How To Stop Your Dog From Digging
There are several reasons why dogs dig. One of them is to bury food, bones or toys.
My dog, Brownie had the habit of burying dry food and chew bone in my yard but never retrieved them. He drove my mum mad by leaving a trail of holes and dead plants.
One day, my mum was weeding when she stumbled upon something...a carelessly buried bone chew that belonged to my other dog, Bo. Seeing my mum had discovered his ‘stash’, Brownie wagged his tail vigorously. As soon as she had cleaned the bone and left it to dry in the sun, Brownie quietly went off with it again! I just couldn’t help laughing.
Such behaviour is not only uncommon but a natural instinct in dogs. In the wild, dogs and their wolf ancestors hunt and kill prey animals for food. When a kill is too large to be eaten all at once, any surplus food is buried and hidden from other animals for later consumption.
This behaviour remains ingrained in some domestic dogs. They hoard food in case they want to eat them later. In most instances, they never recover their stash. Pet dogs are fed adequately and regularly, so they are unlikely to go hungry.
If your dog digs to bury, here are some tips to discourage this behaviour:
1. Your dog should be fed at scheduled times. It is crucial not to free feed your dog to avoid interrupting his eating pattern. If your dog is burying food, you may want to restrict the amount of food or treats that you give him. Consider limiting access to your yard until he has eaten his food. If your dog does not eat his food immediately, remove his bowl and give it to him later. Remove leftover food so he does not have the opportunity to bury it.
2. Fill up holes with your dog’s poop. As it is unpleasant for dogs to dig their own poop, this can deter your dog’s unwanted behaviour. I have used this method successfully with my dog. However, some dogs may look for other “clean” areas to dig.
3. If your dog tends to revisit a particular spot, cover the surface with large rocks or wood. Alternatively, try burying chicken wire under the soil. You want to make it difficult or unpleasant for your dog to dig.
4. Consider fencing off sections of your yard that you do not want your dog to destroy.
5. When you catch your dog digging, reprimand him by saying “NO” firmly. You want to teach him that this is an unacceptable behaviour.
Sometimes, it is best to limit or not to give anything to your dog that encourages him to bury. Brownie never liked chew bones so I stop giving him any. When I feed him with biscuit and he does not eat it immediately, I'll take it back instead of leaving it in his bowl. Since he has nothing to bury, he stops digging altogether.
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