The Digginest Dog

[Wheatenheimer]

Hey Everyone!

I am seeking any advice you may be able to throw out on how to get my dog to stop digging, or at least reduce it to the point that she doesn't end up discovering a new cave in my back yard.

I have three dogs. An 11 year-old Beagle/Basset Mix (a Bagle), an 8 year-old Golden Retriever and an almost 3 year-old Brittany. My problem is with the Brittany. All of my dogs spend more time inside than they do in the back yard, especially since the rains have set in.

Grace, the Brit, is a very sweet little dog. She is very loving and, most of the time, very obedient. I just can't seem to break her of digging, and man can she tear up some ground in a very short amount of time. We try to keep a close eye on her whenever she goes out and nip it in the bud when she starts to dig, but being a young bird dog, she is a little hard to keep an eye on at times. Short of paving my back yard or putting her in leg shackles when she goes out, I don't know what to do.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Kevin

(by the way, I really wouldn't consider putting leg shackles on any of my dogs......but paving the yard, maybe!)

[rps]

As I grew up, my mother raised dogs. Mostly setters, but some others, including English Springers and Brittanies. The spaniels were diggers. Heiress, a springer bitch, specialized in bomb shelters - 6 to 8 feet deep and large enough for people to lay in.

Dogs need jobs. If they don't have one, they will invent one. Find or create an active job for the dog to do and the holes diminish.

Good luck.

[Wheatenheimer]

RPS,

Thanks for the reply. It makes sense. Now I have to figure out what kind of job to give her. She's good at chasing birds, squirrel's and sticks. Mowing, gardening and weed-eating has already been divied out to my fiance (Sure hope she doesn't read this!) Sounds like I need to get off my lazy rear and take her fishing more often. Maybe a couple of days on the river a week will wear her out enough that she could care less about digging!

I do really appreciate the advice and I'll give it some serious thought on what jobs I can assign her. She's pretty smart for her age, maybe a little too smart at times!

Thanks again!

Kevin

[Trav]

I am a product of a father who has bred dogs and have learned from him.

Dogs dig for one of three reasons.

A place to rest

A place to Cache

Or a place to vent.

In all those conditions all you have to do is cater to thier needs. Give them a blanket, give them more food, or give them attention.

Not fool proof, but works with my varmit killers.!

[Quillback]

Sounds like an active dog that needs excercise. My bird dog would give me fits in the off season if I did not excecise him enough, during bird season I would hunt that dog all weekend and after that he wouldn't stick his nose out of the dog house for 3 days.