Hello!

We have an 18 month old labrador who digs holes all the way to China. We have tried putting dog poo in the holes, wire, rocks, everything! She just goes and redigs somewhere else. Any suggestions for getting her to stop would be greatly appreciated.


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  • Interesting to read all the answers ! My rabbit did the same, but the difference is that you can train a dog but can’t train a rabbit :)


  • I gave my dog a spot she was allowed to dig a bit like a raised garden bed area or a sand pit and we put bones etc in there to entice her to that spot she now only digs and buries there … I had tried everything else too


  • Get a treat ball that he has to work at getting treats from. It will keep him busy playing instead of digging.


  • Dogs usually partake in naughty behaviour because they are bored. Get it out for a long walk, play fetch with it, give it some training, try dog training classes. They should all help. Re,ember it’s only 18 months, still baby age, it’ll take time to train


  • fill water balloons and bury them where they dig.


  • Put pepper in the holes they won’t dig again.


  • I have heard that poo in the hole works but my dog just dug elsewhere!


  • Its a lab thing


  • We were minding our sons dog and it also was digging holes but there were a couple of areas that I really wanted to preserve so I spread moth balls around and that really worked IN THAT AREA. Good luck.


  • Great answers. Theres so many to try. Thankyou


  • Our dog was digging all the time tried chilli he ate it used extra strong cayenne pepper ate that too. Put his poo in the holes he dug new ones. He has loads of balls etc now in a large yard and we Play with him heaps too I think he just likes to dig we now have a digging spot for him and he is leaving the grass alone.


  • I have a lab & he is 6 now… sorry to tell you but he still digs.
    These are just holes he digs to lay in, not along the fence.
    You can try laying strong wire fence over the area, it will be stronger than chicken wire. Just make sure you lift it every couple of days otherwise the grass will grow over it.


  • We had this a same problem with our dog. We where at our wits end, had tried the chill, sand, water. You name it we did it. So we went back to where we bought her. The pet shop guy told us to put her poo I’m her holes she digs. It will take a couple days.maybe a week.or two. But it works. 8 years layer and she still hasn’t dug another hole


  • Any way to entertain her. She’s bored. Or the people who lived in your house previous to you, liked to bury bones. My dog was the same when he was her age. Here’s how I broke the cycle. Feeding him: Scatter his kibble all over the lawn. He’d have to search for it. Remember Labradors are hunting dogs as well as water dogs.
    While I was at work: Freezing meat and bones in an ice tub with water. Then remove from the tub when I gave it to him. Hydrated and preoccupied. Konga’s are really good too. Try freezing them as well. Get a pizza box and put some kibble inside. Hours of fun. Or kibble inside a plastic bottle. Good Luck


  • We used pepper in the holes and it kind of stopped but we found the more toys we gave him the less he did it so put it down to boredom in the end.


  • A farm dog who digs. I’d say she’d doing what she loves.


  • Thanks everyone, theres some great ideas there. Yes we are on a farm so theres plenty of room and our dog has two other dogs who play chasey with her lots. She is obedient with her sitting, stay etc so thats not the problem. We tried the chicken wire on the ground, she ripped it up, we tried the sand pit, she dug under it. I grow chillis in raised large wine barrels and she climbs up into them eating all the chillies. I havent done the water one yet that sounds great. Shes got heaps of toys, we spend alot of time with her outside, we exercise her heaps. I dont think shes bored but I think shes part rabbit.


  • I tried the chilli in the holes, my dog just ate it and looked for more :(


  • There are some great tips here.


  • cute but naughy dog!!! I have heard of putting pepper in the holes so when the dog goes back the senses are irritated and prevents the dog from doing this type of action. it is not cruel and could be a good way to deter your friendly companion.


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