Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they all have in common is the love of digging. From burying bones to making cool dens for shelter, dogs in yards will inevitably turn to this favorite past time.
While it is a natural instinct in dogs, digging can be detrimental to your yard and to your dog's discipline. How can you get your living breathing shovel to stop?
The first step in stopping your dog from digging is to determine why he is doing it in the first place. Some dogs just love it.
However, there may be other reasons including lack of attention or stimulation, storing food, or he’s building a den to cool off or stay warm. Alternately, he may be attracted to freshly turned earth or the scent of fertilizer.
If you have determined that your dog needs more stimulation and is digging as a way of getting attention, you can attack the problem by offering him more opportunities for exercise and interaction. SitStayFetch can be a good technique for solving the problem.
If this doesn't help, you can give one of the following techniques a try:
1. Dogs can often be deterred from undesirable behavior if there is an unpleasant consequence. Try burying a balloon in your dog's frequent digging spots. Once he pops one balloon, he may be over his habit.
2. Along the same lines, you can mix in his feces when you refill a hole he's dug. Dogs will often return to the same spots, and when he discovers the feces, he'll be turned off digging.
3. Try burying some chicken wire just below the surface where your dog likes to dig. When your dog pits the wire with his paws, he’ll hate the sensation and stop digging.
4. When you catch your dog digging, give him a spray from a water bottle or hose. They hate this (but it is not harmful). They will learn to associate the punishment with the crime. Only do this when you catch him digging or he will not connect the behavior with the consequence.
Digging doesn’t have to be a part of your dog’s normal routine. With a little work and training, you can get past this behavior and have a hole-free yard. Just like with puppy training, naughty habits can be corrected.
Another Great Way to Modify Your Dogs Behaviour - Training With Clickers
As people look for gentle ways to discipline and train their dogs, the use of clickers has become more prominent. Your dog will learn to repeat behavior that is desirable in a safe, humane way.
Operant conditioning is the repetition of a behavior when a reward is given. This is the premise behind clicker training. How does it work?
You will need a clicker. This is simply a handheld plastic box. A metal strip is attached. Depressing the strip causes a sharp click.
The key to clicker training is to teach your dog to associate the click with the reward, such as a biscuit. After your dog successfully performs a command, you click. Offer the treat at the same time.
The dog learns to associate the click with the behavior and the click with the treat, which makes it more likely that he’ll repeat it. Soon, just the click will be enough, and eventually, it can be phased out altogether.
Because clicking is quicker than speaking, the dog learns exactly which behavior he is being rewarded for, so clicker-trained dogs tend to learn more quickly.
Your dog really wants to make you proud. Using the clicker method is a great way to teach your dog in an effective and humane manner.
Get the information you need to take effective care of your pet with potty training a puppy.
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