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Best way to stop digging ???



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 8th 03, 09:43 PM
Fish
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Default Best way to stop digging ???

Hello all,

I have a yellow lab that is almost 2 years old. We just moved into a new
home with a very nice backyard and he's been going to town on it since we
moved in (about 5 weeks ago). In the old house there was an old flower bed
that surrounded the yard that was nothing but dirt and he would dig in
there. At the time it was okay so I never tried to detour him from it.

Now that we're in the new home, he is digging up the grass and the yard is
really paying the price. What is the best way to teach him it's not okay to
do this?

He's an indoor/outdoor dog that's in the backyard most of the day while I'm
at work and my wife is running around town. I assume it's when he gets bored
is when he starts to dig, but none of us are around to see him doing it (and
try to correct him).

Please help as we really want to fix this problem and have a backyard that
looks nice.

Thanks in advance for any help...


  #2  
Old November 8th 03, 10:08 PM
Jo Wolf
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Yep, it's possibly a bit of boredom, and wee bit of seperation anxiety,
and some curiosity. grin Do you have moles, voles or gophers in your
yard? If you do, he may be hunting them. I have known a couple of dogs
that have "mined" for earthworms for snacks. blech

As he had a digging space of his own in your old yard, why not build him
one in this yard? Mark off the area with landscape timbers. Remove the
sod (can be used to repair his other divots if it isn't too cold
already in your area.), and remove a few inches of soil (use as top soil
elsewhere). Secure the timbers around the edge and 3 to 6 inches above
the surrounding surface. Fill to bottom edge of the top timber with
sand (doesn't have to be the super clean or fancy variety).

Now, get in there and dig, yourself, with faithful fido with you.
Partially bury a couple of chew toys, and some treats (Hey, every kid
has to eat a peck of dirt before he grows up... Why not a dog?) for him
to discover. Repeat later in the day and for the next couple of the
days. If you catch him digging him elsewhere, take him back to his
digging place and start over. Many dogs seem to find this to be quite
cool.... even the major miners of the dog world, terriers.

If it doesn't work, add some more timbers, add mulch and top soil and
buld yourself a raised vegetable garden. grin Nah, you're gonna have
SO much fun digging with your Lab that he's going to discover his new
digging pit is terrific fun.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia

  #3  
Old November 8th 03, 10:08 PM
Jo Wolf
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Posts: n/a
Default

Yep, it's possibly a bit of boredom, and wee bit of seperation anxiety,
and some curiosity. grin Do you have moles, voles or gophers in your
yard? If you do, he may be hunting them. I have known a couple of dogs
that have "mined" for earthworms for snacks. blech

As he had a digging space of his own in your old yard, why not build him
one in this yard? Mark off the area with landscape timbers. Remove the
sod (can be used to repair his other divots if it isn't too cold
already in your area.), and remove a few inches of soil (use as top soil
elsewhere). Secure the timbers around the edge and 3 to 6 inches above
the surrounding surface. Fill to bottom edge of the top timber with
sand (doesn't have to be the super clean or fancy variety).

Now, get in there and dig, yourself, with faithful fido with you.
Partially bury a couple of chew toys, and some treats (Hey, every kid
has to eat a peck of dirt before he grows up... Why not a dog?) for him
to discover. Repeat later in the day and for the next couple of the
days. If you catch him digging him elsewhere, take him back to his
digging place and start over. Many dogs seem to find this to be quite
cool.... even the major miners of the dog world, terriers.

If it doesn't work, add some more timbers, add mulch and top soil and
buld yourself a raised vegetable garden. grin Nah, you're gonna have
SO much fun digging with your Lab that he's going to discover his new
digging pit is terrific fun.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia

  #4  
Old November 8th 03, 10:08 PM
Jo Wolf
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Yep, it's possibly a bit of boredom, and wee bit of seperation anxiety,
and some curiosity. grin Do you have moles, voles or gophers in your
yard? If you do, he may be hunting them. I have known a couple of dogs
that have "mined" for earthworms for snacks. blech

As he had a digging space of his own in your old yard, why not build him
one in this yard? Mark off the area with landscape timbers. Remove the
sod (can be used to repair his other divots if it isn't too cold
already in your area.), and remove a few inches of soil (use as top soil
elsewhere). Secure the timbers around the edge and 3 to 6 inches above
the surrounding surface. Fill to bottom edge of the top timber with
sand (doesn't have to be the super clean or fancy variety).

Now, get in there and dig, yourself, with faithful fido with you.
Partially bury a couple of chew toys, and some treats (Hey, every kid
has to eat a peck of dirt before he grows up... Why not a dog?) for him
to discover. Repeat later in the day and for the next couple of the
days. If you catch him digging him elsewhere, take him back to his
digging place and start over. Many dogs seem to find this to be quite
cool.... even the major miners of the dog world, terriers.

If it doesn't work, add some more timbers, add mulch and top soil and
buld yourself a raised vegetable garden. grin Nah, you're gonna have
SO much fun digging with your Lab that he's going to discover his new
digging pit is terrific fun.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia

  #5  
Old November 9th 03, 12:18 AM
me and bobby mcgee
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Default

Our 1 yr old yellow lab loves to dig up our yard as well. We haven't
actively attempted to stop her from doing this, but it does seem like she
digs less when she has lots of toys. She also digs more when she hasn't had
her 1 hour of fetch every day. Labs love to be active, even if they have to
create their own "work".


  #6  
Old November 9th 03, 12:18 AM
me and bobby mcgee
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Our 1 yr old yellow lab loves to dig up our yard as well. We haven't
actively attempted to stop her from doing this, but it does seem like she
digs less when she has lots of toys. She also digs more when she hasn't had
her 1 hour of fetch every day. Labs love to be active, even if they have to
create their own "work".


  #7  
Old November 9th 03, 12:18 AM
me and bobby mcgee
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Our 1 yr old yellow lab loves to dig up our yard as well. We haven't
actively attempted to stop her from doing this, but it does seem like she
digs less when she has lots of toys. She also digs more when she hasn't had
her 1 hour of fetch every day. Labs love to be active, even if they have to
create their own "work".


  #8  
Old November 9th 03, 03:13 PM
queenmother
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Default

"Jo Wolf" wrote in message
...
I have known a couple of dogs
that have "mined" for earthworms for snacks. blech


I've got two of these. We have the grass killed along our fenceline to make
trimming easier. And two schnauzers who consider this the ideal place to
find worms. Which they then eat. The ready dirt access means they don't
have to wait for the perfect nightcrawler evening to do their worm hunting.

They come back into the house not only smelling of worm breath but it's not
unusual to have pieces of dead worms in their beards. Such lovely dogs they
are!

They also consider rabbit poop to be almost as much a delicacy as cat poop -
and a lot more accessible.

And crickets. They *love* crickets. And those days when the flies are
coming up through the grass from underground.

~~Judy


  #9  
Old November 9th 03, 03:13 PM
queenmother
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Jo Wolf" wrote in message
...
I have known a couple of dogs
that have "mined" for earthworms for snacks. blech


I've got two of these. We have the grass killed along our fenceline to make
trimming easier. And two schnauzers who consider this the ideal place to
find worms. Which they then eat. The ready dirt access means they don't
have to wait for the perfect nightcrawler evening to do their worm hunting.

They come back into the house not only smelling of worm breath but it's not
unusual to have pieces of dead worms in their beards. Such lovely dogs they
are!

They also consider rabbit poop to be almost as much a delicacy as cat poop -
and a lot more accessible.

And crickets. They *love* crickets. And those days when the flies are
coming up through the grass from underground.

~~Judy


  #10  
Old November 9th 03, 03:13 PM
queenmother
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Jo Wolf" wrote in message
...
I have known a couple of dogs
that have "mined" for earthworms for snacks. blech


I've got two of these. We have the grass killed along our fenceline to make
trimming easier. And two schnauzers who consider this the ideal place to
find worms. Which they then eat. The ready dirt access means they don't
have to wait for the perfect nightcrawler evening to do their worm hunting.

They come back into the house not only smelling of worm breath but it's not
unusual to have pieces of dead worms in their beards. Such lovely dogs they
are!

They also consider rabbit poop to be almost as much a delicacy as cat poop -
and a lot more accessible.

And crickets. They *love* crickets. And those days when the flies are
coming up through the grass from underground.

~~Judy


 




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