digging dog

[Ploppy1999]

i have to leave my dog for about 3 hours, 5 days a week whilst i go to work. She is 2 and generally very good, but most days i come home to big holes in my garden. I've tried giving her toys before i go but she just burys them. I've tried just giving her 1 toy but she just digs out of boredom. I'm at my wits end! i don't want to tie her up and i don't want to block pave my garden anyone have any other ideas to make her stop destorying my grass and my plants!!

[gelda]

Wouln't she be better of f indoors?

[Ploppy1999]

don't like the thought of her couped up inside a house for 3 hours

[kita1]

What breed/cross breed is she?

Could you build a 'run' over part of the garden so that she does not have access to the whole garden?

[Annlinda]

You can get a toy which holds little tidbits that fall out as the dog moves it around. Can keep them busy for a long time. I also would never ever leave my dogs outside unless they have a secure pen and waterproof and warm kennel.

[gelda]

Aggree with that Annlinda, I also think the dog would feel more secure indoors.

[abstibus]

Hi, Ploppy
Mine is quite content to stay inside for a few hours - she likes her bed and doesn't have to 'defend' the territory. There is a dog flap is she wants to go out. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll have to create a secure run for her - that way she'll learn what is hers and what isn't.
Is she roaming in the garden? You have to make sure there's no chance of her being snatched.
Have you tried a Kong? I use it with bits of chicken, broken up doggie treats, doggie peanut butter. She loves it.
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/category.asp?dept_i d=177

[Ploppy1999]

she is a german shepard crossed with an aikita. I have built a new fence so she can't escape, and she has a waterproof kennel. I've tried a juice bottle with treats in but still new holes appear.

[kita1]

Try this:

http://www.ttlntl.co.uk/3/BehAdv/digging.htm

Basically the article says try providing a sand pit specially for your dog to dig in. Encourage use of it by burying toys, treats etc. and telling the dog to 'find' and 'dig'. That way she will learn (hopefully) to dig in that particular place and leave your plants (make sure there are none poisonous to dogs) and grass alone.

[woofgang]

Do you leave her mentally tired? You say its boredom and Akita/GSD mix is going to be an intelligent combo. 3 hours shouldn't be too long to leave her but I would leave her indoors not out. I assume that she gets a really good walk before you leave her, try adding some training exercises as well, really challenge the brain so that you leave her knackered!
I know this works because my experience is in weimaraners who are INCREDIBLY creative when bored!!!

Please please don't leave her tied up that is so dangerous
If you block pave and don't address the boredom issue then she may just try and dig through the block paving and injure herself

[woofgang]

I notice that you say you don't want to leave her cooped up, this suggests to me that she IS bored and with respect as her owner you need to address this....smart dogs need a mental challenge as well as loads of physical activity!

If she has enough physical and mental challenge she should be settled happily ahd grateful for the rest when you go to work!

[Illyria54]

Does she get a walk before you go out? I have 3 GSD's and a Collie type, they also are left for 3 hours a day, I take them for about an hours walk before I go out so that they are tired, my youngest GSD and her best buddy the 'borderline' Collie would dig to Australia otherwise! lol!

[showcatbenga]

Just a point for you to consider - by letting her have the run of all the 'garden' you have effectively made it all into a giant dog run. Are you really that surprised that she treats it that way? If you would like some garden for yourselves, with the usual features of lawn, flower beds, etc. then you need to give her a portion as 'her' dog run & exclude her unsupervised from the rest. I would not tether her unless you were there to supervise, it's too easy for a dog to tie itself up or even hang itself.
I fully agree with the other posts that once the keeping her amused, mentally challenged & thoroughly exercised issues are addressed the digging may well subside.

[naughty nic]

i have a 2 year old springer spaniel who is left for up to 8 hours a day, i walk her in the morning for about 30 mins then play on the green with a frisbee for a further 15 mins. by the time we get home she is shattered, she is also walked for around an hour every evening. i leave her with a pigs ear and chews daily and buy her rawhide bones and roasted knuckle bones which i replace when she has knawed them to death. she also has next to her bed a toy box which contains around 35 toys ( at last count ), she rumages through this daily and takes out whatever she likes, she has a variety of toys but particularly likes soft toys which i buy from carboots. she pulls out the stuffing and pulls out them to pieces but i have never had a problem with her chewing ( even as a pup ) as she has always known what is hers and what is not, they like to be and need to be given the same bounderies you would give a child. she did use to dig up my plants and dig holes in the garden but i managed to stop that by fencing off the patio area with stakes and chicken wire and giving her free run of the patio, i also had put in a dog door so that she has full access to the house but can go out whenever she chooses, i hope this helps, good luck i know it can be very frustrating.

[terambulan]

Bitches do bury their surplus food.....try only feeding her when you return from work at the same time each day and only what she is able to eat. Any surplus should be removed till she is ready to eat again. She must always have water available though. The digging will stop so long as she hasn't anything to bury. Can you hang her toys from a tree on a flexible rubber elastic length or chain to keep her amused. Leave her you old socks (preferable smelly) to comfort her in your absence.

[Ice.Maiden]

Ohhh nic....I'm sorry...but it upset me to read that you leave your dog cooped up for 8 hour's a day. After that, she'd need at LEAST a daily 5-mile walk. All those toys just won't cure her boredom.

[Ploppy1999]

the previous few posts are the type of answers i'm looking for thank you. She is just like a nughty child sometimes, she knows when she's been bad as when she hasn't been digging she's really happy to see me, yet when she's been naughty and i come home she hides away in her kennel. I don't tell her off as i've been told they won't realise what they've done wrong, but i can't catch her at it as it only happens when i'm out. I do take her over to the hole and show her but she just thinks i'm playing. Started taking her for a walk before i went to work and it worked for 2 days but it's started again.

[Ploppy1999]

i found some old mesh fencing, and have put that down my plants can still grow but my dog cannot dig.