need dog advice...

[Crazy4Chicks]

My boxer Abbey has never been much of a digger - none of our dogs are - in the summer they all will dig out a spot in the shade to take a nap but we dont mind that since they are digging to get out of the yard.
Well Abbey got preggers - she was not into digging - but the closer she got to having her babies she would look for places to " make a den " so we knew to keep a close watch on her while out there, after the babies were born she still had this " must dig a hole thing " - well the pups are a couple of weeks old already have thier eyes open trying to walk and she is wanted to spend more time away from them, but everytime she is outside she is digging these huge holes- I dont get it why???

our other boxer when she had her pups started digging just before they were born, but as soon as they were born stopped - has never done it again.

why on earth is Abbey still feeling the need to " make a den " ? and how do I get her to stop ? in the summer the dogs are outside all the time and I am afraid that when it warms up and she is out there she will have holes all the place and one might be in a place when she( or someone else ) can get out of the yard.
Is there a trick to get her to stop ? does this mean she will always be a digger now ?

Julie

 

[mdbucks]

Maybe she is more human than the first one, and wants to bury her young??

 

[beefy]

try this. get a newspaper, and roll it up. next time you catch her digging pop her on the nose with the rolledup newspaper yelling "NO DIGGING!"

or you could just let her dig ONE hole to her satisfaction and hope she stops.

or you could spray her with a water hose.

 

[justusnak]

Is she digging in the same spot every time!?? I had a dog that would do that....same spot...she just wanted a hole there. My brother was a dog trainer...and he told me to gather a good pile of thier poo, and place it in the hole...then cover it back. When she started to dig there again, she would find the poo, and stop. Now, this took several times....but, she finally gave up digging...guess she just figured, " all the ground here is full of poo" LOL Hope this works for you.!

 

[snugglepup]

Beating her with a newspaper or spraying her with a hose may interrupt and temporarily stop her digging behavior, but I doubt it will have any long term effects. In fact, if the digging is her response to dealing with the stress of having pups, punishment may even make it worse... or you may see other side-effects. The poo trick is unpredictable (some dogs LOVE poo!). Sometimes we can determine the motivation and change it, for example: if the dog is digging because he is frustrated/aroused by a dog in the adjacent yard (or cars going by or similar), putting up a windscreen or other visibility barrier can stop the digging because the dog can't see the stimulus anymore.

The hard part is we can't have any effect on behaviors that occur when we aren't there. For new problem behaviors, often the best course is to prevent them from practicing with good management. This means restricted access to the area where she digs, and supervision when she does have access to it. Interrupt her and redirect her attention to something else. Make sure she has enough interesting stuff to do, so that she doesn't dig out of boredom. Stuff kongs (or similar) and hide them around the yard, sprinkle kibble in the grass. You could even provide a "sandbox" where digging is allowed and make it more rewarding than digging around the yard by burying cookies in the sandbox and praising her when she digs there.

She's still pretty young, like a year old, right? So she's still not even reached social maturity yet (18-24 months), so she's still basically a teenager. It would not surprise me if she is still trying out new annoying behaviors... that's what being a teenager is all about!

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

OMG Deb - when I saw the " whole ground is full of poo " i had to laugh guess I know what I am going to be doing tomorrow LOL

My dogs know the word NO - half of them think it is there middle name LOL

thanks for the advice I am hoping this is just a phase she is going through and it will pass.

eww MD I hope he is not wanting to bury her pups ( they are to cute to get baried LOL )

I dont want to spray her with the water hose because I would have to defrost her when she came in.


Julie

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

snugglepup - thats for the information on digging-

Abbey is still pretty young but was never a digger before - and believe me they have plenty of toys inside and outside.
right now the way weare deling with it - she is allowed outside and I watch her from the window - so she is able to play with the other dogs and get some time away from the pups but as soon as she starts digging I tell her no and bring her inside to play - and she goes back to her pups when she thinks it time.
right now that is the only thing I could think of - its a pain because I have to stand there and watch her -
and she is allowed to dig a hole if it is not along the fence where they might get out, but I think allowing her to dig and than telling her no depending on where the hole is might be confusing her.
I am hoping that when the pups are weaned and she spends more time away from them she will calm down about the whole digging thing

Julie

 

[ShrekDawg]

maybe she's bored. or she could still think the pups need a den. she may think she needs to protect them. if you get rid of the pups when old enough she might stop because her pups are gone if it has to do with her pups. I hope you figure it out. good luck.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Quote:
try putting chicken wire or something like that under the ground by the fence that way when they dig near there they run into the wire and can't go any farther or get out. try putting the wire a foot or more, a few feet under.

 

[Cara]

A hotwire is the cheapest and quickest way to stop digging out if it gets to that stage. I set one up by myself in about an hour, and had never done it before. It's a lot easier than digging and burying wire, and if you disturb more earth they'll join in.