How Can I Stop Dog From Digging Holes?

Question: Help!  My 8 month old Norweigan Elkhound/Husky mix won’t stop digging holes in the yard. He isn’t out there more than 10 - 15 mins at a time.  WE have tried everything including putting toys out there, to putting feces in the holes.  Do you have an idea that can solve this problem? - from Annemarie

Answer: An 8 month old Norwegian Elkhorn Husky is practically a pre-teen. Males take longer to mature sexually, but soon after they reach their adult weight, sexual maturity starts taking over.

You also have a breed that doesn’t like to be confined. If he’s not neutered yet, this is probably a good time to do it. Neutering a dog before he reaches maturity will help reduce roaming, fighting with other males, marking everything in sight, and keep him healthier (lesser chance of prostate infections and cancer). Contrary to popular belief, castrated males can still “perform” responsibly (without fathering a litter). 

As far as tricks to keep him in, toys and feces (fence perimeter) are a great idea, but it sounds like there’s
something driving him out.

You can also try pepper as a humane deterrent, but if roaming is more a concern than digging, you may have to resort to more serious measures to keep him in.

If you catch him in the act or find a new hole, make sure you bring it to his attention. A firm NO! and body language that tells him you’re very disappointed is a good start.

Neutering will help in more ways than you know (for his health and your sanity), and pepper or feces are definitely what the doctor orders! 

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This entry was posted on Thursday, February 22nd, 2007 at 10:33 am and is filed under Dog Problem, Dog Obedience, Adult Dog Problems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.