Soooo I just spent $3000 putting up a new fence and putting in new 20 foot trees and the new puppy is digging them allllll up!!!!! Any suggestions are welcome...or the new little guy will be finding a new home.... We have had him for about a month....I can't crate train him because he poops even in the crate...even if he is only there for 30 minutes....I was so excited about getting the fence and trees so he could run free and enjoy the outdoors...and his first night out he tore up my yard...dug the mulch down to the rootball of the trees....ugh....I am at a loss....
We had a "digger" once...we lined the fence on the inside with rocks. We used "free rocks" (i.e. broken concrete from a driveway a neighbor was replacing. A sledgehammer broke it up into brick sized pieces). I also put them around the trees in a circle...about 6-10 inches from the tree trunk. The dog wouldn't dig because the rock would shift and startle her. After a few months, she didn't dig anything, anywhere.
Hot sauce. It works. Go to BJs and get the huge jug. Line the area with hot sauce. You have to reapply every few days (and after a rain). We had a very happy digger that wanted to take out the new trees. She'd pull up the stakes first. We did the hot sauce thing and, after a hard month, she never touched them again. I'm remembering we mixed the hot sauce with just a little oil so it would stay around longer. Probably 4 parts hot sauce to 1 part oil. Good luck! Frogger
Stones around your trees work wonders and hold moisture in. Place weed cloth down and pour a good 3" of stone around the base of your trees. You might also try pinestraw - very inexpensive and MANY dogs will not dig through it. . .just be generous with the amount - a good mulch as well ----regular mulch for some reason doesn't deter dogs from digging. One of my clients staked circles of chickenwire to the ground (fllattened and flush with the earth) to keep her Jack Russel from digging up her trees. It worked great for her. If your trees are close to your fenceline, and all in a row, you may be able to get that inexpensive wire fencing - the kind you get from Lowes in a roll with the stakes - and run the fencing so that the dog can't touch the trees. Keep it there until the trees mature a bit - by that time the dog will be used to not touching them and will leave them alone. The last suggestion and the pinestraw, along with the one with the 3" of stones are the ones that I personally used and all three worked fine. Good luck and give digger-o'dell a pet.
BTW - he can be crate trained - I think your approach needs work, or he wouldn't be pooping in his crate - call me and I'll be glad to give you some advice - with winter approaching he may need that crate before long. 934-9438 Vickie
I am definitely gonna put some decorative stone around the mulched areas of the trees.....hopefully that will work in that area...but...he has also dug two holes in random areas of the yard ...oh Lord....give me patience!
Most dogs dig to locate a bone they buried, or a mole - grub etc. . .OR they dig because they are bored, or suffer seperation anxiety. ((Some dogs are afraid of the dark---I own one that is, so does Jean S)) Make sure if he is going to be out in the yard for a period of time without you, that you tire him out. Have him chase a ball or frisbee until he tires out. Think about placing your dog in a kennel when you are not around - if you line the kennel with chickenwire, then top the area with sand, your dog will not be able to dig there - when they are out of their kennel, they are too busy running around and playing they won't dig. Be sure their kennel area has shade - or a cover, and plenty of water. If it is hot out and your dog digs, they may just be trying to get something cool to lay on. He needs toys outside to occupy him. At less than 6 months old, this is a whole new world for him. He needs things to chew on and squeak. Try stuffing a king and freezing it, getting some safe bones, things to keep him busy. If you want to kennel him, get up with me, I have a 10 x 10 that I offered a neighbor about 4 months ago, or so and they have not come by to pick it up, it's yours if you want it.
Yikes. Well, dogs are natual diggers. Its in the blood. There are a couple of things you can do though: 1.) Give them a spot to dig. If you can put a small sandbox or one of those baby pools and just put in a shallow bit of sand, let them dig there. Now, you have to TRAIN THEM to dig here. Get some treats, something soft and kind of stand near by. Once they hop in and dig, say, "Good!" and give them a treat. Dogs live in the moment, if they get rewarded for digging in the spot then they are going to realize that by digging there, is a good thing. If you catch them digging anywhere else, do what we call a "game show buzzard noise". I dont suggest using the word "No" because we use that word so much in general conversation. You could be talking on the phone to one of your friends and say "No, she didn't!". Your dog could be eating his food for example and he might hear you. Suddenly, he is going to think that eating is a "no-no" and you are going to wonder why he stopped eating all of a sudden. 2.) Another thing you can do is buy some replellent. Petsmart carries a wide selection of outdoor repellent. No dig is pretty good but there are a couple of other ones I would suggest. Find the dog trainer on staff and ask them. Also, keep in mind, if it doesn't work, YOU CAN ALWAYS BRING IT BACK. Petsmart is good about that! 3.) I would suggest some training classes. Petsmart (and petco) offer instore dog training for about $99. Totally worth it! Good luck, hope that helps! Heather (Dog trainer)
The dog is bored to death! I"ve been watching Cesar Milan (The Dog Whisperer) and he's freaking awesome! You need to walk your dog so that he/she is tired and doesn't have the energy to dig. And put play toys outside for him/her to chew on. Get a "kong" and that will keep em busy for a while. kong is a plastic bouncey thing and there's a hole in the middle for some cheese or a treat, they have to work a little harder to get it out! :mrgreen:
I suggest giving Digger to someone you don't like Just kidding!!! This thread just reminds me of why I don't have a dog!
Suggestion for your Kong use. I have always had hunter/field stock bird dogs and there's nothing like bird dog energy. Not knowing your breed is why there are so many wonderful dogs in the pound. Just a shot out to everyone thinking of getting a dog, do the research before you committ to being a dog owner (not directed towards you in anyway, just felt I needed to say this), you sound like a great owner, just remembered an earlier thread about a chocolate lab someone on here had and ended up getting rid of because of the energy that breed has. The beauty we have now is a 1 year old Field Setter from extreme hunting stock. He gets his morning exercise for about 45 minutes and in the evening at least 1 hour. After the morning exercise he will sleep on/off until 3:00 in the afternoon, then we're ready for play again. We use a toy that was bought at PetSmart, can't remember the name but comes in many sizes, it's made of tennis ball material, ours is shaped long with a nylon rope at the end, we use this to sling the thing across the yard for him to retrieve, as well as other playing involved. Do this about 20-30 minute intervals, the whole family is involved with this play or for your dog less time and he will be good and tired, now your ready for the Kong (prepared the night before). Plug the small in of the Kong with peanutbutter, fill the Kong with beef broth or chicken broth, freeze it, use it after exercise session and your dog will be a happy camper. Once he's in this routine, which may take a couple of weeks for him to adapt, he'll have less tendency to dig or do other distructive things. Good luck.
