I have two dogs, one a maltese and the other a maltese jack russell cross. They both adore digging holes as terriors do but the trouble is, we are currently renting until our house is built which won't be until abour feb/march next year. We are forever filling in the huge holes that the dogs dig in the garden. We have tried putting down plastic meshing which helps but we would like to actually train them to stop digging rather than just apply deterents. We plan on have multiple vegies patches at our new house and really want them to be over their digging obsession by then.

Any suggestions?

bury their poo in the holes. And most importantly give them something else to do - they're probably bored

In your new house build a sand pit in one corner and teach them that that is the place for diggign

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Cappy 3/1/98 - 15/5/09 Flash - 14/8/99 - 20/9/09 Billie - ?/?/00 - 27/9/09
sar·chasm ('sär-"ka-z&m) : The giant gulf between what is said and the person who doesn't get it.

I don't think you can get them to stop digging (unless they do it because they are bored). Allow them to dig in one area in your garden. Put some sand there. I would cover the rest of the garden so that they can't dig anywhere else. Bury in the sand some toys and/or treats so that eventually they don't want to dig anywhere else.

I just googled it and this web page explains it a bit more
Digging

Buy a kid's clam shell/sandpit, fill it with sand, bury their toys/treats in it and let them dig away to their hearts content. Make sure you place it on a paved or bricked etc area as if it's on grass the sand will get everywhere, and let them go for it. If you catch them digging in the grass/garden at any time, take them to their 'digging shell' straight away and praise when they do the right thing, grrr when they do the wrong thing.

Letting them dig in one garden bed as opposed to another can be a little confusing to understand.....a well defined place to dig that isn't a garden bed *should* be easier to learn!

Good luck - it has worked here

ETA: we couldn't stop the digging obsession so we have channeled it - realised you were asking to stop it

You can stop them from digging by training them or set up a barrier around your garden to prevent them from digging. When you "pply deterents, you are actually training them so, when you remove those deterents, they would have learnt.
There are very effective solutions here. Check the Containment system from Innotek or the remote trainers Find the right solution to your dog's problems :: Innotek Australia - Authorized distributor and Regional Service Centre of Petsafe, Sportdog, Innotek and Staywell Products . Also read about the testimonials before you try them out.

Oh goody - new poster - first post in suggests an e collar or e fence. Niiiiiiice.

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Cappy 3/1/98 - 15/5/09 Flash - 14/8/99 - 20/9/09 Billie - ?/?/00 - 27/9/09
sar·chasm ('sär-"ka-z&m) : The giant gulf between what is said and the person who doesn't get it.

Clam shell like human bean said. Cheaper and better. Plus fun to watch!

How have you gone with the digging?

Just as a matter of interest Nattylou, are any of your Borzoi diggers? I only ask because it's not a trait I would expect in a Sighthound but I knew a few Deerhounds who were diggers. Only one of mine was a digger and fortunately he soon grew out of it. In an hour he excavated a hole large enough for him to stand in.

Merlyn's sire was an English import and most of his siblings were also diggers. It seemed to be a trait in that particular line.

Hi,

My staffy cross is a horrid digger. But after looking at her daily activities realised she was just bored.

I suggest upping any exercise you're doing atm. My two go for two walks a day, one in the morning and one late afternoon. I also make sure they eat when they get back from their walk because I read this encourages them to rely on their natural instincts which was to walk for food, eat and then sleep.

I also make sure during the day if I am not home that they have things to do. One of these is to spread dry dog food around the back yard so they can "hunt" during the day. I have also been told this encourages them to stay in the yard because the yard is seen as providing for them and therefore is safe. They also have several interactive toys like kongs etc.

You could try a fence or mesh or even filling the holes with dog poo, but I think there is a deeper reason for the digger and these will only deter not solve the problem.

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