Some dogs love digging, whether it is to bury treasures, such as toys and dead rodents for later, in an optimistic search for something interesting and edible, or out of sheer boredom. Digging is a natural behavior and free access to a yard is good for your dog. It isn̵7;t necessarily good for your lawn. To prevent your pet turning your beautifully manicured lawn into something resembling a plowed field, there are a few tricks which might be worth trying before you give up on the lawn altogether.
Things You'll Need
- Hardware cloth
- Toys and chews
Instructions
Determine why your dog is digging holes all over the lawn. The Humane Society suggests that there are five likely reasons: your dog is bored, hunting, wants attention, wants reassurance or is trying to escape. Common sense indicates which is your dog̵7;s main motivation -- for example, a dog left alone all day without human or canine company is liable to be bored, anxious or trying to get out. If your dog is playing the hunter, the holes won̵7;t be random -- they̵7;ll be where he detected a burrowing animal, often near shrubbery -- and he̵7;ll be sniffing the ground excitedly before he starts. If you aren̵7;t sure of the reason, observe your dog, noting when he digs, where he digs and under what circumstances.
Address the main reason for the digging, if possible. For example, if your dog appears to be bored or anxious, arrange for him to get more walks and more time with people. This might involve hiring a dog walker, who doesn̵7;t need to be a professional -- a neighborhood teenager could do this -- or simply rearranging your schedule.
Supply your dog with more chews and toys, which help to reduce boredom and provide another outlet for the hunting instinct.
Provide a dedicated digging spot. Train your dog to only dig in a certain spot by supervising his yard excursions for a few weeks, letting him dig freely in one area but stop him when he digs in other places. Buried treats in the digging spot help. This might not work so well if he is digging in search of prey.
Install a physical barrier. This is the only 100 percent guaranteed way to stop a dog digging and best done after training him to use a digging spot, so he doesn̵7;t get an unpleasant surprise. Take up the turf and lay hardware cloth on the ground. Replace the turf or seed the soil with grass seed. Roots can grow through the mesh, but a dog cannot dig past it.