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Give your dog something else to do whileyou are working in the garden,

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Text: Louise Basson (certified dog trainer)

Photography: Johann Theron

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Dogsare very social creaturesand as a result behaviouralproblems like excessivebarking and digging oftenarise from being isolated and

bored, What is an unacceptable behaviourto us is acceptable behaviour to your dog- he uses these behaviours to cope withhis environment. Dogs dig for a numberof reasons: stress, exploring, hunting,escaping, comfort to cool off in the ground,but most often, boredom,

Some dog breeds are more prone todigging, such as Terriers and Labradors,and they need an outlet for their urge to dig.Following are ten things you can do to stopyour dog from digging in places you do notwant him to.

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1. Give your dog a spotIt is not fair to your dog to expect him tonever fulfil his need for digging. It is alsonot fair to you as your dog will at some pointfail you because your expectation is too high.Provide a special digging area in your gardenwhere your dog likes to be and which is closeto the house. Put some fresh soil and evenmanure in this spot with leaves and hoovesor toys for your dog to find. When he digsthere praise him for it. If he digs in anotherarea of the garden, say no and gently takehim to his area. Encourage digging in hisspot and praise him for doing so.

2. GardeningIf your dog is a born digger do not encouragehim by gardening in front of him. Dogs loveraked ground and freshly planted plants.

3. Playing gamesPlay with your dog before you leave thehouse. Make sure your dog has had some ofthe day's stimulation before you leave forthe day so that all his energy is not buildingup until you get home. Otherwise he willfind other ways to entertain himself, likedigging.

4. Exercise is by far the mostimportant element to eliminatedigging.Exercise stimulates your dog physically andmentally. For each dog this will be different.For some dogs a 45 minute walk daily willbe enough and for others it would have to

march 2011