It is not surprising to come across a dog frantically digging in the ground. After all, it is part and parcel of their DNA. They are hard-wired to do that. A dog in the wild digs so that it will have its own space to sleep in and a special place where it can stash food that it intends to eat later on.
But even if your dog is genetically coded to dig, it does not necessarily mean you should just let them be and let them have a go at your flowerbeds.
While digging in the wrong places is certainly an issue that ought to be resolved, we have ready solutions that will shed light on how you can put a limit on all of that destructive digging that they do and channel that energy into other things that are not as headache-inducing as this.
Much Ado About the Digging Spot
To stop your dog from digging up your newly landscaped lawn, you simply need to give it its own special place where it can dig, dig, and dig to its heart’s content. Some good suggestions include a penned area of your backyard, or even something as simple and easy to setup as a plastic swimming pool that you will fill with either specialty dirt or sand, whichever is to your liking.
Telling your dog that it is not allowed to dig, without offering an alternative, is confusing to the poor creature. After all, where does it channel all of its hardwired digging habits when everywhere is “nowhere”?
You might find that if you do this, it can start knocking down stuff in your house in an attempt to get their digging grooves on! On the flipside, leading your dog to the special digging spot is a fantastic way of solving the problematic behavior while giving it an outlet where it can shed all of its pent-up digging energies.
Keep Attractive Digging Locations to a Minimum
Another great tip that you can follow to stop your dog from digging in wrong places is to lessen the number of spots that may seem like an appealing place for a dog to dig in. It does not mean you should let go of your beautiful flowerbeds or gorgeous manicured lawn.
Rather, you can put some fertilizer, spray something sweet-smelling, or place certain plants in the areas where you especially do not want your dog to get into so it will be turned off from it.
But if you are okay with bigger solutions like cutting off one part of your yard, then by all means do it! Even if it is just a small space, your dog will be equally happy in being able to utilize that small space to run in and dig in. Just take note that there could be a chance that your dog will proceed with his digging behavior under fences!
Plants to Add to Your Garden
As mentioned earlier, there are some plants that are very unappealing to dogs. One example is roses. The thorns on roses are very unpleasant, and a dog will quickly learn that digging through this will bring him some thorny problems (pun intended).
They will avoid that spot altogether, so try that technique out. You can also use plants intermittently so that the dog will just stay away from the whole garden, provided that these are in flowerpots.
In addition, plants that do not need to be watered on a daily basis are great options for decorating your garden because they do not get wet often. This is important because dogs often look for moist and cool areas to dig in over spots that are hard and dry.
Employ the Use of Hot Spot Deterrents
If there are specific spots in your garden where your dog especially likes to dig, you can use some deterrents to prevent them from carrying out their digging mission. A good example is the use of bitter apple or even cayenne pepper: mix either of these two into the dirt and your dog will be in for an unpleasant surprise when it sticks its head in the dirt so that it can stay cool.
When they discover that the actual dirt itself has a pretty unpleasant taste and feel, then that hot spot will be a hot spot for them no longer! You can be sure that they will not be approaching that anymore. More deterrents might be necessary if your lawn is in the regrowing stage, like chicken wire, to prevent your dog from unearthing dirt in your backyard.
Make Sure Your Dog Gets Exercise
And finally, make it point to exercise your dog regularly. Dogs will dig, but only a token few will demonstrate excessive digging behavior when they feel bored and would like something to so.
Exercising, playing fetch, or just going out for a nice long walk are all great and simple distracting activities that your dog will like and promptly forget about digging soon after. You can also apply this to the special area where you dog can dig.
If there is a special place for a dog not just to dig but to play and jump around in, then they know where to go to get all that excess energy out. The result will be a dog that is so much easier to control – especially when it is time to focus your attention on regrowing your flowers and the grass.
Again, we cannot stress the point that dogs do love to dig and this is not a behavior that they will easily give up with just a “No” command. Instead of yelling yourself silly trying to change its behavior, just work on offering exciting alternatives for it to do instead of destructive digging.
Keeping your dog busy, showing them that they have a special area just to dig in, and refraining from tempting them with the possibility of digging should hopefully keep your flowers in place and your lawn intact all throughout sunny spring and the hot summer months.
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