dogs digging

[faith177]

any advice on how to stop the dog from digging?

 

[HesMyAll]

I had a German Shepard that used to dig. What I did was tell him no, when he didn't stop, I threw a bucket of water on him. This worked for barking too.

 

[faith177]

well I dont know if that would work because my stupid(sorry to dog lovers, I am little frustrated with him today) dog likes water, I do go and take him to the hole and tell him no and make a big fuss then he has to go lay down away from everybody. its just frustrating because he is young and hyper he doesnt want to be in all the time but if I let him out by himself he may dig. My husband flips out at me and says not to let him out for long periods of time by himself, but I feel bad for the dog because he wants to go outside.

 

[faith177]

and I havent caught him digging yet, which might help if I actuallly catch him in the act.

 

[HesMyAll]

and I havent caught him digging yet, which might help if I actuallly catch him in the act.

You definitely cannot punish him unless you catch him in the act. Scolding him after the fact will have no effect because his canine mind just cannot connect your displeasure with the fact that there is a hole in the yard. For any correction to be effective, it must be done when the deed is done. Maybe if you take him for walks and play with him some more it will use up some of his energy.
BTW, what kind of dog is he? Some breeds need more exercise than others or they can be very destructive.

 

[SnowOwlMoon]

any advice on how to stop the dog from digging?

Some breeds (such as terriers) are natural diggers--it's what they were bred to do, so if your dog is a terrier, you will have to learn to live with some digging. One thing you can do--and this works for any breed--is train the dog to dig in one place. Designate a place in the yard as "The Digging Place", where digging is allowed. Make it an attractive place to dig--fill it with sand, loose soil, etc. You can bury a child's plastic wading pool, and fill it with sand or soil. Train the dog to dig there--take him to the place, and encourage him to dig. When you see him digging anywhere else, correct him calmly, and re-direct him to the digging place. Praise and give a treat when you see him digging there.

 

[SnowOwlMoon]

I had a German Shepard that used to dig. What I did was tell him no, when he didn't stop, I threw a bucket of water on him. This worked for barking too.

Sorry, but I regard this as abusive. Training works so much better than punishment.

 

[HesMyAll]

Sorry, but I regard this as abusive. Training works so much better than punishment.

It was the only thing that worked, I tried "training". One pan of water made him a great dog to live with. This is also the method that a veterinarian who bred dogs used, so I do not reguard it as abusive.

 

[shainamsu]

It was the only thing that worked, I tried "training". One pan of water made him a great dog to live with. This is also the method that a veterinarian who bred dogs used, so I do not reguard it as abusive.

i don't think this is abusive, either. by any means. my vet suggested that when my miniature beagle would howl when we put her in her cage, to spray her with water from a spray bottle. it worked. you have to have some sort of reward/punishing method. since we don't speak the same language, it's the only way they know what their owners approve of and what they don't. how do you think trainers get the dogs "trained?" it's just a more refined way of rewards/punishments.

 

[IvoryRain]

I don't know about putting a dog in a cage and spraying it.

Crate trining can be a positive and important part of training, but when the association of punishment in made with it the crate (cage) can become a "bad" thing, which can quickly become a problem. What happens when the animal has to be boarded or vetted or transported in a carrier?

As for throwing water on a dog, I'm sure it would stun it into silence or disrupt its behavior for a short period of time, but it has the potential to cause fear in the dog or to become a "game" if the dog enjoys water.

There are better, more positive approaches to training an animal rather than dumping water on it or confining it in a small area and virtually attacking it with something it doesn't like.

 

[SnowOwlMoon]

i don't think this is abusive, either. by any means. my vet suggested that when my miniature beagle would howl when we put her in her cage, to spray her with water from a spray bottle. it worked. you have to have some sort of reward/punishing method. since we don't speak the same language, it's the only way they know what their owners approve of and what they don't. how do you think trainers get the dogs "trained?" it's just a more refined way of rewards/punishments.

A book I would recommend is "Bones Would Rain From The Sky", by Suzanne Clothier.

Punishment-based training works. You will get a trained dog at the end. BUT--you will also get a trained dog with purely positive training, and you will have a much happier dog. When you teach a dog with punishment, you are correcting the undesirable behavior, but you aren't teaching the dog any alternative behavior that you want. So what is the dog doing instead? The dog knows it will be punished for barking--so what is it going to do instead? Probably chew, dig, gnaw its feet, eat the carpet . . . When you use positive training, you give the dog an alternative behavior: if the dog is barking from boredom, you redirect the dog to a toy--he can't chew and bark at the same time. I do this with my German Shepherd. Our Airedale mix is a noisy dog; when he barks, I turn my back on him. The instant he is quiet, I turn back to him and praise him. Barking gets no reward; quiet gets him praise. If the German Shepherd barks or whines in the crate, I completely ignore him. When he is quiet, I praise him. The only act on the dog's part that gets ANY attention is quiet; barking gains them nothing--no punishment, no reward, nada. It doesn't take them long to figure it out.

 

[wow]

 

[IvoryRain]

A book I would recommend is "Bones Would Rain From The Sky", by Suzanne Clothier.

Punishment-based training works. You will get a trained dog at the end. BUT--you will also get a trained dog with purely positive training, and you will have a much happier dog. When you teach a dog with punishment, you are correcting the undesirable behavior, but you aren't teaching the dog any alternative behavior that you want. So what is the dog doing instead? The dog knows it will be punished for barking--so what is it going to do instead? Probably chew, dig, gnaw its feet, eat the carpet . . . When you use positive training, you give the dog an alternative behavior: if the dog is barking from boredom, you redirect the dog to a toy--he can't chew and bark at the same time. I do this with my German Shepherd. Our Airedale mix is a noisy dog; when he barks, I turn my back on him. The instant he is quiet, I turn back to him and praise him. Barking gets no reward; quiet gets him praise. If the German Shepherd barks or whines in the crate, I completely ignore him. When he is quiet, I praise him. The only act on the dog's part that gets ANY attention is quiet; barking gains them nothing--no punishment, no reward, nada. It doesn't take them long to figure it out.

You sound like a prime candidate for NILIF .

Check it out online.

 

[IvoryRain]

Something I have done to help my dogs learn not to dig is to put screen wire just under the surface of the ground. My dogs tended to dig in the same area so I just got a piece of screen wire that was bigger than their digging area. They didn't like it and found it discouraging and soon quit digging. My dogs are small. I don't know how this would work for larger dogs.

My parents had to do this with their Aussie/Collie. Instead of a small wire, they bought panels of what I believe is hog wire. It has 6"X8" squares, which makes it hard to dig in large spaces, and if he tried he could only do it one paw at a time.

 

[HesMyAll]

What works for one dog will not work for another. I had tried the "positive rewards" approach and they did not work.
There is nothing "abusive" about throwing a pan of water at an unruly dog. Abusive treatment is something meant to cause pain and/or suffering. The surprise of having a sudden shower causes neither.
Many dog owners have had to take their pet to the pound because of behaviour problems. If a pan of water or a spray gun can avoid that happening, then I'm all for it.

 

[LittleLauraLost]

I have have two West Highland White Terriers the youngest nearly 6 months loves digging. Our garden isn't all that large but Megan has dug holes in the lawn and just about everywhere else. I know this is her insinct because she is a terrier so I have allowed areas where she can and cannot dig and we are both happy now.

Jimmy the other one used to bark hysterically at everything so I invested in a kids water pistol, two squirts and he was almost cured I only have to pick it up now and he knows.

 

[SnowOwlMoon]

You sound like a prime candidate for NILIF .

Check it out online.

We do use NILIF--it works!

 

[SnowOwlMoon]

What works for one dog will not work for another. I had tried the "positive rewards" approach and they did not work.
There is nothing "abusive" about throwing a pan of water at an unruly dog. Abusive treatment is something meant to cause pain and/or suffering. The surprise of having a sudden shower causes neither.
Many dog owners have had to take their pet to the pound because of behaviour problems. If a pan of water or a spray gun can avoid that happening, then I'm all for it.

You are right that what works for one dog will not work for another. However, I have never heard of positive training not working. It takes time, and consistancy.

Again, I would recommend you read "Bones Would Rain From The Sky," by Suzanne Clothier. Any of Pat Miller's training books are also excellent.

The trouble with aversive training, such as throwing a pan of water on a dog, or spraying with water, is that frequently, all it does is teach the dog not to misbehave in your presence. The dog won't dig, as long as you are there. Once you are gone, the dog will go back to digging.

 

[HesMyAll]

You are right that what works for one dog will not work for another. However, I have never heard of positive training not working. It takes time, and consistancy.

Again, I would recommend you read "Bones Would Rain From The Sky," by Suzanne Clothier. Any of Pat Miller's training books are also excellent.

The trouble with aversive training, such as throwing a pan of water on a dog, or spraying with water, is that frequently, all it does is teach the dog not to misbehave in your presence. The dog won't dig, as long as you are there. Once you are gone, the dog will go back to digging.

I have had many dogs during my life and have trained them all myself. Two of the dogs that I had did not respond very well to "positive training". They did however respond beautifully to aversion training and were very well behaved both when I was present and when I was not present.
Were I interested in acquiring another dog, I would certainly read the book you have recommended. But I am quite happy right now with my 200 pound mastiff which has been a joy to raise and train.

 

[angela0208]

my problem is digging INSIDE, tearing up my carpet. He does not dig outside. cannot discipline because he doesn't do it in front of me. Help!!!