Let Dogs Be Dogs?

[Hayley Thompson]

I have a question, well kind of not really a question but want to start a discussion I guess. My boyfriend Grant was outside this morning painting one of our barns and inside the barn has no floor just dirt, so he had the big garage door to the barn open and I went out to see him and Riley before I left for the day, at first glance I just see him and not Riley...and then I look into the barn and low and behold she is shoulder deep and working her way to China in a big hole!! LOL she then realized I was there and got super excited with dirt EVERYWHERE on her body and decided to come say goodbye to me for the day....and I ran as FAST as I could to the car, laughing hysterically because she was ready to give me the best goodbye hug ever!!!

Anyway my question is do you guys let your dogs dig? I dont see a problem with it so far as she never digs in inapropriate places, and was actually quite helpful when I was planting some flowers in a flower bed earlier this summer, I started the holes and she would finish them!

Basically I'm wondering if this is something you guys think I should nip in the bud (personal horror stories welcome) or just leave her be and let her get her "doggy" personality out once and awhile?

Above is not todays hole but a previous one she dug when we were out painting one day!

 

[ambara]

We have a very large fenced yard so I let them dig as long as they are digging for the fun of it and not near fences for escape purposes. If they dig in a place that's bit inappropriate I try to fill them up whenever I walk past them but we also have few huge almost cave-like holes that they keep on expanding whenever they feel like it. Too bad I don't have pics of those. I guess that could be a horror story for some, maybe having new wells here and there isn't for everyone's liking

 

[Hayley Thompson]

LOL your pictures are too cute!! Thats kind of along the lines of what I was thinking, Riley never digs to "escape" and only does it when we're there with her, so I think we might be safe..for now! lol

 

[Dodge]

love the pics!! We ve just moved,our old "garden" was all concrete,so he never really got into the habbit of diggin,lol, he will however dig when another dog starts a hole last summer there was three holes dug into the lovely grass at our park (the other owner and me only confessed to those recently)
Oh,he did actually dig one HUGE hole along a country lane last year,no idea why he thought that was a good idea,but I let him carry on,it didnt hurt anybody's property there and was not diggin through to a field

 

[ppaniagua08]

Okay, first off you made me crack up about the good bye hug…I bet she was even more excited to chase you! I could so see me doing something like that. Haha.

But to answer your question, based on the hunch that you seem to have a pretty big yard, I say let her have fun! – As long as it seems not to be because of fear or anxiety problems.- It’s a normal doggie trait, a lot of dogs dig to have a cool place to lay to stay cool in the summer. Or because they think they hear of smell something in the ground like a buried bone or bugs crawling.

I read that::

“Giving a special digging pit that is specially set aside for the dog to dig in may help to channel their habit in less destructive ways. Set aside a small area with soft dirt or sand and bait it with treats or objects that are half-buried. This may encourage digging in an acceptable place.”

It sounds like you kind of started that already with the team effort flower planting. :o) too cute btw.

I would let my dog do his thing, but unfortunately I’m afraid that he will dig under or fence.

But I vote let Riley have fun!

 

[Hayley Thompson]

Paige- if only I had a video of me running away and laughing this morning lol You couldnt have written a better scene for a movie haha...good thing we dont have neighbors or they would be like "What is wrong with that girl!!!??"

 

[bekah1001]

I heard of the same thing as paige... but they used a sandbox. You are suposed to burry a treat in the sand and show your dog. Encourge them to dig and praise. You can hide treats, toys, and bones.

 

[Anneke]

We don't have a yard, unfortunately But Cooper can be very helpfull in other peoples yards. At my parents house he helped dig a hole for a tree they wanted to plant. At my friends house he helped when we replaced the old fence by digging holes He loves to dig! Whenever there is sand, he will dig holes. He prefers to dig out his ball. Very funny to see. He digs a hole, drops his ball into it, then digs the ball out, gets the ball again and puts it back into the hole...He'll go at it endlessly and chase off Jinx. MY HOLE, GO DIGG YOUR OWN!! I should have a video of it somewhere...

 

[blacknose]

I think its pretty cool actually. Hey whatever is right for one parent may not be for another but thats okay. I think your dogs are having great fun and as long as its not destructive to gardens or fences or trying to escape - I say, "let them have the fun!" My female Lowchen rolls in dirt after she gets out of the pool and turns completely black. All we can do is laugh and she runs crazy all over the yard as if to say, "gosh this is fun stuff!" She's a hoot. I really like the idea of a digging 'pit' for them. I'm in Florida so there are lots of 'worms' just under the surface....... then they roll on them....... urrrggghhhhh.

 

[blacknose]

Here's Idgie after digging and rolling in the dirt She's an all white dog! But she had a good time doing it!

 

[GeorgiPeorgi]

This is my Little Eddie enjoying a dig! It was in my sisters garden so I didn't mind hahaha (Luckily neither did she) He loves to dig and I think it's good stimulation for them, as long as it's not in a wrong place!!! lol

 

[ppaniagua08]

Eddie is so FLUFFY!

 

[GeorgiPeorgi]

He isss and we love it, but it's his puppy fur and is slowly comming out into his adult fur But looking forward to seeing his lovely full adult coat

 

[charmedwolf]

Kratos love to dig!! He usually start the group dig and everybody will join in. Jinx and Isis will then kick Kratos out of the way to finish the dig to China. Crazy animals!

I say let dogs be dogs! If they want to dig then give them someplace to dig either in a sandbox or in dirt somewhere. Kratos likes to run about in dirt then run in the water. Gets everything all muddy in and out of the house.

 

[BruceLover]

I have a question, well kind of not really a question but want to start a discussion I guess. My boyfriend Grant was outside this morning painting one of our barns and inside the barn has no floor just dirt, so he had the big garage door to the barn open and I went out to see him and Riley before I left for the day, at first glance I just see him and not Riley...and then I look into the barn and low and behold she is shoulder deep and working her way to China in a big hole!! LOL she then realized I was there and got super excited with dirt EVERYWHERE on her body and decided to come say goodbye to me for the day....and I ran as FAST as I could to the car, laughing hysterically because she was ready to give me the best goodbye hug ever!!!

Anyway my question is do you guys let your dogs dig? I dont see a problem with it so far as she never digs in inapropriate places, and was actually quite helpful when I was planting some flowers in a flower bed earlier this summer, I started the holes and she would finish them!

Basically I'm wondering if this is something you guys think I should nip in the bud (personal horror stories welcome) or just leave her be and let her get her "doggy" personality out once and awhile?

Above is not todays hole but a previous one she dug when we were out painting one day!

Let her dig! My dog digs all the time in my yard. He has become quite the gardener. As long as it isn't bothering you. If she starts digging places you don't want her then you should stop her but as long as your happy she's happy!

 

[bekah1001]

The dogs dug 5 giant holes at my moms new house

 

[blacknose]

So bringing this back to 'tricks', how about the dig on cue trick? That could be fun! I guess I would capture the digging on a bed or in a dog bed or on a rug or bedding. Makes a nice 'back scratch' trick also My dogs mainly know the 'no dig' verbal so they stop immediately when I tell them. Sort of like the bark cue when you want to control your dogs barking and teach them to bark on cue.

 

[ambara]

Hauru can dig on cue, I did pretty much as you ^ said and captured him digging in the yard first. It was quite easy although at first he really wouldn't dig inside on a clear floor, 'nothing to dig here mom??' But eventually he got it.