DIGGING AND DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR

Digging is a normal behaviour that is often seen as inappropriate to us. Therefore several things need to be understood about it.

There are many reasons that dogs may dig. Puppies will often dig as part of play and development of that skill. It is at this time that teaching not to dig is most effective. Dogs also dig out of boredom, frustration and anxiety - separation anxiety being the more common of these. Many dogs will continue to dig if they are not taught not to.

There are several things that can be done to help stop digging.

1) When you are there - using remote deterrents such as the hose, water pistols or loud unpleasant noises to discourage your dog can be effective. Remember that yelling at, smacking, or punishing your dog after it has stopped digging is not effective in controlling this behaviour. Even punishment during digging is less effective than prevention.

2) When you are not there - if there is a particular place that your dog digs, this place can be booby trapped with a water balloon, chicken wire etc.. If digging is continuous and non-specific with regards to location, you may need to have your dog in a pen where he/she can not dig while you are out.

Providing a digging pit can also help, remembering that the dog needs to be taught to dig there. If you catch your dog digging elsewhere, use a remote deterrent then take your dog to the digging pit.

Some dogs that do not respond to these things, may need to be kept inside until they learn to not dig.

If your dog digs only when you are not with them, a separation anxiety related disorder may be present and will need more specific treatment.

In such circumstances we recommend a behavioural consultation. We will try to determine the underlying problem to the disorder and recommend the appropriate treatment.

Destruction can be a difficult, frustrating and expensive problem to deal with. There is often an underlying problem such as separation anxiety or boredom that causes your dog to be destructive. It is not until these problems are rectified that the problem will be resolvable.

Destruction will often occur as an attention seeking device or as a sign of frustration. Boredom is often a problem that needs to be rectified. More walks etc, bones to chew on, interesting toys such as 'Kongs' can all be utilised to help reduce boredom.

Separation anxiety is a problem where the dog overreacts to being left alone. The associated destruction can be very frustrating to you, however the constant anxious feeling of your dog can also be quite distressing for him/her. If you are having difficulty with destruction please contact us. We can determine if your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, and teach you the appropriate way to deal with it. This involves a personalised desensitising and retraining program to help your dog get used to you leaving. We also find some medications can help significantly with the retraining.

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