Hello I am having a problem with my 6.5 month old 75lbs golden retriever puppy hes a very well behaved boy and his only issue is digging he gets 2 mid sized walks and 1-2 games of fetch a day I dont know what it is we tryed to put pepper in the holes and we told him it was wrong this happens when we leave and when we have him out to go to the bathroom if hes out to long I dont know what to do can you give me any ideas I can give him more excersise if thats it hes pretty lazy inside and dosint bark or seem stressed he dosint dig just on one spot its random places thanks to all who anwser! :)
Wolfie2012-04-05T15:38:59Z
1. Don't leave the dog outside unsupervised. Punish him with a firm "no" every time he starts digging and take him away from the dig sight.
2. When the dog has learned not to dig when you are within sight, start "hiding" around the corner and wait for him to dig so that you can correct him. This teaches the puppy that momma is always watching, even when puppy can't see her.
3. Another idea, if you are willing to spend a little money, is to buy a sand box and simply teach the dog that she is -only- allowed to dig in her sand box. This is easier than teaching the dog never to dig, as it is a perfectly natural behavior, and you can just wait until she digs out all of the sand in the sand box, take a shovel, and shovel it all back in. It's much better than having to re-plant all of the grass, or the garden.You can also make it a treasure hunt by burying some things inside.
4. Provide the dog with alternative activities to digging, such as toys, food puzzles, and chews. Keep her occupied with some obedience training a few times a day, or with an agility obstacle course, to keep her mind moving during the day and not dig, dig, digging that hole. :)
Some dogs just love to dig! I used to have a Golden Retriever and digging never seemed to be a problem with him. Dogs dig for a variety of reasons. Usually it is because they are bored and have nothing better to do.
While working out this problem, DON'T leave the him in the yard by himself! You need to go out with the dog and watch him. If he starts to dig, go to him calmly, and push him gently saying "NO" in a firm voice. If this doesn't work, spraying him with water could. You need to catch him in the act and make sure he learns not to do it.
I observed an episode of that Cesar Milan canine preparation factor, anyhow those human beings had a canine that saved digging, so he instructed them to purchase a small sandpit, and placed like bones and toys in there, and compliment the canine each and every time it digged interior the sandpit, yet say NO while it digged interior the backyard. It worked. P.S i don't comprehend the previous stressful of dig.
That is a stage every dog goes through. Try to keep him or her inside with a chew toy or a hard bone that would take a few days to finish. My dog has been through that stage and thats how I resolved my problem.
Try putting his ' number twos ' in the holes. My Lab used to dig, so we put her poop in the holes she dug, and she hasn't dug a single hole since. Every time he digs a hole, put his poop in it, that should teach him that digging isn't fun and has bad consequences.
You could buy a small shell kiddie pool. Put some sand in it, and encourage him to dog in there, if he really must!