digging blues
Written by bongo22
I have a one year old black lab puppy. We just moved from an apartment into a house with a big yard and she keeps digging holes. Any advice on how to train her to stop the digging?
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Hi Bongo, for most dogs digging is one of those hard wired instincts that is hard to resist. Pre-domestication, digging was used as a means of uncovering prey, burying food for later or for shelter to keep warm or cool. Keeping your dog busy and well exercised are the key to curb digging. Some toys designed to reward when played with help keep interest like a ball that when rolled just right dumps out a treat.
If your dog has a favorite spot that she likes to dig you could try putting something there she cannot dig through to help break the habit, and redirect her with a walk, a toy or a game of fetch. I have not tried this myself, but I wonder if giving her her own sand box would work. Let me know if it does!
My dog has a large pen filled with sand (for when we are gone) and at 13 and 1/2, he is still digging!
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