Digging and Dogs online

Digging and Dogs online:

There are two extremes of opinion when it comes to dogs and their digging habits:

1. That a dog is a dog, and we must allow him to express his true canine nature by allowing him free dominion over the garden and parterres

2. That one the stonemason is a stonemason, and no dog should even think of the expression of his perplexity if such an expression comes to the price of a season of rose buds.

My own point of view tends to favor the middle ground. Although many dogs love to dig, and it's healthy to be allowed to allow this habit from time to time, there is a difference between allowing your dog to express his inner puppy and allow him to run rampant in the garden.

I don't see why a dog should have to come to the price of a garden, and vice versa; Flowers and dogs can coexist peacefully. If your dog has developed a taste for digging, it will take a little time (and cunning ingenuity) on his part to solve the problem satisfactorily.

First of all, if you still have to adopt a dog and your concern for the fate of your parterres is purely hypothetical, consider the breed of dog you would like. If you look at a specific mixed-race dog, what seems to be the most prominent? The reason I ask is simply because the race often plays an important role in the personal valuation of each dog to dig as a rewarding pastime: the Terriers and the Nordic races in particular (Huskies, Malamus, some members of the Spitz family) seem to enjoy especially digging.

Of course, when you get to the sum and substance, each dog is, above all, an individual, and there is no guaranteed way to predict whether or not your chosen family addition will be a bulldozer. But if you are trying to reduce the probability of a garden of involuntary gardens as much as possible, I suggest you stay away from all the breeds of Terrier (the name means "go to earth" after all!) and the Nordic races.

Why do dogs dig?


Without a particular order, these are some of the most common reasons a dog will dig:

  • Lack of exercise. Digging is a good way for an exalted and little exercised dog to consume some of that nervous energy.
  • Boredom. Bored dogs need a "job" to do, something rewarding and interesting, to help pass the time.
  • Digging is often the ideal solution for a boring dog: it gives you a sense of purpose and distracts you from an empty day.
  • The need for broader horizons. Some dogs are only escape artists by nature: no matter how much exercise and attention they get, it is almost impossible to limit them. For a four-legged Houdini, it is not the digging itself the reward, it is the glorious unknown that exists beyond the fence.
  • Separation anxiety. For a dog who is really craving his company, digging under those retaining walls represents the most direct path to you. Separation anxiety is an unpleasant psychological problem, relatively common among dogs, but because it is so complex, we will not address it in this newsletter. Instead, you can find excellent resources to prevent and cope with the condition... [Visit: Agility Training Handling Dogs]


Stopping the habit

Many of the reasons that contribute to the desire to hunt your dog suggest your own solutions: If your dog is not doing enough exercise (generally at least forty-five minutes of vigorous walking per day), take him to walk more. If you're bored, give him some toys and chew to play during your absence, and agúchalo before you go, so spend most of the day sleeping.

An escape artist's dog may need to be packed, or at least kept inside the house, where it is less likely to be released. However, for those dogs who like to dig as a hobby in itself, here are some basic tips to control improper digging as much as reasonably possible:

  • Restrict your dog's access. This is the most effective thing you can do: if you are never in the garden without active supervision, there is no opportunity to dig.
  • Use Natural deterrence. 99.9% of dogs will cower, horrified, in the prospect of digging anywhere where there are dog droppings. Even those who like to eat poo (a condition known as coprophagia) generally do not dig anywhere near it: it offends its basic and fastidious aversion to smearing its coat and its paws.
  • Use nature's own wiles. If the digging annoys you because it is altering the most delicate flowers in your garden, plant more resistant flowers: preferably those with deep roots and thorny defenses. Roses are ideal.
  • One way to handle the problem that requires more time, but it is super effective: roll the first inch or two of grass in your garden and place hen wire under it. Your dog will not know that he is there until he has had some attempts to dig, but once he has convinced himself that it does not make sense (which won't take long), he will never dig in that garden again.


Accept your dog's need to have a way out: give it a place to dig

If your dog is tunneling in the garden in a lawnless lunar landscape and filled with craters, but is equally determined to prevent this from happening at all costs, please take a moment to consider before embarking on a strenuous preventive strategy and that req Uiere a long time.

Set the goal of eradicating all digging behavior, dot, it's quite unreal: it's not fair to you (since, actually, you're preparing for failure), and it's not really fair to your poor dog, if it's a True-Blue digger, it's just part Of his personality, and he needs at least some opportunity to express it.

But a lawn and a dog do not have to be mutually exclusive: the most human and understanding you can do in this case is simply to redirect your digging energy. You do this assigning an area where you are allowed to dig as much as you please. Once you have established this area, you can make clear that there will be no digging in the rest of the yard, and you can apply your rules with a quiet conscience as you know your dog now has his own corner of the world he gets upside down and in as he Prefer.

But what if you don't have a spare corner in the backyard? What if the whole thing, the grass, the flower beds and the gravel road are too dear to your heart? That's good too: invest in a sandbox, which you can place anywhere in the garden. You can even make one yourself (the deeper, the better, obviously). Fill it with a mixture of sand and dirt, and put some leaves or grass on top, if you wish, make your dog interested in scratching to himself, until an idea is made.


Make sure the boundaries are clear

To make it clear that the sandbox is fine but that anywhere else is an area without digging, take a little time to supervise. When you start digging in the box (you can encourage this by simply burying some bone bones of your choice), Elógalo vigorously, and if you start digging anywhere else, correct immediately with a "ah-ah-aaaah". Or Not! " Then, redirect it immediately to the sandbox, and distribute vociferous accolades when digging restarts. To really clarify the lesson, give it a treat when you start digging in the sandbox: the proximity between the correction (to get out of the sandbox) and the praises/rewards (to dig into the sandbox) will ensure that your point hits.


Other readings

For more information on how to recognize and deal with problematic behaviors such as digging, chewing, barking, and aggression, see Secrets to Dog Training. It is a detailed instruction manual for the responsible owner, and is full of all the information you will need to raise a healthy, happy and well-adapted dog: from Behavioral problems to the psychology of the dog and the work of obedience, Secrets to Dog Training has covered. You can consult secrets to Dog Training by clicking on [Visit: Easy to train dogs]

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