A problem for many dog owners is when their animal digs in their yard and causes damage or digs under fences to get out. Although there really isn’t a perfect cure for this there are some things that you can do to prevent this before harm comes to your pet.
The first thing is that you have to be proactive in training your pet not to dig. Just like anything else you might teach them positive reinforcement is going to be key to preventing them from causing themselves problems. When they are young is the best time to teach them and it is important that you don’t leave them unattended for long periods in your yard. The consensus of many pet owners is that your animal will do this when they are bored so you have to have other things that can consume their attention. If you do see your pet digging around your yard you should stop them immediately.
Another important thing is to keep your yard clean. Many dog owners will allow their pets to take over their backyard and cover the entire yard with poop. It can get really bad but you have to make sure that you clean the yard regularly. Some dog owners have suggested that you bury the poop in any holes they may be digging and this will stop them from returning to that area. It might work or it might not but since you have to get rid of it anyway it is worth a try to see if it works with your dog.
Using Hardscaping To Prevent Your Dog From Digging
If you have a dog that digs near fence lines or around your foundation or other places that can cause serious damage or danger to the animal then it is important that you use a mulch or ground cover that is difficult for them to dig through. Applying six inches deep of large crushed gravel at least a foot wide along fences and around the perimeter of your home is a difficult material for your pet to dig through. If you have a really large dog then even this may not stop them completely.
Additionally you can add portland cement to the gravel by broadcasting it with a shovel over the stone and raking it lightly to distribute it into the top few inches of the stone. This will lock the stone together without causing a permanent cement border.
Unfortunately this may not be enough and you may find that you do need to install a border of poured concrete along your fence line that is wide enough to prevent digging. A depth of four inches and at least a foot wide is suggested. The larger the dog the wider the border should be. Again you would start the concrete slab by adding 6 inches of compacted large gravel to the hole before you pour the concrete.
Brick and other pavers might be an option but because they are relatively small they will only work slightly better than gravel so this should be limited to small dogs that aren’t really active diggers.
Chicken Wire And Rebar Mesh To Prevent Dog Digging
Some owners suggest the burying of a border of chicken wire or heavier rebar mesh along fences. This practice is often used in animal reserves to delay the animals from penetrating past fence line. Although this can be a good idea you also have to realize that this material won’t last for extended periods of time underground due to rusting. Heavier mesh products can extend this time but in reality you are looking at a product that won’t stop the initial digging around the fence line. However if you are installing gravel then it might not be a bad idea to line the bottom of the hole with chicken wire.
Final Note
Preventing your dog from doing anything that you feel is dangerous to them or harmful to your home is something that comes with training. Unfortunately some pets just do not listen to their owners or remember their training when the owner leaves them alone. This is why it is important to not leave your animal alone for long periods of time. You should keep a good watch over them and when you see digging your should repair the damage immediately and if you see active digging the pet should be reinforced to not dig while the action is occurring.
Pets are a big responsibility and unfortunately not everyone that wants one is up to the job of taking care of them. If you find that your pet is beyond your ability to care for then there are options to put it up for adoption however this is not the best way to deal with this. If you have never owned a pet before you might want to ask a shelter if you can take one for a temporary period of a few weeks. During that time you can get adjusted to all of the responsibilities of caring for a pet that you may not realize are important.
Spending time with and training your pet is your job so if you see that they are acting in a way that isn’t safe you should take the time to help them understand its not a good thing for them to be doing.