How to Keep a Dog From Digging Around a Tree

Dogs are generally opportunistic creatures. That is, they will do what makes them feel good, when they have the opportunity to do so, regardless of the consequences. Dogs that dig do so because they have instincts driving them to do so, because they seek to correct an environmental problem or because the activity alleviates a physical or mental need. Once the reason behind the activity has been identified, it becomes easier to correct the issue and redirect the dog into more appropriate behavior.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog toys
  • Sand
  • Child's sandbox
  • Chicken wire
  • Topsoil
  • Decorative stone
  • Fencing material
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Instructions

  1. Identify the Problem

    • 1

      Determine the time or times at which your dog is digging near your tree. If it is digging only when left alone for long periods it might be seeking to alleviate boredom.

    • 2

      Look for signs of animal burrows or other animal activity. If your tree shelters rabbits between its roots or a nest of squirrels in its boughs, then your dog might be searching for prey animals.

    • 3

      Take note of the weather. If your dog is digging on hot, sunny days, it might be attempting to dig itself a cool space in which to rest. If it is digging on rainy days then it might be seeking shelter from the elements.

    Prevent the Behavior

    • 4

      Provide companionship or toys to your dog when it is in the yard. Play with your dog for a time whenever it is outside or get your dog a canine companion. Interactive toys may also offer your dog a diversion that will keep it from being bored.

    • 5

      Offer your dog another place to dig. Terriers and terrier mixes enjoy searching for toys hidden in dirt- or sand-filled digging pits. Creating a digging pit is as simple as making a sandbox for a child. According to the Raising Spot website, the digging pit should be built around a stump, because ̶0;digging at the roots will keep his attention on the pit instead of your yard." If your dog is digging at your tree because it is challenged by the roots, providing it with a ̶0;legal̶1; alternative may satisfy its urge to dig.

    • 6

      Make digging at your tree̵7;s roots less pleasurable by surrounding the tree with chicken wire and decorative stone. Place a circle of chicken wire around the tree, extending it to several feet away from the trunk. Cover the chicken wire with a layer of soil. Cover the soil with pea gravel or another type of decorative stone. Your dog might still dig at first, but will eventually abandon it because it is no longer pleasurable and self-reinforcing.

    • 7

      Create a barrier around the tree. Dogs that are not distracted by toys or discouraged by stones may be acting due to obsessive behavior. Place pickets around the tree or other barriers that your small dog cannot enter or your large dog cannot knock down. Preventing access to a tree is the best and simplest method of preventing any dog from digging at it and will render any obsession extinct because of the lack of behavioral reinforcement.