[Patch]

Patch is a little digger!
I came home the other day and my yard is now patchy grass and dirt.

When he first started digging, we started pouring citronella into the holes... so he stopped digging those holes (he doesn't like the smell - great, we had a repellant! WRONG..)
Now... he just finds other holes to dig... in other parts of the yard... and they are ALL over the yard now.

I almost broke my ankle in one of them! They're getting deeper as he gets older.

How do we stop this digging?

I've heard of suggestions to buy him a sandpit and encourage him to dig there? Do you think that will work?

Also... how do you get them to poo in one section of the yard? I'm tired of my yard being a landmine.... for some reason he likes poo-ing DIRECTLY under the washing line!!!!!![

 

[halo]

well as a lot will tell you here welcome to the bully world Bully dig. I have no grass anymore in my back yard and no matter what I did they still dig. I just keep filling the holes back up and I keep telling them no and taking them away from the holes but they just dig again else where. I haven't found anything I can use to deter them as of yet. If you do please let me know I have the same problem here. LOL. I think my next step is to patio the yard and leave a dirt strip area for them. to do there thing LOL.

 

[mom to many]

You could crate him during the day, so he doesn't have access to the yard OR buy an outdoor kennel, so that he's still outside, has some room to play, but can't dig up the whole yard.

Rocket will only dig if hes REALLY bored. I'm home all day, so he doesn't spend a whole lot of time outside. He has a few 'outside only' toys and he plays with those...and he likes to drag tree branches around the yard, lol!

 

[Lisa]

How old is your dog? Is it still a puppy?

You can not expect a puppy to not get into things. In fact, if I had a bully pup who laid around all day and got into nothing I would be extremely concerned. You are probably giving your pup way too much freedom, not to mention that someone could probably steal it if it is alone in the backyard. Build it a kennel that can be locked, or crate the pup in doors. Most people who have problems with their puppies or young dogs being destructive are giving them too much freedom and have no one to blame but themselves. You can't expect a pup or young dog to act like an adult.

 

[i love remy]

How old is your dog? Is it still a puppy?

You can not expect a puppy to not get into things. In fact, if I had a bully pup who laid around all day and got into nothing I would be extremely concerned. You are probably giving your pup way too much freedom, not to mention that someone could probably steal it if it is alone in the backyard. Build it a kennel that can be locked, or crate the pup in doors. Most people who have problems with their puppies or young dogs being destructive are giving them too much freedom and have no one to blame but themselves. You can't expect a pup or young dog to act like an adult.

Good posting!

As far as getting him to poop in one section of the yard, take him out on a leash every single time you let him out. Lead him to the area you want him to use, and praise him lavishly when he goes in that area. You can't expect a puppy to automatically know where he's supposed to go if you're not leading him there every single time. I prefer to pick up poop every day or two than to take my dogs out on a leash every time. It's motivation to keep the grass mowed all the time. Tall grass = impossible to find poop!! :lol:

 

[Roxy]

How old is your dog? Is it still a puppy?

You can not expect a puppy to not get into things. In fact, if I had a bully pup who laid around all day and got into nothing I would be extremely concerned. You are probably giving your pup way too much freedom, not to mention that someone could probably steal it if it is alone in the backyard. Build it a kennel that can be locked, or crate the pup in doors. Most people who have problems with their puppies or young dogs being destructive are giving them too much freedom and have no one to blame but themselves. You can't expect a pup or young dog to act like an adult.

Good posting!

As far as getting him to poop in one section of the yard, take him out on a leash every single time you let him out. Lead him to the area you want him to use, and praise him lavishly when he goes in that area. You can't expect a puppy to automatically know where he's supposed to go if you're not leading him there every single time. I prefer to pick up poop every day or two than to take my dogs out on a leash every time. It's motivation to keep the grass mowed all the time. Tall grass = impossible to find poop!! :lol:

LOL so true...I normally find it after looking for it on the bottom of my shoe

 

[halo]

As far as getting him to poop in one section of the yard, take him out on a leash every single time you let him out. Lead him to the area you want him to use, and praise him lavishly when he goes in that area. You can't expect a puppy to automatically know where he's supposed to go if you're not leading him there every single time. I prefer to pick up poop every day or two than to take my dogs out on a leash every time. It's motivation to keep the grass mowed all the time. Tall grass = impossible to find poop!!

Good sugestion. I keep my yard clean , I pick up everytime cause they like to run and play and by keeping it clean I don't have to worry bout them stepping in it when they go through there zoomies around the yard. i don't mind the digging it keeps their nails short but I am going to patio the yard half way down and the other half dirt. i think I will be even better for their nails. and give them an area to dig. Mine dig because there are so many roots under ground They sniff , find them then dig them up along with all the other little gifts they bring me LOL. I walk mine twice a day and they play hard they don't have time to be bored and they still dig although it is not as bad as when they were small pups. I am home 24/7 So I have plenty of time for them. You know aht though My husband put some beach sand down the other day and I noticed they like it. So I was also thinking of a sandbox for them. Its not the digging that worries me its that they might eat some of those roots so I have to be right on top of them all the time. they can't be unsupervised at all. When unsupervised they have to be crated.

 

[Cookies Mom]

This works for CC fill the hole with dog poop, and cover it up. CC only dug in the same spot once, poopie paws, but it only took once.

 

[sajoseph]

I was gonna suggest the poo in holes thing too, it works.

Also, citronella is poisonous to dogs(Im like 99%sure it is) so get it up!

I put a sprinkler in my yard on two sides. I turned it on only a few times. When the pups go out, they got sprinkled on. They now go to one side of the yard to go potty due to the fact the sprinklers are elsewhere and they think they are gonna get wet!(They love to swim but hate sprinklers-go figure) I dont even have to turn them on anymore!

 

[ambulldogpup]

Discipline him while he is doing the behavior you don't want. A lot of owners will let the dog inside, look at the yard and say, "bad dog!". This does nothing and just confuses the dog. While your pup is digging, go outside and I like to use, "PSST!" when my dog does something unwanted and then push him to the side a bit (not with a lot of force, but not super gently either). Then I would say, get him interested in something else. I would also do the exercise I told you above AFTER a long walk, the walk helps when correcting an obsessive behavior a lot. I would stop this early, as you probably know, the problem will persist or could if no action is taken.

 

[Patch]

If I could catch him in the act i WOULD reprimand him, but he usually digs when we are not around.
i know, i know... it's probably because he is bored.
But my husband and I both work so can't be with him 24x7.
He is outside during the day, and inside with us at night.

we have bought him SO many toys... balls, chew toys, treat toys, stuffed dog teddy's... you name it.

In the mornings before I leave for work, I give him chews like pigs ears and pigs feet and the raw hide stuff to give him something to chew on so he doesn't get bored....yep, well... he was burying them! So that actually ENCOURAGED the digging. I've stopped doing that.

He has not stopped at digging the grass... now he's into the landscaping and digs up where my native plants are, and there is no more mulch.

i can't believe cotronella poisons dogs??? EVERYONE has told me to try citronella!!!
anyways, it hasn't stopped him from digging, so i've stopped using it anyway.

I suppose i just have to get used to the fact that he's going to destroy my yard...
If only i could get him to even concentrate his digging in the one spot!

i'm going to try the sand pit - i'm going to buy one this weekend. and i'll let you all know how it goes.

as for the poo - if i clear it up every day, its not too much of a problem.
because we're not home during the day, its SO hard for us to train him to poop in one spot...
but i'd rather the poop than the digging!

i just hope he doesn't start chewing the furniture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

p.s. he is FINE inside - SO well behaved.... it's just outside! (maybe he thinks it's his domain so he can do what he wants, but knows inside, he obeys by OUR rules because we're with him all the time inside?????)

 

[halo]

If you work and have to leave him outside all day unattended, maybe a outside kennel to contain him to one area would work for you?

 

[apbtgurl26]

Wish I could give you some advice, but my two are the same! They dig holes to China!!! :shock:

 

[halo]

This works for CC fill the hole with dog poop, and cover it up. CC only dug in the same spot once, poopie paws, but it only took once.

I tried this after reading it and it seems to be working they never go back to the same place anymore once I do this. I would have never thought to do this. I asked a trainer and they said the same thing.

 

[Chrisnjen]

I think he's digging because he's outside by himself, bored and full of pent up energy. This is a bad combination for ANY puppy, much less a bully breed. Either wear him out by exercising him, supervise him while he's outside or keep him inside with you.

Personally, my dogs are never outside unattended. One, Chance digs like mad. Two, they bark incessantly and drive the neighbor crazy. Three, my little town is very bully-friendly and I worry about someone stealing them. Four, they don't want to be outside by themselves, they want to be with us!

 

[Miakoda]

Basically your dog is bored. Digging is not only a form of exercise, but it also "rewards" him as he's doing so.

You cannot expect to have your dog be entertained 24/7 with a bone, or a Kong, or a ball, or anything like that. What's he supposed to do? Chew non-stop? Throw the ball to himself? And in fact, by offering him all the toys at once, he's basically used to them & become bored with them. I am also concerned that if he does decide to go on a chewing spree, that he will ingest parts of toys and/or objects that will cause an impaction somewhere in the digestive tract & either kill your dog or cause him serious pain & cost you serious money.

What needs to happen is you exercise your dog & wear him out. Wake up extra early & take him for a nice 1 hr walk/jog. This way, after you can feed him while you're getting ready for work, let him go potty, & then put him up. Then when you get home, another 45 min.-1 hr long (at least) fetch session & obedience session (EVERY dog should receive obedience training as a part of daily exercise) should occur. This is also the time to mix up the activites.

 

[Patch]

i appreciate that he might be bored... but i can't be with him all day!
he is inside with us every night, and on weekends when we are home.
he got his last vaccination last night... so in a few days we will be able to walk him in the streets and at the park.
im hoping that, with the combination of puppy pre-school which we are starting Sunday week, will curb his boredom (and hence his digging).

If i take away his toys, what is he going to do all day?

i understand he would be better off with us playing with him, but we work! we can't do anything about that.
(trust me, i'd love to quit... but someones gotta pay for his dog food! hehe)

i am hoping the sand pit will help him.... we're going to put one up for him on the weekend.

one query - we have a section of the yard around the side of the house. it's quite big and it's his favourite playing area. if we gate this part off... it will work out to be about 2.5 metres x 4 metres big... would we put him in there during the day so he can only destroy that part of the yard to his hearts content? I thought about it... but i think it might be cruel to keep him confined... i like the fact he's got the whole yard to explore (but i suppose he has the whole yard to destroy too!!!)

i might consider this if he starts chewing my outdoor furniture.....

but im trying to just put up with the digging because its just a dog instinct?!

what do u all think?