Why do dogs dig holes in the garden

·       The most common reason for digging is due to boredom and having nothing else to do, its type of distraction and exercise.

·       Your dog could be trying to escape something he fears, like a lightning storm or the neighborhood dogs, or just simply wanted to get out of the garden.

·       Separation issues and anxiety induced by its lifestyle.

·       He could be hearing some sort of creatures lurking below the ground or could be smelling something buried and will dig to try and find it.

·       If you reside in a very hot place, digging a hole and lying in it may seem very appealing to your dog, as this will help him cool down. Make sure you live in an environment that is suited
to your dog.

·       There are certain breeds that have a natural instinct to dig. The Terrier breeds were breed for hunting and will therefore instinctively dig to find food or prey.

·       Another natural instinct is to try and hide things by digging holes and covering them up.

·       As part of a female dogs natural copulating behavior she possibly may dig holes.

How to stop dogs from digging

There are two different approaches you can take. The first is to try digging a big hole for your dog in an area of the garden that you don’t really use, get your dog to only dig in this specific area, by concealing treats in the ground for him. If you don’t like this approach exercise and toys are ideal ways to release your dogs built up energy and keep them mentally stimulated.

Ask yourself these two questions:

1.     What is your dog’s energy level and are you giving him enough physical stimulation so that he isn’t prone to digging, barking, jumping or chewing?

2.     Are you exercising your dog and for what period of time?

If you feel that your dog isn’t exercising enough then you should try intensifying that exercise. If you don’t have lots of time then you can put a backpack on him while you are hiking or doing the exercise you prefer. He will love that you have given him a job to do “carrying the backpack” and is less likely to get distracted and more likely to focus on walking and carrying. This can be a great help allowing you to turn 30mins of actual physical exercise into an hour.