To cure a bad case of digging is essential to figure out and address the underlying cause. Try to figure out why the dog is doing it and see if you have the appropriate solution.  For instance, your dog may be digging to find something to eat. He or she might have a dietary deficiency that needs to be addressed. S

ometimes feeding your pup a mineral supplement or a supplement that contains vegetable can cure your dog’s appetite for dirt and digging.   O

ne clue that your dog might have a vitamin deficiency is if he or she spends a lot of time licking rocks.  If your dog is digging to hide things in a hole then he or she might be jealous of another pet or a child in the home.  

The toy or piece of food might be buried so that the competition can’t get it. This type of insecure digger is trying to tell you that they need more one-on-attention.   If you are favoring one animal over another you may be triggering this behavior.

 If it seems like your dog is digging to fulfill a hunting instinct then you may not be feeding him enough food.  

Malnourished dogs are more likely to burrow in the ground to find something to drink.  

A dog that has worms or is sick with some kind of ailment might also resort to digging in order to hide his feces or urine. This is also caused by an old primal instinct that urges sick animals to bury their excrement so that predators can’t take advantage of their weakened state.  

Here are some tips for discouraging your dog to dig.  

1.                 Never punish a dog for digging. All this will do is teaches him or her not to dig in your presence. The minute you turn your back, the burrowing will probably start again. Even worse, the dog may find a substitute for digging in the earth and instead dig a hole in your favorite couch. She may resume digging when you’re not around or find unique things to dig into – such as dig a hole in the couch as opposed to the dirt.  

2.                 Digging may be an indication that your dog needs more exercise.  Try doubling the amount of walks that you take your pet on in a day and see if this helps.  

3.                 Don’t bring your dog’s chewy toys or food into the yard. This gives him the idea to hide his treasures beneath the ground in case any other creature in the great outdoors is coveting them.  

4.                 Does your dog have enough shade?   If you live in a hot climate the dog might be digging the hole to find a cool spot.   Ways to discourage this behavior is to make sure there is plenty of shade in his space in the backyard.  Providing your dog with a wading pool can also discourage digging.  

5.                 Consider putting up a fence in the areas of your yard where you don’t want the pet to dig.  

6.                 Fill up the holes that your dog digs with rocks. This might give him the idea that the activity is pointless.  

7.                 Never let your dog watch you digging holes or gardening. He might get the idea to imitate you.  

8.                 If   your dog is of a breed that finds digging irresistible (such as a basset hound or daschund)   then try creating a special area in “digging area” in your yard made from a sandbox or a pile of dirt. You can encourage the dog to only dig in that spot by hiding his chew toys in that area.      The dog that is least likely to dig is a happy dog. If you want in-depthinformation about different dog breeds and how to give them the kind of training and attitude that discourages insecure and needy behaviors such as digging.

A dog will not make connections between one action or the other unless you state the obvious. The reason you have to make things obvious and repeat your commands so much is because dogs are not very intuitive or logical. Their brain works by association or reward.    

If you toss a ball and say fetch many dogs will chase the ball and then not bring it back to you. They crouch over it and start gnawing it.  It doesn’t occur to them to bring the ball right back to you (unless the dog is exceedingly willing to please). You need to ,tell, through a verbal or visual command that you want that ball brought back.   This takes some training.  For example, if the dog grabs the ball into his mouth and takes a step towards you, you say ‘Good boy!’   or “Good girl!” If he drops the ball or runs away from you, you give the command again. Then, when he takes even one step towards you, you praise him.

This is how the dog gradually realizes what you want him to do.  Praise the dog repeatedly for doing even the littlest thing right and keep a pocket full of treats. However don’t use a treat that is so appealing that it makes your dog drop the ball.  

This thought process, which is called chaining, is a process of association that unfortunately, with some dogs can take some patience before he makes the relationship between the command and the praise. Once the dog has made this kind of “connection’ between events, he will soon start to repeat them just to be lavished with your approval.  Sometimes there is just no way to accelerate this learning process for a dog. It really does depend on the dog’s breed and the dog’s personality type.   All you can do is be patient.  

Most dogs will see training as a game at first. It is recommended that you give both your dog and yourself time to learn about each other. You can’t go too slowly, and if you go too quickly you’ll put the dog off the entire idea of learning.    If you do encounter problems, go back a stage or leave it for a few days and try again. Never show anger and keep it fun – this is a way of spending quality time together after all!   You simply have to be patient and take it step by step; otherwise you risk confusing your pet.  

Another key is to make sure you are gratifying the dog with a reward he or she will appreciate. Some dogs love treats, some dogs don’t care about food that much but may prefer to play with their favorite toy for a while as a reward. Others will simply be satisfied with approval and a nice pet on the head. The height of successful dog training however, is when you can get your pet to do what you say without any physical reward and just use visual or verbal cues.