Decoding Your Dog's Digging Obsession
Anyone who's ever battled a digging-obsessed dog knows the struggle is real. You can forget perfectly groomed lawns because your backyard looks like a warzone courtesy of a daily five-minute unsupervised playtime.
If you’re desperate for a solution to stop the behavior from being repeated in your yard or the local park, you’ve come to the right place. You may have never asked yourself why they do it, but as it turns out, the key to stopping the demolition lies in truly understanding the dog’s motivations behind the digging.
First, it's important to know your dog isn't doing it out of spite or a desire to see you suffer; it is an innate behavior driven by instincts and needs. I’m happy to get that out of the way because most people tend to immediately assume their dogs are evil masterminds. So if that’s not the reason (sorry to burst your bubble), then what is?
Digging is a behavior that is primarily instinctual and not learned. Dogs are descendants of wolves, which were natural diggers. Wolves dug to create dens for shelter, protection, and raising their young. Just because it’s an instinct, doesn’t mean there’s no solution. Don’t blame unacceptable behavior on instincts or breeds. You can train your dog to not act on every instinct (as shown in my video attached) and to refrain from digging up your yard.
So what are the possible reasons for digging behaviors in dogs?
Boredom/Seeking Entertainment:
Your dog may be bored and digging for entertainment if:
They’re left alone for long stretches.
Their daily walk consists of only a quick loop around the block.
They don’t get much playtime, and don’t have any playmates or toys.
They’re a breed that has lots of energy.
They’re young and any activity is fun to them.
They’re a breed that was bred to dig such as terriers.
They exhibit signs of pent up energy.
They hunt for small animals or insects.
What You Can Do:
Don’t leave them in the yard or garden unattended/unsupervised.
Know that having a yard is not enough mental stimulation for a dog.
Give them the mental and physical stimulation that they need. A dog needs to be challenged physically and mentally in order to thrive and be happy and fulfilled.
Give jobs throughout the day to dogs that like to work.
Do lots of engagement training to teach them to understand your communication and have a desire to listen to you.
Redirect them onto something they’re allowed to do. Watch my video about redirection and why it’s helpful below.
Have a designated digging spot for them to exhibit their natural instincts freely (like a sand pit in your yard if possible)
Hunting Prey:
Dogs have an incredible sense of smell. Combine that with an inquisitive nature and a love for moving objects, and you have the perfect recipe for a dog who loves to dig. Any burrowing animals or insects that live in your yard will become your dog’s target as they methodically sniff them out and dig to reach them. Some will want to catch those animals and have the instinct to kill them, while others will simply follow them and corner them to keep themselves entertained.
You can know when your dog has picked up a scent of something they want to capture, or even an inanimate object that they find interesting when:
They're focused on a single small area in the garden instead of the entire area.
They focus on digging up at the roots of trees or shrubs.
They want to keep nibbling on the area they’re digging. This shows they’re trying to get to something they can smell or they’re eating whatever it is they’re digging up and it is not a random dig.
They don’t normally care about digging and have started to dig uncharacteristically.
What You Can Do:
Don’t feel defeated. Even instincts can be overcome with good training. Watch my video on how training can overcome instincts in the video linked below.
Keep your dog busy more often with a job or training. It seems like your dog is bored and looking for an outlet such as hunting.
Redirect them onto something fun like an engaging game of tug and chase to get them to forget about the hunt.
Monitor them closely and make sure they’re not spending time alone in the yard without you keeping them busy or engaged. This prevents them from going off to seek prey.
Seeking Attention:
Any behavior can become attention seeking behavior if the dog realizes that engaging in it is effective in getting their owner’s attention (even if that attention is negative attention such as yelling or scolding). From my experience, I’ve gathered that most people don’t recognize how chasing their dogs to get them to stop what they’re doing actually makes them do the behavior more and more. Dogs quickly learn it is an easy way for them to get the attention they are so desperately seeking and will not hesitate to repeat it.
What You Can Do:
Check my video embedded here to see what I do when a dog seeks attention inappropriately!
Do not get worked up or chase them around when they dig.
Do not leave them in potential digging spots unattended/unsupervised.
Provide them with a designated dig spot if possible.
Do not give them attention when they dig and wait for your attention. You could keep a long leash on them to help you redirect them easily if they start digging while making sure not to charge at them or have to handle them.
Realize your dog has needs and make sure they have enough mental and physical stimulation throughout the day. If your dog is doing attention seeking behaviors, it is very likely that they crave your attention and engagement. Be sure to engage with them at different times throughout the day and have fun interactions together.
Escaping:
If your dog is digging under or along a fence, it might be an escape attempt. Do not underestimate their ability to accomplish this feat as it is not uncommon that they pull it off!
What You Can Do:
Figure out any possible reasons they want to escape and try to eliminate those incentives.
Do not leave your dog unattended/unsupervised in the garden or yard (even if it is fenced).
Make sure your fence has a good foundation and there is no easy way to dig under it (have the fence extend below the surface or have big rocks underneath).
Do not yell or punish them as this is not effective and might make them want to escape even more. They might learn that they should keep trying only when they won’t be seen or get caught.
Comfort or protection:
Dogs are den creatures by nature. In the wild, they seek out or create isolated burrows for sleeping. These burrows provide shelter from the elements and safety from other animals. For example, digging helps uncover some much cooler dirt when it’s very hot outside, which then allows them to cool down when they lay in their hole.
Signs your dog is digging for comfort or protection:
Your dog doesn’t have shelter from the sun.
Your dog lays in the holes they have dug.
Your dog digs in shady areas like under trees or near buildings.
What You Can Do:
Provide them with a designated dig zone in the shade if possible.
Provide them with water accessible at all times.
Provide them with a den-like spot that they could sleep in to cool down and/or feel safe.
So How Do You Stop Digging Once and For All?
You don’t. You have to let your dog be a dog and engage in the activities that they were born to do. What you can do, though, is make sure they don’t dig up your garden, your flowers and plants, and places where they shouldn’t be digging in the park.
As you can see, all the main reasons your dog chooses to dig can be solved by the same solutions. Here’s a summary:
Give them designated spots where they are allowed to dig. This way, you’ll successfully channel those instincts into places that you’re okay with. You can make it extra interesting and rewarding for them by hiding things underneath for them to find.
Temporarily deny access to the forbidden dig zones to help your dog forget that these are even options. You can cover those areas or restrict access until they no longer show interest in those areas (with training + redirecting).
Avoiding punishing them after the fact. Avoid charging them or yelling/scolding. If you punish, they might learn to only refrain from digging when you are around. The moment they know you’re away is when the chaos will start.
Make sure your dog is not left unattended in areas that could potentially be an interesting dig spot for them. If they are given the time and space to rehearse the behavior even once, then they will be more likely to want to come back and repeat it over and over.
When they are digging in areas they should not be, redirect them to their designated dig spot or to playtime and engagement with you if no dig spots are available. Don’t just hand them a toy because they might not care for it.
If they do not want to engage, play, or reason with you whatsoever when they see their favorite dig spot that’s off limits, make sure you don’t allow them access to that area until you have a better communication with them and they are better trained.
Make sure you train your dog for responsiveness, making good choices and automatic behaviors, and engagement for a better overall communication with them so that you can help them understand what you need from them at any time. Watch my video embedded above to see an example of an “automatic behavior”.
