ideas to stop digging dog

[sandypaws]

first i DO believe in tail docking on dogs and lamb and even working horses.. have you ever SEEN an undocked sheep??? check one out about mid-summer before you form an opinion...
debeaking i have done monthly for hens that eat eggs..
earcropping, i personlly wont do it, but i wont tell you, you cant have it done (by a VET)
i would have to see and learn about the whole tendon/fox thing to form an opinion..
as long as these things are done humanly, i dont see why not.. i think it is far crueler /inhumane to get a dog and put it in the backyard and throw food at it once in a while and never take it out of the little yard,,EVER...
i would rather see a cropped and docked dog be part of a family or have a JOB to do than to see a "whole" dog just rot away in a backyard somewhere.. or put on a chain... THAT is cruel...


anyway about the bored sheltie.. yeah sounds like the dog is just plain BORED... taking it for a walk and making his body tired wont solve anything.. the dogs MIND needs to be worked..
teach it some tricks.. teach it flyball.. take it to the park... do agility with it.. work sheep.. teach it silly circus tricks.. make it into a theraphy dog..
you have the wrong dog for the job.. if you wanted a little friendly companion you should have got a pug, shihtzu, ect... the dog you have is a smart working breed, it needs a JOB, the dog is bored and looking for things to do, so it thought up a "digging game"
the only way to stop the dog and have a mentally stable pet is to give the dog a job.. it will stop digging

 

[sandypaws]

sensitive breeds... sometimes will "fold"/freak out if a shock collar is used on them

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
Very true! Shelties are usually pretty tough dogs, but it depends on the individual dog. Of my three dogs, we have only used the shock collar on one. The other two are far too sensitive...we'd never do it to them. The one we have used it on is our pit/Australian Shepherd mix. She has the strong fixation of herding breeds that I am sure she inherited from her pure bred Aussie mom. We had to use the shock collar to train her with the chickens (she was never aggressive...just obsessive). It worked and we can have the dogs, cat and chickens all free ranging in the yard together. She, however, is VERY head-strong and likes to explore, so she will break out our fence. No matter how much we try to break it, nothing works except an electric fence (no worries...the chickens are locked in their run if it is on! No fried chicken here!). The shock collar is great if used properly and on the right dog. One of my dogs will get upset with a simple, stern NO. Obviously, she is not a shock collar dog.

 

[Wyo Chick]

Sandypaws I think you hit the nail on the head! Whiskey does need a job. I have taught him to herd the chickens, but they don't need herded to often. I need to think of some tricks to use his mind. Saturday, I walked him for 2 miles and we went hiking for 4 miles in the afternoon. Do you think he was tired? NO. So I do believe he needs his mind exercised. Thank you for all the idea. Don't worry I would never cut the tendons, but I know people do crazy things. We were at the vet one time and this man was sitting with his Sheltie. We were talking about how much they bark and he was suprised I had ;not clipped his vocal cords. AHHHHHH. Shelties are interesting dogs. My grandmother has one on her ranch in Wyoming and we thought it was a great dog. Well, he had a job and was a great dog. Thanks again.

 

[abluechipstock]

i have a ditch that needs dug, can i borrow him

my dachshunds like to dig, i contribute that to them being earth dogs

 

[sandypaws]

dont forget about "cookie balls" .. a ball that is stuffed with dog "cookies" and the dog has to use its brain to figure out how to get them out..
"kong" makes my favorite one and it comes in so many sizes.. i had the large size for my akita and the small size for my toypoodle,, it is great to watch that little poodle roll that ball around to get the cookies out,, she will do it for hours..
in the summertime when it is hot you can fill them with peanutbutter or canned dog food,, put them in the freezer overnight.. next day they get a cold tasty treat..

just do a search for "kong balls"

 

[sandypaws]

hey.. what about getting a few runnerducks...?????
corgies herd those all the time at trials...

 

[glowworm]

herding breeds need a "job".

Is he an outside only dog? Or spends all day outside alone? You can check craigslist to see if there are dog walkers in your area to take the dog on a long walk a few times a week if you personally can't do it everyday.

Does your sheltie like other dogs? If he does, maybe you can consider getting him a friend. My two aussies spend sooooo much time wrestling and playing together. They would have too much down time if they didn't have each other.

A special digging area does work for smart dogs, train your dog to use that area just like you were potty training (gentle scolding when digging somewhere undesired, then take your dog to the special digging area, and praise when they get interested in that spot).
If you don't want a special digging area, make water balloons filled with half vinegar/half water, and bury them in previous digging spots. many dogs will stop digging after a few exploding balloons get them. keep in mind this doesn't solve the boredom problem, so you need to still find another outlet for your pup.


(P.S. I know a Coonhound that barks at the trees whenever it gets a chance. There's rarely a racoon or animal up there. It's what the dog is bred to do...instinct. The Sheltie might be barking at the holes because its hardwired into it's brain...even though Shelties aren't terriers, LOL)

 

[Andora]

Quote:
My coonhound does that, he barks at trees sometimes when there is nothing there and he won't stop until we acknowledge him.

 

[Skyesrocket]

I think it's moles the dog is after because of the barking at the holes and the digging around tree roots.
It could be obsessive behavior due to bordom but my bet is moles. If that is the case he is doing you a favor.
It can also be a combination...maybe he found a mole while digging a hole and now he's looking for more.