How do I keep the dogs from digging holes all over the yard?

Pooh
by Pooh
  10 answers
  • Mogie Mogie on Mar 19, 2018

    Your dogs or the neighbors? If they are the neighbors presenting them with a bill from a landscaper to repair the damage should do the trick. If they are your dogs don't let them outside unsupervised or keep them on a dog run when they are outside.

  • Amy Amy on Mar 19, 2018

    Purchase bleach tablets that you put in toilet tanks and shave off pieces into the holes the dog digs. He won’t like the smell and will stop digging. Every time my dog dug a hole I put a little in each hole and within a week she stopped digging.

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Mar 19, 2018

    Teach, teach teach. You can put down strong things like cayenne pepper powder if they keep digging in the same places and they may stay away from that spot if they get a good sniff of that. You could try making them there own digging type sand box where they are allowed and encouraged to dig in.

  • Trudi Trudi on Mar 19, 2018

    Fill the holes with their own poop.

  • Caroline Forwood Caroline Forwood on Mar 19, 2018

    Are your dogs exercised enough? Depending on breed, you may have to walk them twice a day. I trained mine to run off a bicycle. I followed them to set their pace. Provide chewables for entertainment.

  • Inetia Inetia on Mar 19, 2018

    Destructive behaviors come from boredom. They need a more interesting thing to do than digging. Get a kong and some interactive toys and feed them their breakfast in them. A big hollow beef bone with a hotdog stuffed into it kept my dog busy for many hours. He never got it out but I always pushed it out and gave it to him when I got home from work. My dog was an inside dog so my goal was to give him something more interesting than chewing on the door frame.

  • Train your dogs, plain and simple. It is a dogs instinct to dig. Dogs just want to please you and receive unconditional love. Chances are they are bored and need more exercise. Here are some great tips!


    https://www.rover.com/blog/how-to-stop-dog-digging/


    https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-behavior/obsessive-behavior/getting-a-dog-to-stop-digging


    http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/digging.html


    You can do this! I have 6 dogs in my yard and none of them dig. Baby Daisey likes to nap in one of my thyme bowls, but no digging!

  • Beth W Beth W on Mar 19, 2018

    I had a lab who felt it was her job to excavate our yard. We finally came upon a solution after many attempts to break her of this habit. Take empty 2 liter soda bottles, fill with water. Put the lid on tightly. Put the bottle in the hole and covEr with the dirt. They can’t lift the bottle and they can’t dig down. Mine got bored with this new game after a few days of it. Exercise is really important as a behavioral regulator for dogs!


  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on May 24, 2023

    A couple of suggestions:

    1. Put down black pepper where your dog digs-just sprinkle it, it will sneeze every time it digs there and then will quit.
    2. This way is a bit gross...put some of your dog's poop where it dug and cover with soil, after a couple of time the dog will stop-hopefully. You could make a sand box area giving the dog a place to dig that is acceptable to you.