# Tips on Digging



## brownerin513 (Sep 8, 2018)

Hi all, my Penny girl is 5.5 months (24 weeks tomorrow) and is definitely starting to go through an adolescent phase and “forgetting” everything she’s learned. We got a fence installed about a month ago, and she has been great. Recently (maybe a week ago), she has started digging in the one place in our yard that has mulch. It’s a small area for just one tree, and she really doesn’t dig anywhere else. The first few times it happened, I gave her our “leave it” command and “come”and treat and then we did 5-10 mins of training drills because I thought it may be similar to zoomies and she just needed an outlet. The last few days, she will not listen to either come or leave it (leave it is the command she is better with and that we have used more often) and will continue digging. The past two times it has happened she will NOT stop and I have to drag her away by her collar, which I HATE to do, but it the only way to get her to leave the spot. We then go inside and do 5-10 mins of drills again. 
I have tried to notice when she darts for the area and getting her to leave the area before she starts to dig, and it worked in the beginning, but not anymore. I have started to take her out on a leash and I let the lead go so she can run and put my foot on it before she is able to get to the mulch, but this kind of defeats the purpose of having a fenced in yard and I don’t know that it’s actually teaching her not to dig, or if it’s just going to reinforce digging when she’s not on leash because she can get over there so quickly. 
I know digging is totally an instinctual behavior, but I don’t want this to turn into a habit to where she always has to be on leash outside... or else we really just spent $6000 on a fence for nothing. Any tips would be appreciated!


----------



## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Being in the yard alone for a golden is extremely boring so they find something to do  My 1st golden I got some landscape timbers and built a designated place to dig. It worked, dog would only dig there and left the rest of the yard alone. Then she grew out of this phase and I had a garden spot that had been well tilled, no weeds!

You can fill the hole with doggie poop. They will move to a new location but if you continue doing this until they grow up a little you can get past the digging phase. Or you take the pup out on a leash/long line and make a correction and reward when they walk away. They do grow out of this for the most part but remember, being left in the yard is not fun. My girls when left in the yard alone will do their business and lay on the porch until I join them with a ball or toy to play with them. But they are 2 and 10, we never left them in the yard alone when she was a pup.


----------



## brownerin513 (Sep 8, 2018)

Oh I didn’t even think to mention I am ALWAYS out with her. Sometimes he does her business and then darts out of there to get to the mulch, other times we at playing fetch and she darts, a lot of times though, she is chasing the moths and grasshoppers in our yard.. we have a lot.. and then darts. So it’s never just I want her outside while I’m doing something. 
I like the idea of putting her poop in the area though! Hopefully not only will it deter her, but also help my poor tree that is trying so hard to develop a root system lol. 
Thank you! Glad to know she will hopefully grow out of it


----------



## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Keep your pup on leash or long line so you can prevent this really fun game. They have just as much fun on the long line with you and in a few weeks there will be more fun things to do. I like your training drills, keep those up and this will become such a fun activity that digging will not be fun  Enjoy your pup, sounds like you are doing a great job!!


----------



## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

If she's just digging in one spot you can put a bunch of her poop in it and usually they will leave that spot alone.


----------



## brownerin513 (Sep 8, 2018)

So I went ahead and put the doo doo in the hole, but I wasn’t sure... should I cover it? I covered some and left some exposed so hopefully it doesn’t really matter. She left it alone for a 5 min fetch session (that’s about as much as I let her do right now.. heat index is 100 where we live) 
Thank you everyone!


----------



## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

brownerin513 said:


> So I went ahead and put the doo doo in the hole, but I wasn’t sure... should I cover it? I covered some and left some exposed so hopefully it doesn’t really matter. She left it alone for a 5 min fetch session (that’s about as much as I let her do right now.. heat index is 100 where we live)
> Thank you everyone!


I leave it uncovered fwiw


----------



## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

Piper would want to dig a little bit at that age, especially if she was bored or if she overstimulated. Sometimes she'll occasionally do it now when a dog on a leash by us is freaking out and she wants to run and play but can't--in that case its a little bit of diffusing behavior. But I don't have a fenced in yard, so it wasn't an issue for us in a reoccurring spot. 

But you can always try upping your dog's mental stimulation some inside the house and see if that helps too! Start hiding toys and treats for her to find around the house, maybe get her a couple of puzzle toys. Start teaching her some new/more complicated tricks. 

FWIW, personally, I don't think that keeping her on a long leash for a while will make her want to dig more. Its great that you're always observing her outside. It sounds like what you are doing is directing her attention away from the undesired behavior (digging), and redirecting it towards the desired behavior (fetch, training drills/playing with you), and thats a great way to reinforce the good stuff and avoid the less good stuff!


----------



## brownerin513 (Sep 8, 2018)

I started upping her trick training this weekend.. I am in the beginning processes of teaching her bang! You’re dead... It’s a long process lol. 
Are there any particular puzzle toys anyone recommends? We don’t have too many pet stores near us, but I have seen a few at Rural King. I normally order her stuff off of amazon because they just have so much more selection. I was looking on amazon this morning and just don’t want to pick a puzzle that will be too difficult or too easy for her.


----------



## Zeke1 (Nov 20, 2015)

My ellie will be two this May and she STILL digs!- usually when she gets excited with Zoomies, or even playing fetch with us in the backyard! She will sometimes get the ball n bring it to us..then all of a sudden go to fetch the next one and will go near the ball...but just start digging!! And yelling at her and she doesn’t listen!! So some how we call her into the house eventually..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Martina (May 3, 2020)

My three year old digs too but not in one spot. Often this is off and on phases. She likes to dig the stones in the ground out. What would you suggest? Pretty sure my dog would try eat the doggie poop (eww).


----------

