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Dog Training: Tips and Tricks to Stop Your Dog From

Dog Training: Tips and Tricks to Stop Your Dog From Digging in Your Yard

Its downright infuriating to look out the window and see Buddy digging another hole in the yard. You yell out the window; he may or may not even acknowledge hes heard anything; then back to the digging. This dog behavior has got to stop.

WHY DOGS DIG…..

Did you ever stop to think WHY Buddy digs? (except to make you mad!). This is the real trick to figure out why hes digging in the first place, the motivation behind the dog behavior. Then you can take dog training steps to discourage it, redirect that energy and possibly stop it completely.

1. IM BORED!

Location: Digging along the fence lines and at the gate.

Why? He is bored and wants to get out for some action.

Solution: Provide more exercise for your dog, both physical and mental. The more exercise the better, according to your dog. A tired, happy dog will rest nicely between great outings.

2. IM HOT!!

Location: Digging along the edge of the house or shallow “pits,” especially in the heat of the summer.

Why? Your dog is most likely creating a cool spot in the cool under-earth. If under the porch, hes creating a den.

Solution: Check to make sure you are providing fresh cool water throughout the day and night.

Is there adequate shade to protect your dog from the hot sun? Is good air circulation available or possibly a nice breeze? Or is the space filled with stagnant air?

Provide plant life (trees, bushes) for shelter from the hot sun. Cool grass keeps the ground heat down.

3. ITS JUST MY NATURE!

Sometimes its the breed of dog, not so much the environment. Some breeds tend to be burrowers — hounds, huskies, malamutes are a few examples.

Solution: If this is the case, work with your dog to agree on a place he can do his thing and camouflage it with something like plants or fencing.

4. I LIKE IT!!

Some dogs just like to dig, and dig they will, no matter how much you yell and scream.

Solution: Create and help them with the ideal digging place — a sandy blend with hidden treasures that reward digging at that spot. Having a prepared area encourages the digger to focus the digging to the area you set up in an out-of-the-way place. Remember to keep the area stocked with assorted treats and toys.

TO FILL OR NOT TO FILL ….. EXISTING HOLES

The second part of the story is…..

What to do with the holes that keep reappearing, no matter what you do? Have you back-filled holes dug by your dog only to find them dug again, over and over?

When this happens, the next stage of hole-filling is called for.

You might think this next step it involves yelling at your dog, or rapping on the window. Nope. Are you really going to stand and stare out the window hoping to correct the situation while its happening (which would be the only way to really correct it using this method)?

TECHNIQUES FOR “FILLING” HOLES

There are two better techniques to encourage your dog to rethink digging that hole.

The easier of the two is to fill the hole until almost full. Mix the last portion of dirt with dog poo, pinecones, moth balls, or other repelling non-harmful substance. The next time your dog arrives for the big dig, he quickly finds the game has changed. Most dogs quickly change their behavior.

The second method is more time consuming but effective. Cut a section of chicken wire or similar to cover the hole plus 8 inches or more. Dig a hole a few inches deep that surrounds the hole and will fit the wire shape.

Fill the hole and then press wire in place and cover with dirt. Pack the area well, particularly around the wire edges. When your dog returns, the wire will stop his digging progress.

If along a fence line, secure the wire to the fence along the inside of the fence, just a short distance from the ground. When the wire gets to the ground, keep going vertically a short distance underground. Then bend the wire so the bottom is perpendicular to the top (forms an L). Bury the horizontal part underground inside the fence, pointing away from the fence. When your dog digs he is stopped by the wire and his weight on the earth helps keep the wire in place. The result is the dog gives up on that area.

Pretty cool, huh?!

CONCLUSION

We humans see digging as bad dog behavior. Dogs dont, and they dig for different reasons. If you can figure out why theyre digging, you can put dog training steps in place to stop it. Some dogs dig, thats what they do. Set them up a space to dig and you both win!

Try these dog training techniques to change unwanted dog behavior. They seriously work.

Tags: Air Circulation, Bushes, Case Work, Cool Spot, Cool Water, Dog Training, Fence Gate, Fence Lines, Fencing, Grass, Ground Heat, Heat Of The Summer, Hot Sun, Hounds, Motivation, Porch, Shallow Pits, Stagnant Air, Tips And Tricks, Wit

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Feb 16, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Training House Training Your Dog

One of the most confusing and anxiety-ridden areas of dog training is house training. Yet, it is one of the most important, especially for the humans involved.

The best way to understand and find success with house training is to use the dogs own nature to help you.

Dogs are, by instinct, very clean animals. They would rather not soil any areas where they normally sleep or eat. Dogs are also creatures of habit — they like to know where theyre supposed to go urinate and defecate. If the dog is taught to eliminate on gravel or concrete, they will tend to look for either of those surfaces to do so. If theyre taught to eliminate on grass or dirt, thats where they will choose. Use these habits to your advantage.

Setting up the training area

This is the first step. Make sure the area you choose is small and confined. A bathroom works for this, or a place in a kitchen or garage also work well. Remember that crate training works well for puppies or small dogs, but for the larger animals, the crate is too confining.

You need to spend some time with this aspect of the training. You need to play with your dog in this area, and this is also where the dog will be taught to sleep and eat. Put together a special bed. This can be something you make up with items around the house, or you can go to the store and purchase a bed. Dont worry of your dog eliminates in this area at first. Once they figure out that this is where the sleep and eat, theyll stop eliminating there.

Once your dog realizes that the bed is for sleeping, you can begin to move it around the house. But, only when youre there. When youre not, put the bed back in the training area.

Setting up the toilet area

Now you need to determine where the toilet area is going to be located. Presumably, this will be outside the house. Wherever it is, it has to a place that the dog can go to whenever it needs to go. You need to go there with your dog so you can give the appropriate rewards for good behavior.

Establish a set feeding schedule for your dog. If the dog is in the habit of being fed at certain times, the natural process of elimination will also begin to occur at certain times. Once you learn when those times relate to the eating times, it will become much easier for you to guide the dog to the established toilet area.

Dont forget to make sure your dog has ready access to the toilet area. That way mistakes arent as likely to occur.

Continuing the house training process

Once your dog is in the habit of eliminating in the toilet area and not in the sleeping/eating area, you can begin to extend the training area to the rest of the house. Do this slowly. Start by expanding to one additional room, and then gradually expand into other areas. Dont expand into new areas until youre sure your dog has control of its bladder and bowels. At first, do this only when youre around. If youre away, then put your dog back in the original training area.

Speeding up the process

If you have to move this process along more quickly, you can do so. Remember to proceed with caution, though. Its better to go slowly than to have to try to retrain a dog later. If youre going to try to speed things up, you will have to be there in order to reward your dog for successful eliminations. It is also important not to punish for mistakes. That will only confuse the dog and slow the process even further.

Tags: Animals, Anxiety, Concrete, Crate Training, Creatures Of Habit, Defecate, Dirt, Dog Training, Good Behavior, Grass, Gravel, Instinct, Puppies, Rewards, Sleep, Small Dogs, Success, Surfaces, Toilet Area, Urinate

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Feb 09, 2010 | 0 | Dogs