Digging 101

Digging can be an annoying problem to deal with.  It can ruin your backyard and offer an escape route under the fence.  But why do puppies and dogs dig?  A lot of breeds are diggers; terrier breeds for instance love to dig.  A lot of the terriers were bred for hunting purposes, and they mainly hunted rodents.  So, to get to the rodent they were hunting, they developed great digging skills, lucky you!! J

But this is not the only reason why dogs dig.  Let’s face it; digging is fun, especially when you’re board.  You’re probably thinking, but the dog is outside, how can he possibly be bored??  Boredom can be a result of many different things, including lack of mental stimulation, lack of exercise, and lack of excitement.  Proper exercise and mental stimulation will tire a dog out.  A dog won’t want to escape as much if he is too tired to do so.

Yes, your backyard is boring!!  If I put you in a room for exercise day after day after day without changing the scenery or toys available, you would eventually get bored, right?  And just beyond the fence…. oh look, a new playmate to meet (dogs and people passing by).  So how can you curb instinct and keeping the dog interested enough to stay in your yard?    Buy him a sandbox.

Buying him a sandbox provides him his own area to dig in.  This will encourage your dog to dig in appropriate places.  In the beginning, place new chew toys and bones sticking out of the sandbox so he sees them.  This will entice him to dig, plus give him a rewarding toy.  Change up the toys and bones so you keep everything new and exciting.   Once he gets the idea where to dig, you can start burying the toys even further in the sand.  This makes it a little harder to find, making him use his nose and brain to find the toys.  You should soon have a happy and tired dog on your hands, who will want to stay in his yard.

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies."

- Gene Hill

socializing 101

Socializing your dog from an early age is very important.  A puppy has a very short window to help it view its surroundings as a positive thing.  The time frame in which this window of opportunity closes is at about 4 months of age.  If you adopt a dog at an older age, you can still help it be more comfortable with its surroundings, but it might be more difficult and you may not fully remove that fear. 

Once given the o.k. by the vet, the puppy should be out and about, meeting all different types of people and dogs.  People should be petting and giving your puppy treats to help build a positive association with strangers.  Kids are a very important part of this socialization period as well.  Kids tend to move fast and cause a dog to become nervous around them.  Kids also need to be taught how to behave around the puppy.  Some pet the puppy too rough or pull on the tail or ears of the dog.   Kids and puppies or dogs should not be left alone unsupervised, I don’t care how well behaved your dog or puppy is.  All it takes is one time for your child to accidently hurt the dog or tease the dog, and the dog may retaliate in its own defense and bite.

Group classes and daycares are wonderful; they allow for supervised socialization with other friendly dogs.  You should be very careful as to which dogs you allow them to play with.  The dog needs to be pretty friendly; you don’t want the puppy to have a bad experience while meeting a new dog because this could cause the puppy to fear other dogs.  That being said, many people get very nervous when dogs correct each other and puppies.  It is ok for a dog to correct another dog or a puppy, this is how a puppy learns what is appropriate behavior or not.  If you are unsure of what is o.k. and what is not, the daycares and classes can help you with that.  They are professionals and know what to look for.

With a well socialized puppy, you will help it grow up into a confident adult dog.  Next week we will talk about potty training for puppies and dogs.  "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." - Roger Caras