couple time's and go dig somewhere else. Puppies, ya gotta love'em!

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:40 am

jbr03 wrote:could i use the ecollar after she is conditioned to it a bit to reinforce the fact that i dont want her to dig.

Ask yourself, instead of us, if you feel your dog would understand that correction. Mouse traps she'll understand.

SwitchGrassWPG · Post by **SwitchGrassWPG** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:14 am

The digging may be a manifestation if boredom.

Don · Post by **Don** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:30 am

I used to think that boredom caused that but I'm not so sure anymore. Dog's in the wild don't get bored and dig a hole. They dig a hole to either get something to eat out of the ground or to bury and hide a claimed prize or to build a nest or a bed. Ever really ask yourself, why on earth would a dog just decide to start digging a hole to relieve boredom? Everything happen's for a reason and I've come to the conclusion that that digging is just an old instinct comming to surface that maybe we don't understand so we've assigned a reason to it, boredom. What is needed is to give the pup a reason to stop digging, mouse trap's.

Otis, once he's eaten his fill continue's to beg and take's what he's given outside and buries it for later. He has stashes all over the property. He even hides thing's in the couch cushion's and under his pillow's and blanket. I've found biscut's under the sheet's in my bed! He alway's goes back to those places and dig's them up and eat's them later, instinct's.

Post by **Ayres** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:00 pm

Dogs in the wild don't have an opportunity to become bored in the first place, so that's why they don't dig holes. They are free to roam wherever they please. Dogs kept in a fenced-in-backyard are prone to digging because they've already explored the entire backyard. And when they dig, they get a response from the owner to alleviate the boredom, even if that response is negative ("no no, bad dog!").

I would not suggest an e-fence for her. She's only 4 1/2 months old. The best cure for doggy boredom-related-destruction is to wear the pup out by going on walks or runs, letting her have a lot of attention and playtime. Then she'll start taking naps when you're not watching her.

Vizsla Vince · Post by **Vizsla Vince** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:11 pm

Try burying chicken wire (or some other type of wire mesh) in her favorite spots, an inch or so below the surface. She'll get the idea quick enough, & will only do as much damage to herself as she can stand, which won't be much.

zaire · Post by **zaire** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:31 pm

Have you told your girlfriend how much you love her and need her help? J/K.
Maybe put your pup in a confined area without the grass until you get home?