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The search to stop dog from digging home remedy becomes more urgent when you come home from work one time and you find out your dog has begun some excavation work in your yard.
You discover your dog dug out all your favorite pepper and flower garden. You are angry, frustrated and feel like hutting the dig, but there is really nothing you can do other than learn how to stop a dog from digging up the yard.
You might choose to forget it all together, but a week later you find an enormous hole like if your dog was trying to dig his way to out of the world. The problem is getting annoying at this point and you are thinking about what to do. Following are Easy ways to stop your dog from digging.
How to Stop Dog from Digging Home Remedy
Has your dog turned your yard into a moonscape with craters everywhere? If so, the first thing you should know is that your dog isn’t doing this to destroy your landscaping or spite you.
Entertainment
Dogs may dig for entertainment when they learn that soil and roots “play back”. Your dog might begin digging to stay entertained if:
- Their environment is somewhat barren, lacking toys or playmates.
- They’re a puppy or adolescent and don’t have other outlet to expend their energy.
- They’re a terrier or other breed that was bred to dig.
- They’re left alone in the yard for long periods of time without the company of their human family.
- They’re an active breed who needs a job to be happy.
- They’re recently seen you working or gardening in the yard.
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What to do:
You can expand your dog’s world and increase their people time in the following ways:
- Play with them using active toys (flying disks, balls) as often as possible.
- Walk your dog at least twice a day. Lack of sufficient exercise is a leading cause of the problem behavior.
- Teach your dog new tricks or commands. Practice these every day for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Take a training class with your dog and practice what you learn daily.
- Try to keep interesting toys in the yard to keep your dog buddy when you’re not around. Kong-type toys filled with treats or busy-box dog toys work really nice. Rotate the toys to keep things interesting.
Hunting prey
Dogs can also dig in an effort to catch burrowing insects or animals who live in your yard. This may be the case if the digging is:
- Focused on a single area rather than the boundaries of the yard.
- In a “path” layout.
- At the roots of shrubs or trees
What to do:
Looking to stop dog from digging home remedy?
Look for signs of burrowing animals, then use safe, humane methods to fence them out, make your yard unattractive or remove them.
What not to do:
When trying to stop dog from digging mulch, it is normal to want to use any product or method that could be dangerous or toxic to your pets or other animals. Please don’t as anything that poisons wildlife can poison your dog, too.
Protection and Comfort
During summer, dogs may dig holes to lie in the cool dirt. They can also dig to provide themselves with shelter form wind, cold or rain or to find drinkable water.
Your dog may be digging for protection or comfort if:
- The holes are near the foundations of large shade trees, buildings, or a water source.
- Your dog lies in the holes they dig.
- Your dog doesn’t have a shelter or their shelter is too hot or cold.
What to do:
Provide your dog with the protection or comfort they seek. Bring them inside more often, and make sure their outdoors shelter is convenient, protected from cold and heat, and has access to water in an untippable bowl.
If your dog is still a dedicated digger, try setting aside a digging zone.
Attention
Another stop dog from digging home remedy is giving sufficient attention to your dogs.
Any behavior (good or bad) can become attention-getting behavior if the dog learns that they get attention for engaging in it.
Remember, punishing your dog requires your attention. Your dig may be looking for attention if they have limited opportunities for interaction with you or dig in your presence.
What to do:
Ignore the attention-seeking behavior and give your pooch lots of praise for “good dog” behavior. Plus, make sure your dog has enough walk and play time with you on a daily basis.
Escape
Dogs may try to escape to get to something, to get somewhere or to get away from something. Your dog may be digging to escape if they dig under or along a fence.
Read the next solution if you want to know how to stop dog from digging under a fence.
What to do:
You need to discover why your dog is trying to escape and eradicate such incentives. Ensure their environment is a safe, appealing place for your dog.
To stop a dog from digging under a fence:
- Place big rocks, partially buried, along the bottom of the fence.
- Work with your dog on behavior modification to stop their escape efforts.
- Bury the bottom of the fence 1 to 2 feet below the surface.
- Place chain-link fencing on the ground (anchored to the bottom of the fence) to make it uncomfortable for your dog to walk near the fence.
- Bury chicken wire at the base of the fence. Be sure to roll the sharp edges away from your yard.
- For more detailed advice, read our instructions for keeping out burrowing wildlife.
What doesn’t work:
Whatever reason your dog might be digging for, don’t:
- Stake your dog near a hole they’ve dug or fill the hole with water.
- Punish your dog after the fact. This won’t address the cause of the behavior, and it will worsen any digging that’s motivated by fear or anxiety.
Next steps: A digging zone
If your dog is a full-time digger, set aside an area of the yard where it’s OK for them to dig, and teach them where that digging zone is:
- Cover the digging zone with loose soil or sand. Or use a child-size sandbox.
- Make the digging zone attractive by burying safe items (such as toys) for them to discover.
- When they dig in the digging zone, reward them with praise.
- If you catch your dog digging in an unacceptable area, interrupt the behavior with a loud noise and firmly say, “No dig.” Then immediately take them to the digging zone.
- Make the unacceptable digging spots unattractive (at least temporarily) by placing rocks or chicken wire over them.
Planting Fruits and Veggies they don’t like
This is the last stop dog from digging home remedy you might try if your fur-friend damages your lawn.
Spices
Dogs dislike spices, which are harmless and biodegradable to the lawn. Sprinkle cayenne or black pepper or chilli powder around the edges of your lawn in moderate quantities.
Dogs commonly sniff around on the grass and the spices will cause irritation to their nostrils and deter them from going farther. Optionally, dissolve your spice of choice in water and pour it I into a spray bottle, spraying it around the lawn.
Don’t make the solution strong or your dog’s nose could become painful and inflamed.
This is how to stop a dog from digging pepper.
Coffee Grounds
To stop dog from digging in mulch, you can use used coffee grounds as they have a strong, bitter scent that dogs commonly dislike.
Dry the grounds out in your oven and spread them loosely on the grass and around the edges of the lawn, using approximately one up of grounds for every 40 square feet of lawn.
You can also use them as mulch on any plant beds that border the lawn, which will stop your dog from crossing the beds to reach the grass.
Vinegar and Lemon Juice
Dogs are repelled by the smells of lemon juice and vinegar. You can’t use these directly on the lawn, but, because the vinegar may kill the grass while the lemon juice may cause the sun to burn the blades.
Mix lemon juice and vinegar with equal quantities of water and spray the solution around the perimeter of the lawn, or soak cotton balls in the mixture and place them strategically around the lawn area.
Plant Borders
Are you looking for natural dog digging deterrent? You can grow plants such as Coleus canina that have a pungent odor that dogs don’t like, which will help to keep them away from the grass.
(Coleus canina is sold under several common names, such as “scaredy cat plant,” that refer to its repellent effect on dogs and cats Pot marigold (calendula), citrus trees and lemongrass all help to keep your dog away from the areas in which they grow.
Essential Oils
Essential oils such as citronella and eucalyptus have strong odors that deter dogs, with their strong scenting ability.
Eucalyptus also repels fleas, so it’s useful around your garden and home. Wipe the oils on the pathways and borders around the lawn, and soak cotton balls in them and place them in strategic positions such as the entrance to the plant border or lawn.
If you tried these entire stop dog from digging home remedy and still can’t solve your dog’s digging problem, keep them indoors with you and supervise them during bathroom breaks in the yard. You might also want to consult a behavior professional for more help.
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