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While digging is natural for a dog and part of their inbuilt survival mechanisms, some digging can be driven by separation anxiety in dogs. A stressed dog can develop many extreme dog behaviour problems and making an attempt to dig their way out of the garden is just one of them.

Hence while you are never going to be happy to find holes all over your beautifully kept lawn or in your valued flower beds, ensure you know what drives the problem before you look for an answer to stop your dog’s digging.

Signs of Anxious Dog Digging

If your dog only digs when you are out, they could be showing how anxious they are to be with you. They’re not attempting to run away, as many owners apparently think, but panicking to get out so that they can come and find you.

You could have a worried or anxious dog by character and it’s just part of their character, or the anxiety can develop over a period. Either way, a training course that helps you to desensitise your dog will help their anxiety, as will you taking on the task of pack leader by being the decision maker. These 2 approaches will help calm a stressed dog and the digging might actually stop without any other help.

Dogs by nature have to know who leads a pack, that means if they aren’t persuaded that you lead the pack, they are likely to assume that they do. But as a dog doesn’t understanding our world (why else do postmen get bitten the world over) they can get enormously anxious if they think they’re in control as that makes them accountable for the safety of the remainder of the pack.

How to Stop Your Dog Digging

If your dogs digging problem isn’t driven by anxiety, you want to take a practical approach to stopping it because digging is natural and simply something some dogs do, whether to bury food or prepare a den. Those are both natural drivers.

First, accept that it’s just your dogs nature, and that some dogs are lots more susceptible to digging than others, then you can try and find a workable solution, such as not letting your dog out in the garden unsupervised. That way you will be conscious of what your dog is doing.

An alternative choice, if you’ve a big enough garden, is to consider creating a little area where they can dig. Take them there frequently and praise them if they dig in this area, making it a positive thing.

If you catch your dog digging where you do not want them to, avoid making a scene (i.e. Don’t shout, run after your dog, or strike them) as some dogs will realize this is a great way to get their owner’s attention when they want it, even if you’re cross and it can become attention seeking behavior and give them some encouragement to dig much more!

Author Venice Marriott is a writer and dog owner and runs a Dog Anxiety website, which provides help and information for dog owners dealing with behaviour problems caused by anxiety. Get more information on how to stop dog digging, when you visit the site.

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