Is Your Dog A “Digger”?

No, not that groundhog with a camera that Fox Sports has at all of the NASCAR tracks…  Does your dog like to dig either inside or outside of your home?  I want to start off with a few reasons that we dig, and then I will delve a little further into each of them.

Several reasons that for digging:

• Out of boredom or due to anxiety
• To form a den in which to give birth
• To create a cool place to lay
• To seek out prey, like rats, rabbits, and bugs.
• To “help” the pack leader-you.  Dogs see their people dig and plant in their gardens and yards.  Some dogs use that observation, coupled with a strong desire to offer assistance, to dig things for you.

How Do I Stop My Dog’s Digging?

Recently, one of my friends “across the pond” sent me a question about her dog, and his affinity for digging in many spots inside the house, including her couch and her bed.  During a trip to the vet, their discussion led to no resolution other than a healthy dog.  This is where I come in.

Is your dog an unhappy one?  Heck no.  He sure is awful grateful for all the cool areas to dig in.  This goes back to the denning nature of being a dog.  My brother, Tax, digs a lot, too.  He is a digging fool.  In fact, when mom gives him a new blanket, he takes it into his crate and spreads it out like a carpet.  What a weird dog!

Spike Says: Stop Your Dog’s Digging

If you have a dog that is digging up your yard, trying putting some cayenne pepper powder in the holes when you fill them back in.  We dislike the sensation it gives us as we dig, and after we experience it a time or two, we will not be digging in the yard anymore.