The Following Question Is From Debbie...

Posted by jennifer on November 07, 2007 in Training & Behavior Tips.

QUESTION:

"How can I get my Rottweiler to stop digging holes in my backyard. She is alone outside for about 6 hours a day while I'm at work. I have a big backyard and I leave toys out there for her to play with, but she still digs. I fill in the holes and she moves on to create other holes."

ANSWER:

Hi Debbie-
There are a number of reasons why your Rottie may be digging up your backyard. Some of these reasons can include the following: Dogs dig holes to stay cool, dig out of boredom & lack of exercise or there could be a great smell under the earth that you or I wouldn't be aware of.
For starters, lets take exercise. One way to stop her from digging is to get her really tired before you leave for work. The exercise should always take place off your property as dogs, like wolves, need mental as well as physical stimulation. Let's take for example a pack of wolves... Believe it or not, your dog is not far from these creatures at all. She is just a toned-down version of the wild wolf. Therefore, in the morning and in the evening are when wolves are most active. They wake up and start out hunting for food. Before your female gets fed, she should go out for a hard hour walk- not stopping and sniffing but good exercise. If that's not possible, try running her for half an hour in the a.m. Granted most people will say "I don't have time in the morning" but you have to make time. Worse case scenario, you hire a dog walker. Either way, she needs physical and mental stimulation every day. So by looking at wolf behavior, when they hunt, they have to work for it. They will chase their prey at high speeds, stalk or figure out the best way to take a weak animal down. When they kill their prey they eat right away and the alpha pair will always eat first. Hence, your Rottie gets exercise in the morning, she then eats a meal after you eat and just as a wolf- she sleeps and rests the day away until you get home in the evening. This will definetly help the digging problem. Two other solutions are to put her feces in the area in which she digs and she won't dig a hole there as this would be disturbing her scent. Another thing to do is to provide her with a cool area to hang out in such as the shade of a dog house, lots of water or a cooling mat which can be purchased at any big pet store.
Toys mean nothing to dogs unless there is a reason to play with them or they have food inside. You can also give her toys with food that she has to figure out how to get out but beware- if she's not getting her a.m. exercise, this could possibly make things worse. Some treats and food have high contents of protein and the effects of protein on a dog are similar to the effects of caffeine on a human being. More protein can cause more energy, hence more holes.
If you treat your dog similar to a wolf, life should be a piece of cake. Best of luck to you and thanks for your question!
All my best,
Jennifer

email to a friend | permanent link

Post a comment





(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)