Is your dog destroying your garden?

It’s always a good idea to understand why your dog is doing something you’d rather they didn’t. Try to remember that they’re not being spiteful, digging is just something lots of dogs do for different reasons, including:

• Boredom
• They are playing
• Dogs just love to dig!
• They are mounting a great escape!
• Anxiety
• What is your dog trying to tell you?

Here are some things you can do to reduce the chance of them causing damage:

• Walk your dog at least once a day. Lack of exercise is a leading cause of problem behaviour.

Exercise yourself and your dog at the same time!

• Have some meaningful interaction with your dog every day. You could teach them some tricks or play fetch. It doesn’t have to be long, just something regularly.
• If your dog spends time outdoors on their own, make sure they have some toys to amuse themselves. Have a box of toys and rotate them so they don’t get bored.
• You should also try to avoid using fertilizers that are likely to attract your dog and make them more likely to dig (blood and bone is especially attractive to dogs).
• If the weather is hot, dogs sometimes dig holes so they can lie in the cool dirt. Provide plenty of shade and/or shelter, or you could even fence off a section of your garden where you are happy for them to dig. 5 ways to keep your pets cool in summer
• If your dog digs in the ‘acceptable’ spot – reward them with lots of praise. It could be a food treat, telling them how good they’ve been, or just a scratch on the chest.  
• You could fence off any garden beds to protect them or even use raised garden beds to keep your precious plants out of reach.
• If your dog is eating plants and grass, they may have a digestive problem. Sometimes they will chew certain plants to make them feel better. If this is happening, take them to the vet to check them out.  There are also things you must protect your dog from in the garden, such as rodent baits, snail and slug baits, and plants that are toxic to dogs.
• Avoid punishing your dog if they dig – this doesn’t address the underlying cause and you could make them anxious, leading to more digging!  

Source: RSPCA

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