Playing, eating, running around and sometimes barking are some of the favorite activities of Fido; but so also is digging.
Dogs love to dig, most times on your lawn. Have you ever seen your garden filled with freshly dug sand? More likely than not, your dog has gone on another digging spree.
As much as we adore dogs and enjoy their company, no one wants their dogs digging up and spoiling their beautiful lawn. So what do you do when you’re faced with this dilemma?
There are several ways to tackle this problem; some can be easily made at home, others are gotten from the market, store or through the help of professionals.
Here are 8 home remedies that prevent your dog from digging:
- Create fun activities for your dog
- Build shade outside
- Spray vinegar to the location where your dog is digging
- Drop orange/lime peels or spray the juice
- Remove all attractions
- Cover the soil with stones
- Spray cayenne red pepper
- Drop your dog’s feces on that area
Why Do Dogs Dig?
Now before we start looking at home remedies, it is essential you know why your dog keeps digging your lawn. Knowing this will help you tackle the root cause which will help your dog and might finally stop all forms of digging in your garden.
Boredom
Dogs are active animals, and they do not like to be idle for a long time. When they get bored, they sometimes resort to digging up areas just for the fun of it.
Digging is a fun way to stay active for dogs but can be annoying for humans.
Hunting
If you own a dog you must have seen it chase down rabbits or rodents into holes. Hunting is a natural occurrence for most dogs and they can start a digging spree just to get to their prey.
Dogs can dig up your lawn trying to get to the rat that went in.
Escape
Dogs digging near fences most times indicates the need to escape. The dog might be running to or away from something.
When dogs dig close to your fence, they might be trying to reach the other side. Maybe to play with some other dog in the next yard or to run away from something on yours.
Looking for attention
Dogs can go digging when they’re seeking attention. Digging is a sure way to get your attention, though negative, they can be misconstrued for positive attention by the dog.
Because they know you’ll most likely pay attention to them when they dig, they start digging whenever they’re looking for care.
Looking for convenience
Dogs can also start digging when they’re hot and looking for a cool place to rest. Because under the ground can be pretty cool even on a hot day, dogs can dig up your soil looking for some respite from the heat.
Home Remedies That Prevents Your Dog From Digging
Dogs’ love for digging wouldn’t have been a severe problem if they weren’t damaging your properties in the process.
Dogs can damage your fresh lawn, your fence or garden you’re tending to; doesn’t matter what it is, dogs digging in your yard is not a pleasant sight.
Now, with the many reasons we’ve seen that can make a dog dig, we need to also look at simple home solutions to tackle this problem. To know what might be the cause of your dog digging up your soil, you need to observe how, when and where it digs. This will give you a clear idea of what the cause is. That way, you can quickly get a solution to it.
Bear in mind that some dogs just love digging and it might be difficult to eradicate digging from their habits. You should look up your dogs digging habits before purchasing.
Here are home remedies to tackle digging problems in your house. You’re free to experiment and try different methods as each technique works differently on the different dogs.
#1. Create Fun Activities for Your Dog
Dogs love to play, and boredom is a strong factor why they dig. Letting your dog play with non-harmful toys around the house will help keep his mind away from digging up your soil. Giving your dog attention and creating fun activities for it will go a long way to reduce digging of your land.
#2. Build Shade Outside
Dogs that burrow your soil in search of a serene environment to relax can do with a cool place outside your house. Try to create a shade where your dog can rest during a hot day. Dogs will not have to dig up your soil if they can get a relaxed environment outside your house.
#3. Spray vinegar
Dogs do not like the strong smell from vinegar. Spraying vinegar where dogs dig will chase them away from that area once they perceive the smell. Vinegar is not good on plants, so be careful not to spray directly on your plants. You can soak cotton balls in the vinegar and drop it around your dog’s favorite digging spots.
#4. Drop Orange/Lime Peels or Spray the Juice
The strong smell of oranges and limes makes dogs very uncomfortable. Dropping orange or lime peels in areas where your dogs frequently dig will chase your dog away from there. You can also spray orange or lime juice which is entirely safe for your dog.
#5. Remove Attractions
Dogs love to dig areas with loose soil; they also dig up areas where they perceive food. To avoid this, remove all forms of temptations for your dog. Try to avoid tilling up your garden in the presence of your dog. Cover up areas that have been recently loosened. Also, remove all food debris from areas your dog can dig up.
#6. Cover the Soil with Stones
Using big flat rocks to cover areas where your dog usually digs will deter him from digging as it’ll be very uncomfortable to dig.
#7. Spray Cayenne Red Pepper
Cayenne pepper is a popular spice that is used in food. It is found in most homes. Spraying it near areas your dog likes to dig will keep the dog away. Careful as it might cause sneezing snorting in your dog.
#8. Drop Your Dog’s Feces on that Area
This is an unconventional method but highly effective. Most dogs dislike the smell of their feces. Dropping it in the hole your dog likes to dig will most likely keep it away. First, check that the smell of your dog’s poop is unconducive for it as some dogs eat their feces.
These methods are not set in stone, feel free to try as many as possible to see which works best for you. Also, keep in mind that you might not be able to completely tame the digging habit in some dogs.
