ideas how to stop diggin holes and eating mud?

[MeekosMummy]

Any ideas how to stop a bully diggin holes and eatin the mud? I cant be out the garden with meeko all the time and when i am out with him he doesnt do it. The second i come in or turn my back hes diggin and eating the mud (it was a nice grass lawn until Meeko got his paws on it!!!)

 

[Vicaroo1000]

Why stop, Mama? Mud is deeeelicious! LOL

 

[MeekosMummy]

I forgot to add iv tried being consistent with NO and re directing him.. It doesnt work. And its not boredom he has about 10 toys out the ygarden and more in the house.

He knows he does rong because as soon as i see him do it hes like a bunny caught in headlights hes startled and drops to the floor with his sad face ! X

 

[kazzy220]

Nope. But when you find a way to stop them please do share!!

 

[MeekosMummy]

Why stop, Mama? Mud is deeeelicious! LOL

My poor garden lol..! And my nice clean Meeko stays clean for about 5mins lol. He never had grass in our old house. This is the face i get afterhe has been told no and made to go to bed... He had a nice bath this morning too!!

 

[Vicaroo1000]

Dogs like to dig and dogs with "digging addictions" LOL tend to be bored. Some consistent, "one on one" time up front with Meeko might curb his desire to create a golf course of your back yard. My Bo had a short career as a digger. Here's what I did: Bo was never left in the garden without supervision UNLESS properly exercised. A good dog is a tired dog, right? His digging was due to the extra energy he had that needed to be spent. He was a puppy afterall! Full of energy! The other thing I did after the aforementioned was disagree with digging behavior and redirected to an "approved" activity. That meant me hanging out with him, paying attention -- but it doesn't have to be forever. Once learned, Bo doesn't dig anymore. At one point, I thought of constructing a "digging spot" in the yard for them....but rethought that process because I didn't want to deal with it. I let them dig elsewhere - the beach mostly -- so he didn't go cold turkey. LOL

 

[2BullyMama]

Banks did this until she was about 2 years old.... then she just stopped. I never could get her to not do it, but one day she jsut decided she did not want to any more.... she is now 7.5 yrs old and has not done it in since.

 

[Rural mystic]

Same here. When I brought Ace home I had an ornamental garden surrounding my patio but Ace starting eating some of it and got sick a time or two. I didn't know if it was the shrubs are not but dug them all up except three of the largest which I trimmed back so he couldn't eat the leaves. Now its all dirt and he is in it off and on digging at times and wollering at others and eating some of the dirt at times. I wonder now if grass will ever grow back again unless I block it off somehow which I would prefer not to do cause don't know if it would work anyhow. All those years perfecting a garden and I dig it up for the dog. Plus years of mulching around the plants with Cyprus mulch which he also likes to chew and eat some. There is no way to get it all out. I have raked and hauled off cart fulls but of no avail because its too mixed in with the soil.

 

[BarbaraDavis]

Yep, no unsupervised yard time until the behavior stops. Also, put a lightweight leash on him when he's out in the yard, and if he starts digging, don't holler at him, but pick up the leash and just move him away from the digging site. If you interrupt him in this way several times, he's liable to just quit, particularly if you give him something else to do. Just because he has toys outside doesn't mean those toys are funner than digging in the dirt!

 

[dalmatina38]

Everything in my yard is edible either by humans or pets. I don't encourage digging but Amber does like her fresh carrots and Ruby was helping me plant potatoes the other day. So, I do not have an answer to stopping digging other than keep a watchful eye on them at all times. That is the best solution I have because Amber just loves the garden hose and anything else she deems to be "hers." Good luck.

 

[Davidh]

Good info above, and I would just stay out there with him and when he is finished with his business, bring him back inside. He should grow out of it. Diva did the same thing and I would just stay on her about it, and know she doesn't dig any more.

 

[MeekosMummy]

Thankyou all for your advice. The problem i have is that i cant always stay out with him. I try as much as possible but my partner works nights he gets in from work around 8.30 am then sleeps through the day until approx 4/5pm. Which leaves me onmy own with a 9 month old bully and 10month old baby (not the easiest thing in the world lol)! .. The weather is rubbish here in Wales so i cant stay out with Meeko if its raining! ... I say 'if' its rainin but what i really mean is because its always raining lol