[coppercookie]

I am the mom of two bassets - a 6 yr old male and a 20 month old female. My female has taken to digging and I haven't been able to deter her. When we got her 4 months ago, she dug some holes but quit after a while - we chalked it up to moving stress. In the past two weeks she has been digging up a storm, and even filling holes w/poop doesn't deter her. She just finds new places to dig. They aren't body size holes, just holes. No bones or toys in them. We have a nice fenced in yard w/a pool that she uses, so she isn't digging to cool off (we are in Florida) and no routines have changed. I'm at wits end - our male has never been a digger and is smart as a whip. She is mentally challenged - sweet as can be and lovable, but just doesn't respond to any type of scolding or discipline. It's always playtime- even right after you have scolded her. Can anyone help with this before she destroys my entire yard? Would spaying her help? Thanks,

Cookie's mom

 

[AmyB]

I don't think it has to do with intelligence, as Sadie is my digger, and she is very smart. Spencer, my (ahem) "challenged" boy has never dug. I too have tried to deter the digging, but have never been successful. I hate to say it, but she is 11 years old & still digs. Luckily, she only digs in 2 spots in the yard. So, she digs, I rake the dirt back in & it happens again & again. I once had a trainer suggest that I put a pile of sand or dirt in a small kids plastic swimming pool in the yard & let her dig in it. If she were to dig elsewhere, I was to scold her and lead her to the sand or dirt and praise her for digging there. Since she only dug in 2 places, I never tried it, but it might be worth a try. Good Luck.

 

[Anonymous]

No help here. My yard looks like a war torn, land mine filled demiliterized (sp?)!

[ March 01, 2006, 08:08 PM: Message edited by: Lynne & Huck ]

 

[coppercookie]

I got Cookie to keep Copper company because I work all day. It's a rare occasion that I catch her (although I did today, to no avail). Maybe the plastic pool will work - it's worth a try and cheaper than a pallet of grass.....

 

[Oscar&Murphy's Mom]

Just be careful when walking out there. Oscar's not much of a digger, but he has on occasion. Once my mom stepped in a hole and twisted her ankle really bad, so bad that she tore a ligament along the top of her foot. No surgery could be done to fix it. It was a couple of years ago and it still bothers her. So just step cautiously out there

 

[Anonymous]

So you've been introduced to how a basset re-decorates a yard, huh? Digging has been a problem for us too. But Maggie likes to dig holes to put her bottom in to lay in the sun. Apparently her upper body must be higher than her lower body to sunbath?! Now with Mollie she just likes to plain dig.

But speaking about a so called "sandbox". I think it would work. The reason being is I left the lid off of my kids sandbox one day and the dogs had bones that day too. I saw 2 outside the sandbox and one of them laying inside it. So I went outside to see what the heck they were up too. Because I never know with them. But Pixie(the mutt) had decided to hide her bone in the sand box and Maggie and Mollie of course already eattten theirs. So Pixie was guarding hers in the sandbox. Later own Mollie did the same thing and it is a lot less mess and easy to dig too.

But that is just my story and my crazy hounds. Good luck!

 

[dlhowl]

Digger told me it's OK to use his name to scold her. His full name is "Digger - NO"
Look at it this way. Now you don't have to trim her nails. I trimmed Dozer's once when he was about 6 months, and have never since. I also have never trimmed Digger's nails. There are a few holes in their pen, but most nail wear is from running.

 

[Barbara Winters]

Check out Digging Behaviour In Dogs by Dr Ian Dunbar

 

[Mikey T]

My female has taken to digging and I haven't been able to deter her.

For dogs that dig - digging is a self-rewarding behavior. It is very unlikely you will be able to stop the behavior. If is like trying to stop a hound from sniffing.

The easiest solution is to find redirect the behavior to an appropriate location.
Build a doggy sand box. To get the dog to use it lightly bury treats an other objects in it.
In the beginning you will need to do this quite frequently. As the digging in the sand box becomes more entrenched you can slowly reduce the amount of bury treats and the frequency you bury them. Also Reward the dog for digging in the box when you see her.


10 TIPS FOR DEALING WITH PROBLEM BEHAVIOR
pay attention to number 3 "Allow a dog to be a dog".

 

[barblkr]

We no longer have sand in our sandbox, it's a dirtbox now, but I can't tell you how many times I've looked outside, even all winter (mild winter) and seen my two boys and Daisy all digging furiously side by side in the dirtbox, happy as clams. I think seeing the kids do it has encouraged her to do it too, which is OK by me.