Why Do Puppies Dig & Eat Dirt?

You leave Molly outside alone for just a few minutes and return to see nothing but her brown nose stuck up in the air. She dug herself a massive ditch again. Digging simply comes naturally to some dogs, while other times they dig to get to something down below. Molly may eat a little dirt in the process, but it isn̵7;t always deliberate.

  1. Getting Attention

    • You might have unintentionally taught your puppy to dig around in the yard and snack on the grimy ground. Every time she starts digging away and sticking her nose in the dirt, you come running out telling her to stop. She just got you to pay attention to her. As soon as you go back inside, she̵7;ll start all over again until you come out and get her. Now she got just what she wanted: to be inside next to you instead of outside all alone.

    Feeding a Craving

    • Sometimes dogs dig down to get to the more moist dirt and feast on it. This peculiar behavior, known as pica, can stem from a nutritional deficiency in Molly̵7;s diet. She eats the soft cool dirt down below the surface to get whatever it is her body thinks it̵7;s missing out on. Before switching her diet overnight, have a talk with your vet about her new favorite treat and let him know about everything you currently feed her. Sometimes pica can be caused by an intestinal disorder or parasites that can be more serious than a simple fix in the diet.

    Exploration

    • Puppies are completely clueless about life and all of their surroundings. The only way for Molly to learn about what̵7;s around her is to touch everything and put stuff in her mouth. So she̵7;ll start digging, possibly to chase a bug that burrowed down or to go after a small animal she hears lurking beneath. She̵7;s just exploring the area around her and taking in a sample of what she̵7;s playing with.

    Boredom and Anxiety

    • Even though Molly has a slew of balls and chew toys in the yard, she still gets bored while you̵7;re gone. She̵7;ll dig and dig as a way to get out some of her pent-up energy and lessen her anxiety. But digging can not only ruin your landscaping, it can actually be dangerous if Molly gets her paws on something sharp or gnaws on your sprinkler system. Give her a few hollow toys with food shoved inside and feed her that way, instead of in a bowl. She̵7;ll have to work for her meal, keeping her focused on the toy, rather than your lawn.