How to Get a Dog to Stop Digging Up Potted Plants

Digging is a natural dog behavior for both puppies and adult dogs. But it can be expensive and frustrating when your dog continuously digs up your potted plants and you find yourself having to repot or replace the plants altogether. It can also mean a lot of time spent vacuuming and scrubbing to remove the resulting dirt that is spread throughout your home and ground into your carpets and furniture. There are a number of ways to help discourage the dog from playing in dirt inside your home.

Things You'll Need

  • No-chew spray
  • Conventional mouse traps
  • Dog toys
  • Chew toys
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Move as many potted plants out of the dog's reach as possible. Put small plants up on shelving or tabletops that the dog cannot reach. Move larger plants into rooms that can be closed off to the dog when it is not supervised. By removing the temptation, you can help break the behavior and begin to focus the dog's energy away from the plants.

    • 2

      Provide the dog with plenty of alternatives so that it does not find itself bored and without anything to entertain itself. Toys that can be stuffed with small treats that take the dog a while to empty can keep the animal occupied for long lengths of time. Take the dog away from the plant when it looks like it might want to start digging and give it a rawhide or other type of long-lasting chew as an alternative to its digging. Praise it when it chews the rawhide rather than digging up the potted plant.

    • 3

      Give the dog more exercise to alleviate some of its excess energy. If you are away from the dog for many hours every day, consider hiring a dog walker or a neighbor to walk or let out the dog once or twice during the day. This way the dog is not alone and anxious or bored throughout the day. The dog will be more relaxed and less likely to engage in destructive behavior, like digging up your potted plants.

    • 4

      Make the digging experience uncomfortable for the dog. Set mouse traps without bait upside down in the plant so that when the dog inadvertently touches it it snaps and pops up in its face without the risk of getting a paw caught when the trap snaps. This should startle the dog and discourage it from coming back. If the dog is a very dedicated digger, it might need to be done more than once. Eventually the very sight of the trap should be enough to keep the dog away from the plant.

    • 5

      Spray the plant and the dirt with a no-chew spray sold at pet stores. These sprays taste bad to the dog and discourage the digging. Check the manufacturer's directions to ensure that you are purchasing a product that is safe for use on plants.