My 6 month old Border Collie x Husky, Eli (Elijah). He has got into a bad habit of digging at the moment there is about.. 10 holes that are more like trenches in our backyard. We also rent our house which doesn't help. As well as the digging he gets out of the yard via digging under the back fence, he wouldn't go far but we are on a street away from a main road,where my kitten got ran over & killed a year ago. I know that he is going through the puppy stage & also that Border Collies need a lot of exercise etc. he has plenty of toys etc to play with and occasionally goes to the beach & visits my auntys dog. I walk him everyday & when it isn't possible for me to walk him he behaves & doesn't dig? On the days I do walk him he will come home & dig. I don't believe in smacking pets when they misbehave so when I try to show him that its bad ill say "naughty" & point at what he done and he usually barks back at me or runs and thinks it's a game, which he also does when I tell him his done something wrong like chewing shoes or other things. He is a good dog and has manners most of the time but because he is doing so much damage to the yard we might have to rehome him which I would really hate to do. I feel terrible because at night or when I'm not home he has to be tied up so he doesn't get out and onto the main roads. I had to put my dog of 8 years down due to problems we couldn't help, a couple of months before we got Eli & I don't want to have to lose Eli due to something I could fix. Thank you, please help me! Louise.

My 6 month old Border Collie x Husky, Eli (Elijah). He has got into a bad habit of digging at the moment there is about.. 10 holes that are more like trenches in our backyard. We also rent our house which doesnt help. Aswell as the digging he gets out of the yard via digging under the back fence, he wouldnt go far but we are on a street away from a main road,where my kitten got ran over & killed a year ago. I know that he is going through the puppy stage & also that Border Collies need alot of exercise etc. he has plenty of toys etc to play with and occasionally goes to the beach & visits my auntys dog. I walk him everyday & when it isnt possible for me to walk him he behaves & doesnt dig? on the days i do walk him he will come home & dig. I dont believe in smacking pets when they misbehave so when i try to show him that its bad ill say "naughty" & point at what he done and he usually barks back at me or runs and thinks its a game, which he also does when i tell him his done something wrong like chewing shoes or other things. he is a good dog and has manners most of the time but because he is doing so much damage to the yard we might have to rehome him which i would really hate to do. I feel terrible because at night or when im not home he has to be tied up so he doesnt get out and onto the main roads. i had to put my dog of 8 years down due to problems we couldnt help, a couple of months before we got Eli & i dont want to have to lose Eli due to something i could fix. Thankyou, please help me! Louise.


He's a puppy and an active breed and this pretty much comes with the territory - I have one dog who digs and she has one spot which she digs, I cover, she digs out again. She's 4 now but when she was a puppy when she would dig I would calmly say, "No," take her to "her digging spot," move the dirt around, she would dig there and now that's the only place she goes to dig. She's over 90 pounds and she digs holes big enough for her to sleep in.

Is he an outside dog (you say he has to be tied up at night.)

What were the problems with the last dog that you couldn't help - behavioral?

thanks, yes he is an outside dog, I use to bring him inside occasionally but he prefers outside. And no the problems with my last dog weren't behavioural she had severe kidney failure, people have told me he won't learn by me just telling him not to do it (that I should smack him) & I definitely don't want to do that. Ive never had any problems with my old dog like this but again she was a totally different breed, she only dug a little bit as a puppy. I might try and show him that he can dig down the back of the yard where there is no grass laid. He graduated from puppy school a while ago & they told me to put his no 2's in the holes which doesn't work or try pepper which also doesn't work he just goes and sniffs it all up? Thanks for giving me the idea of showing where he can dig. = ]

Husky's have it in there genes to dig. They used to dig wholes called dens and lay in them.
And like a wise man once said(Cesar Millan) we need to fulfill dogs instincts. So why don't you build your dog a special place to dig in. You could even curb the behavior and make it a command. I knew my dog would be digging a lot and my dad wouldn't want wholes in our yard. So I taught him to ``dig``. I taught him at the beach where there is unlimited sand to dig in, and everyone loves it when I show them how he digs in command.
Good Luck, and remember please don't punish him, fulfill his instincts.

= ] thanks I do encourage him 2 dig at the beach, he likes to dig with my little sister when she makes sandcastles. This afternoon I went n showed him where he wasn't allowed 2 dig ( the holes on the laid grass) && then showed him where he is aloud 2 dig & tried to makes it clear, ill just try and stick to every time he digs a hole in the wrong spot taking him to his "digging spot". Thankyou's heaps, hopefully this will work because my mum told me today that if he doesn't stop digging so many holes then we will have to rehome him =( I don't think she would but I also don't want her to get in trouble from the landlord. If use have anymore ideas please let me know. = ]

thanks, yes he is an outside dog, i use to bring him inside occasionally but he prefers outside. and no the problems with my last dog werent behavioural she had severe kidney failure, people have told me he wont learn by me just telling him not to do it (that i should smack him) & i definitly dont want to do that. Ive never had any problems with my old dog like this but again she was a totally different breed, she only dug a little bit as a puppy. i might try and show him that he can dig down the back of the yard where there is no grass layed. He graduated from puppy school a while ago & they told me to put his no 2's in the holes which doesnt work or try pepper which also doesnt work he just goes and sniffs it all up? Thanks for giving me the idea of showing where he can dig. = ]


I think the breed is too active to be tied. He is probably simply bored or lonely.

How about a sand box for the dog to dig in?

Can you put him in a crate instead of tying him? A crate is like a den, and once he gets used to going into it at night, it isn't a prison but a safe place.

I know from experience that huskies can't be trusted off leash. And my dog is tied to but he is an indoor dog and only tied when he needs to use the bathroom. I would suggest you to get a 50ft. Rope that's what we have and Rex(my dog) never has minded being tied and he never goes to the end of his rope, like if he knows his limits. I would suggest however to put him somewhere safer at night. Because we used to have a lab that was tied at night and one night something attacked her unfortunately she turned aggressive and could not be trusted we had to euthanize her.

Here is a link I found that might help

How To Stop Your Dog From Digging Up the Lawn | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_2206_stop-dog-digging.html)

Good luck.

hey thanks again for the comments, he hasn't been digging very much the past couple of days which is good. && his not always tied up his only tied up when no one is able 2 check on him at least every few minutes because of him getting out, and I don't want him getting hit by a car or stolen like a lot of dogs in our neighbourhood are. His lead he is on is about 4-5 metres long, is that an all right length? I do try to bring him inside at night but he has to sleep in my room & is very fidgety & bored in there. I think his safe outside at night our yard is fulyl fenced 6ft fences. I've fixed the back fence but he still manages to find ways. I know he does get bored when I'm not home because I'm 15 & have school to go to. I do spend plenty of time with him though. His aloud 2 dig down the back of the yard because there's no lawn laid && its sandy, I thought about giving him a sand box but I also have a cat who would most likely use it as a toilet. && thank you for the link = ] I'm going 2 have a look now. Thankyous heaps.

There is the invisible fence and, I believe a wire and pully system that effectively makes a long leash.

thanks, his being pretty good at the moment && hasn't been digging or tried to get out. = ] he hasn't had 2 have been on the lead today only this morning, but the past couple of days he has been on the lead when I can't watch him (not all day or a very long time.) but today when I was at school my neighbour came over && lectured my mum about eli being on the lead ( the lead being about 4 metres long, in shade with food && water.) saying that he was going 2 go to the council && saying smart sarcastic stuff. When they should be the 1s reported to the council because they're little yappy dogs don't shut up. =( I'm worried about going to school tomorrow because my mum isn't going to be home & the sarcastic stuff he said about us && we shouldn't have our dog, and also eli lost his collar somewhere in the yard && I can't find it that means if the council comes to check up on there complaint he won't have his collar with his registration tag on. I'm pretty annoyed about the way he spoke to my mum & what he said. && its not like eli is on the lead everyday for a long period, I only started putting him on there the other day so he doesn't get out && get hit by a car or stolen.. should I be worrying about this? Or there's nothing 2 worry about.. he isn't locked away in a yard all day either I walk him every afternoon after skool till it gets dark. Which is lyk an hour an a half 2 2 hours. Well take care...

My 6 month old Border Collie x Husky, Eli (Elijah). He has got into a bad habit of digging at the moment there is about.. 10 holes that are more like trenches in our backyard. We also rent our house which doesnt help. Aswell as the digging he gets out of the yard via digging under the back fence, he wouldnt go far but we are on a street away from a main road,where my kitten got ran over & killed a year ago. I know that he is going through the puppy stage & also that Border Collies need alot of exercise etc. he has plenty of toys etc to play with and occasionally goes to the beach & visits my auntys dog. I walk him everyday & when it isnt possible for me to walk him he behaves & doesnt dig? on the days i do walk him he will come home & dig. I dont believe in smacking pets when they misbehave so when i try to show him that its bad ill say "naughty" & point at what he done and he usually barks back at me or runs and thinks its a game, which he also does when i tell him his done something wrong like chewing shoes or other things. he is a good dog and has manners most of the time but because he is doing so much damage to the yard we might have to rehome him which i would really hate to do. I feel terrible because at night or when im not home he has to be tied up so he doesnt get out and onto the main roads. i had to put my dog of 8 years down due to problems we couldnt help, a couple of months before we got Eli & i dont want to have to lose Eli due to something i could fix. Thankyou, please help me! Louise.
Hi I'm sure it won't have to come to getting rid of your pup! Have you tried bones? My puppy used to be excactly the same an the vet advised if we gave her bones it would help with her teeth and also help with the chewing and digging.its worth a try hope it helps