How to Keep Dogs From Barking and Digging Under the Fence

Barking and digging are both normal dog activities that can be extremely irritating to humans, and can also get a dog into serious trouble. A chronic barker can be declared a nuisance and cause you legal problems. A dog who digs out under a fence can quickly find himself lost and in a frightening and dangerous situation. It's your responsibility to see that your dog is both safe and a canine good citizen. To control a dog's behavior, you can take two actions: remove the cause or change the response.

Why All the Noise?
- Dogs bark for many reasons.
  
  To remove the cause of barking, you have to identify it. Some dogs bark to release excess energy; these dogs need more exercise and challenge in the form of walks, activities such as obedience or agility training or interactive play with a human or other dogs. Some dogs bark because they're lonely or bored; these dogs need companionship. Some dogs bark because they're protective; these dogs need to be taught a more acceptable response. Whatever the cause, the behavior is what needs to change.
Presto Change-o!
- Teaching a behavior takes patience and persistence.
  
  Changing a behavior is a matter of getting the dog to understand what you do and don't want him to do. The key is communication and consistency -- use a sound (such as dog psychologist Cesar Milan's trademark hiss), a gesture, a body posture or even a physical touch to let your dog know that you disagree with what he's doing. You also need to reward him for doing what you do want him to do with a food treat or a verbal reinforcement ("Attaboy!" or "Good dog!") If your dog barks excessively, use the same negative signal every time the dog barks and reward him immediately when he quiets. If your dog barks hysterically every time the doorbell rings, teach him a different response: doorbell rings, dog goes to a certain spot and stays there until released. Practice this with help from a friend, a neighbor or the postman until the dog goes to his designated spot automatically without a command or a reward. To extinguish a behavior entirely, teach your dog to do the behavior only on command ("Speak!") and then never give the command.
Can You Dig It?
- Some dogs see a fence as a challenge.
  
  Digging under a fence is the dog's way of saying, "I need to get out!" It may be caused by a strong prey drive, a reproductive imperative or just boredom. If your dog digs out to go chase the neighbor's cat or kids on bicycles, try tiring him out chasing a ball in the yard. You can even pay the kids to exercise your dog by having him run with them on a leash. If it's the need to breed that's causing him to roam, neutering will relieve this overwhelming compulsion. If he's bored, entertain him with play or construct a digging pit where he can dig to his heart's content and teach him to use it by burying toys and treats there.
Super Fence
- An electrified wire can keep dogs away from your fence.
  
  As a last resort, block your dog physically from digging. This may require putting big rocks around the bottom of the fence or burying a foot or two of extra fence. Some owners with medium to large adult dogs (30 pounds and up) have succeeded in stopping digging out by installing an electrified wire of the kind used for livestock inside the lower part of the fence to keep them away from the fence entirely. This should not be used for puppies or small dogs weighing less than 15 pounds. If you choose this option, be sure that the voltage is low enough to discourage a dog without causing injury.