Has anyone managed to stop a dog from digging?

[Keithyoustink]

One of my dogs loves digging - I have a raised flowerbed that she manically digs in ruining the younger plants. I was thinking about covering it with slate or pebbles - would this work?

[Floralnomad]

You could get the dog a digging pit and encourage them just to dig there .

[wiccamum]

I've managed to stop mine! I would say don't give them a digging pit/designated patch, purely because mine couldn't then tell the difference between where she could or couldn't dig, it seemed to blur the boundaries (or maybe she's just a bit dim). It's for that reason I don't buy tools in the shape of shoes, as she would just chew shoes then!

I did buy a gadget that the dog wears as a collar. It comes with a remote control. You can either press button 1 and the collar emits a beeping sound which the dog seems to respond positively to, and she immediately comes to me! Press button 2 and they get a very brief squirt of citronella. It doesn't hurt them but it takes them by surprise! She now associates the nasty smell with the patch in the garden she used to dig.

[wiccamum]

I mean toys not tools! Tools shaped like shoes would be pretty crap!

[wiccamum]

Here is a pic of the gadget. It's a bit pricey, around £90, but worth it!

And a picture of the bloody dog that caused all the damage!

[Floralnomad]

Well I personally only use positive reward based training methods with my dog so wouldn't go near a spray collar - I'd rather he wrecked the garden !

[chelle792]

My boy used to dig. I basically spent six months supervising him every time he was in the garden and telling him off when he dug - either saying no, going over and interrupting him or bringing him in. It was tedious and a real pain in the backside but it worked - he now only digs if dh is trying to do some planting!

[Keithyoustink]

Thanks for the ideas. I'm not keen on a spray collar. I know she won't dig if I am there she usually sits on my feet or stays as close to me as she can when I'm in the garden also I want to be able to leave my back door open in the summer which is why I thought of stones/slate covering the flowerbeds. Maybe I should get her some boxing gloves for her front paws.

[Slippersandacuppa]

Not sure if it will help you as ours dug in a similar spot but I just stuck some of her own poo in the hole and that was that 😁

[villainousbroodmare]

Is she young?
Mine got out of it pretty quickly. I used to leave a few light sapling branches over the beds to make it awkward for him.
Another option would be to make her a digging spot. A light wooden frame, or a big loop of rope, and reward her for digging there while always interrupting and correcting her digging elsewhere.

[Keithyoustink]

slippers I will try that

[nooka]

I fenced in the area that my dog liked to dig. To be fair it was my veggie patch and so he watched me dig it before going out later and getting stuck in. Most of my beds have weedsheet and bark mulch on them which he tends to leave alone, but I think pebbles would make him quite excited (he loves playing with small stones)

[LilCamper]

Some dogs need to dig. It releases endorphins and makes them feel good. Take the digging away and they could look for other ways of getting the same feeling like chewing and excessive barking.

So, what can you do? Give them a 'legal' place to dig. Either an area of your garden which you don't mind them re landscaping or buy them a child's plastic sand pit.

Fill with sand or soil. Let them watch you bury a few biscuits and toys and help them to dig them out a couple of times so they get the idea.

Randomly bury different things in there for them to discover.

If you catch them digging somewhere off limits gently redirect them back to their digging area.

[AlcoChocs]

Similar to chelle . For 6 months or so I never left him in the garden on his own. At the first sign of digging I used the "leave it" command which he already understood. He gradually showed less and less interest in digging and now he doesn't bother at all.

[Notthecarwashagain]

Ooh watching with interest.
We've not managed it yet!

[Keithyoustink]

That's interesting Lil. - she loves digging her bed too which cost me a fortune in ruined beds til I bought her an extra tough one. I think I'll get her a digging pit and maybe try slippers poo idea

[Keithyoustink]

Not your beautiful dog only looks slightly ashamed. This is my digger who does at least look guilty.

[Notthecarwashagain]

Oh mine feels absolutely no shame! He's also quite happy to dig up newly planted plants, and trot proudly around with them in his mouth.

Your guilty girl is gorgeous!