How to Stop a Dog From Digging — Without Fighting His Instincts

Digging • Yard Behavior • Puppies • Escape Prevention • Breed Instincts

Your dog has turned the yard into a construction project.

There is a hole beside the patio, another one in your flower bed and one suspicious excavation project happening beside the fence.

The first thing I want to know is: why is this dog digging?

Because digging for fun is not the same problem as digging to escape. Digging for cool soil is not the same as hunting for a mole. And a terrier who thinks excavation is the greatest activity ever invented may need a slightly different plan than a bored dog who was left outside alone for three hours.

The good news is that digging is usually very manageable when the humans stop giving the dog unlimited opportunities to practice it.

My Basic Rule

You Can Dig — Just Not Wherever You Want

Digging is a normal dog behavior.

I do not necessarily need to eliminate it from the dog's life.

What I do need is control over where it happens.

My favorite solution for a dog who genuinely loves to dig is simple: give the dog a legal digging area.

Why Do Dogs Dig Holes?

Dogs dig for a lot of different reasons.

Your dog may be digging because:

• digging itself is fun;
• the dog is bored outside;
• the soil is cool and comfortable;
• there are interesting smells underground;
• the dog hears or smells rodents or other animals;
• the dog is burying or retrieving something;
• digging is part of the dog's breed tendencies;
• the dog is trying to get under the fence;
• the dog wants to reach another dog or person;
• the dog is trying to follow the family;
• the dog is under-stimulated; or
• the dog discovered one day that digging is incredibly rewarding.

I want to identify the likely motivation because the answer may be more than simply saying “No.”

Some Dogs Really Do Love to Dig

Certain dogs are naturally more interested in excavation than others.

Terriers and other dogs developed to pursue animals underground may find digging especially rewarding, but plenty of dogs with no obvious digging heritage enjoy it too.

This is one reason I like giving enthusiastic diggers an appropriate outlet instead of spending years trying to convince them that touching dirt is forbidden.

We can respect the instinct and still have landscaping.

The Biggest Mistake: Leaving the Dog Outside Unsupervised

If your dog digs every time he goes outside and you want the behavior to change, you need to see it happen.

That means supervision.

Not looking out the window every twenty minutes.

Not finding the hole after dinner and yelling about something that happened an hour ago.

You need to interrupt the behavior while the dog is actually doing it.

Every successful digging session the dog gets while nobody is watching is another rehearsal of the behavior you are trying to stop.

Interrupt Early

Do not wait until the dog has created a crater.

Watch for the beginning:

• intense sniffing at one spot;
• scratching at the soil;
• returning repeatedly to the same flower bed;
• working the bottom of the fence;
• pouncing at the ground;
• pawing around tree roots; or
• beginning to excavate mulch.

Interrupt.

Recall the dog away.

Then give him something appropriate to do.

Give the Dog a Legal Place to Dig

This remains one of my favorite solutions.

You can create a digging area with:

• a child's sandbox;
• a sturdy kiddie pool filled with sand or appropriate soil;
• a framed garden-sized section of the yard; or
• another clearly defined area that you are willing to sacrifice to the cause.

Make it interesting.

Bury toys lightly.

Hide something the dog enjoys finding.

Encourage digging there.

Praise the dog for using it.

Now the rule becomes much clearer:

You are allowed to dig. This is where you dig.

How to Teach the Digging Area

Step 1: Make the Legal Area More Interesting

Loosen the sand or soil.

Bury a favorite toy shallow enough that the dog can easily find it.

Let the dog watch you place something there if that builds interest.

Step 2: Encourage Digging There

Show the dog the area and encourage exploration.

If he digs, praise.

This is one of the rare places where you can celebrate the behavior you have been interrupting everywhere else.

Step 3: Interrupt Digging Anywhere Else

If the dog starts digging in the flower bed:

• interrupt;
• call him away;
• take him to the digging area;
• encourage digging there; and
• praise the correct choice.

Step 4: Repeat Consistently

The legal digging spot only works if the rest of the yard really is off limits.

If the garden is forbidden on Monday but nobody cares on Tuesday, the dog has not learned a location rule.

Do Not Just Keep Filling the Hole Back In

Filling holes may repair the yard.

It does not teach the dog anything.

Sometimes the newly loosened dirt is even more interesting the next time the dog comes outside.

Repair the yard, yes.

But also change the behavior.

What About Putting Dog Poop in the Hole?

This is an old suggestion people still pass around.

Some dogs may avoid that particular hole.

Others will simply move three feet over and create a new one.

It does not teach the dog where digging is appropriate, which is why it is not my preferred solution.

I Do Not Love Improvised Sharp Barriers Under the Soil

You will also hear suggestions about putting wire or similar materials underneath areas where the dog digs.

I am cautious about creating buried materials that can become exposed, deteriorate or create sharp edges where a determined dog is using paws, nails and mouth.

If physical reinforcement is needed around a fence or property boundary, I want it installed as an actual safe containment solution—not as a hidden surprise the dog discovers while excavating.

Dog Digging in Flower Beds

Flower beds are tempting.

The soil is often softer than the rest of the yard. Mulch smells interesting. Freshly planted areas have been disturbed. Humans have just spent twenty minutes working there, which can make the area even more interesting.

During training:

• supervise the dog around the garden;
• interrupt entry or digging;
• redirect to the legal digging area;
• use a garden barrier temporarily if needed; and
• do not leave the dog alone beside the exact place you are trying to protect.

Dog Digging Because the Ground Is Cool

Some dogs dig shallow depressions and lie in them because the soil underneath the surface is cooler.

If your dog is doing this during warm weather, also look at the environment.

Make sure the dog has:

• shade;
• fresh water;
• a cool resting area;
• appropriate indoor access; and
• reasonable outdoor time for the weather.

Do not turn a dog trying to get comfortable in the heat into a training battle without solving the comfort problem too.

Dog Digging for Moles, Bugs or Other Animals

If your dog digs intensely in very specific places, listens at the ground, pounces or suddenly becomes obsessed with a patch of yard, there may be something under there worth investigating.

Now you are competing with prey behavior.

Supervision and interruption still matter, but you may also need to address whatever is attracting the dog's attention in the yard.

Boredom Can Contribute — But “More Exercise” Is Not the Whole Answer

A dog who spends hours outside with nothing to do may invent something.

Digging is an excellent project.

But I do not automatically answer every digging problem by trying to exhaust the dog.

I want appropriate:

• physical exercise;
• sniffing;
• breed-appropriate activity;
• training;
• rest;
• mental work; and
• time simply existing calmly in the yard.

A dog should not have to run ten miles before he can make a good choice around a flower bed.

Digging Under the Fence Is a Different Category

If the dog is digging specifically to get out of the yard, this is no longer only a landscaping problem.

It is an escape problem.

Ask what is on the other side.

Is the dog trying to reach:

• another dog;
• wildlife;
• people;
• the front yard;
• you;
• an interesting scent; or
• simply freedom?

Once a dog has successfully dug out, I treat the dog as a flight risk until the physical boundary and the behavior have both been addressed.

Go to: How to Stop a Dog From Jumping the Fence or Leaving the Yard .

Important Distinction

If the Dog Is Digging to Reach Another Dog, Look Deeper

A dog casually digging because dirt is fun is not the same case as a dog obsessively excavating underneath a shared fence to reach the neighbor's dog.

If the dog is also:

• charging the fence;
• hard-staring;
• barking intensely;
• snapping through openings;
• trying to climb the barrier; or
• repeatedly trying to make physical contact;

treat the digging as part of that larger fence-fighting or aggression problem.

Read: How to Stop Dogs From Fighting Through the Fence .

What About an E-Collar for Digging?

Some of my clients already use a properly conditioned e-collar as part of their training system.

In that situation, an appropriately timed interruption may be one tool I consider for a dog who clearly understands the yard rule and continues choosing the forbidden digging area.

But the collar does not replace the teaching.

I still want:

• supervision;
• clear rules;
• a trained Recall;
• an appropriate alternative;
• consistent follow-through; and
• the dog's physical and emotional needs being addressed.

I do not want someone buying a training collar, putting it on an untrained dog and randomly correcting every time paws touch dirt.

The dog should understand what to do instead.

Do Not Correct After the Fact

You walk outside and discover a brand-new hole.

Your dog dug it twenty minutes ago.

Calling him over and scolding him beside the hole does not clearly teach: “Do not dig here.”

Training needs to happen when the behavior is occurring.

Use Recall Instead of Chasing the Dog Around the Yard

If your dog starts digging, I want to be able to call him away.

If Recall only works when nothing interesting is happening, build that skill separately.

Read: How to Teach a Dog to Come When Called .

What If the Dog Goes Right Back to the Hole?

Interrupt again.

Redirect again.

If the dog repeatedly returns and cannot handle freedom in the yard, add management.

That may mean:

• a leash;
• a supervised long line;
• blocking access to that section;
• ending outside time temporarily; or
• taking the dog directly to the approved digging area.

Do not stand fifty feet away saying “Stop digging!” twelve times.

Follow through.

The Dog Needs Enough Repetitions of the Right Answer

This part is not exciting.

It is also what works.

Dog approaches flower bed.

Interrupt.

Recall.

Redirect.

Dog digs in sandbox.

Good.

Repeat.

The dog's behavior changes when the pattern becomes clear and consistent.

Watch for the Dog Choosing the Right Area on His Own

This is the part people miss because they are so busy watching for mistakes.

Your dog walks toward the flower bed, pauses, and goes to the sandbox instead?

Good.

Your dog sniffs the old hole and walks away?

Good.

Your dog digs enthusiastically in the legal area?

Good.

Those choices need reinforcement too.

Puppy Digging

Puppies investigate everything.

Dirt moves. Mulch smells interesting. Roots are exciting. Digging produces immediate feedback.

That is why I address puppy digging early instead of laughing for six months and deciding it is a terrible habit when the dog reaches forty pounds.

Supervise.

Interrupt the wrong area.

Redirect to the right one.

Puppies learn household rules through repetition just like adult dogs.

Can You Eventually Stop Supervising Every Second?

Yes.

Supervision is heavier while the dog is learning.

Then I begin giving a little more freedom and watching what the dog chooses.

If he heads straight back to the garden and excavates the hydrangea, he was not ready for that much freedom.

Add support again.

Get more repetitions.

Try again later.

Your Yard Should Be More Than a Place to Burn Energy

I want dogs capable of being outside without constantly inventing a project.

A dog should be able to:

• sniff;
• wander;
• play;
• dig in an approved place if that is something he enjoys;
• lie in the sun;
• settle in the shade;
• respond when called; and
• simply coexist with the yard.

Digging does not need to become a full-time job.

The Practical Plan

How I Stop Unwanted Digging

• Figure out why the dog is digging.
• Stop leaving the dog outside unsupervised while retraining.
• Interrupt digging in forbidden areas as it begins.
• Use Recall rather than chasing the dog.
• Create a legal digging area for dogs who genuinely enjoy digging.
• Make the legal area interesting.
• Redirect the dog there every time.
• Reward the correct digging location.
• Temporarily block gardens or vulnerable areas if necessary.
• Address heat, boredom, prey interest or other contributing factors.
• Treat digging under the fence as an escape problem.
• Reduce supervision only after the dog repeatedly demonstrates the new rule.

Questions Dog Moms Are Searching

Dog Digging Q&A

Why is my dog digging holes in the yard?

Dogs may dig because the behavior is fun, the ground is cool, they smell animals underground, they are bored, they have a strong digging instinct or they are trying to escape. The reason helps determine the best solution.

How do I stop my dog from digging holes?

Supervise the dog, interrupt digging as it begins, call the dog away and redirect to another activity or an approved digging area. Prevent unsupervised rehearsal while teaching the new rule.

Can I give my dog a sandbox to dig in?

Yes. A sandbox or designated digging area is one of my favorite solutions for dogs who genuinely enjoy digging. Teach that digging is allowed there and not throughout the rest of the yard.

How do I teach my dog to use a digging box?

Hide toys or other appropriate items shallowly in the digging area, encourage the dog to investigate and praise digging there. Redirect the dog back to that area whenever digging begins somewhere else.

Why does my dog keep digging in the same spot?

There may be an interesting smell, animal activity, loose soil, something buried there or simply a well-established habit. Inspect the area and supervise while changing the pattern.

Why does my dog dig in my flower beds?

Flower beds often have soft disturbed soil, mulch and interesting smells. Supervise, interrupt digging there and redirect the dog to an approved location.

Why does my dog dig holes and lie in them?

Some dogs dig shallow holes because cooler soil provides a comfortable place to lie. Make sure the dog also has shade, water and appropriate relief from warm weather.

Why is my dog digging under the fence?

The dog may be trying to escape, reach another dog, follow a scent, pursue wildlife or get to people or activity outside the yard. Treat fence digging as a containment problem as well as a training problem.

How do I stop my dog from digging under the fence?

Secure the physical boundary so the dog cannot complete the escape, supervise outdoor time and address the motivation driving the dog toward the other side of the fence.

Is my dog digging because he is bored?

Boredom can contribute, especially when dogs are left outside for long periods with little interaction. But digging may also involve instinct, prey interest, temperature or escape behavior, so do not assume boredom is always the cause.

Will more exercise stop my dog from digging?

Appropriate exercise can help an under-stimulated dog, but exercise alone may not stop a behavior the dog finds inherently rewarding. Training, supervision and an appropriate outlet are often still needed.

Should I punish my dog for digging?

Correcting a dog long after you discover a hole does not clearly teach where digging is forbidden. Intervene while the behavior is occurring and show the dog what to do instead.

Does putting dog poop in a hole stop digging?

It may discourage some dogs from returning to one particular hole, but it does not teach a general rule and many dogs simply dig somewhere else.

Should I put chicken wire under the dirt to stop digging?

I prefer safely installed containment solutions rather than improvised buried materials that may become exposed or develop sharp edges where a dog is actively using paws and mouth.

What if my puppy keeps digging?

Address it early. Supervise the puppy, interrupt digging in forbidden areas and consistently redirect to an approved digging spot or another appropriate activity.

Can an e-collar stop dog digging?

For a dog already properly conditioned to an e-collar within a broader training system, a correctly timed interruption may be one tool. It should not replace teaching, supervision, Recall or providing an appropriate alternative.

Dog Is Digging Under the Fence?

If the dog is trying to escape, fix the containment and the motivation behind the escape.

Stop Yard Escapes

Trying to Reach Another Dog?

Digging may be one part of fence fighting or dog-directed aggression.

Work on Fence Fighting

Dog Ignores You Once Digging Starts?

Build Recall separately so you can interrupt the behavior cleanly.

Teach Reliable Recall

Digging Is Part of a Bigger Behavior Problem?

If the dog cannot settle outside, escapes, reacts at the fence or ignores direction throughout the yard, we can look at the whole pattern.

Schedule a Behavior Consultation

Give the Instinct a Better Address

I Do Not Need to Fight the Dog Over Being a Dog

Some dogs love to dig.

Fine.

Give them a place where digging is allowed and then become very consistent about where it is not.

Supervise while the dog is learning. Interrupt the wrong location. Redirect to the right one. Reward the better choice.

And if the digging is really an attempt to escape, reach another dog or get through the fence, address that bigger problem instead of pretending you only have a landscaping issue.

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