[ZoeMarie]

Ok, so our great dane puppy has a new hobby. I let her out to go potty and I watch her from the window in the kitchen so I know when she's done and I go out to get her. Lately, she's start digging and there's no hole when I see her start to dig but then she really goes to town and in the few seconds it takes me to get outside she's got the hole about a foot in diameter and 6 inches deep. I really don't need booby traps all over the backyard. I've tried a very stern "NO!" when she's digging if I catch her in the act and taking her directly inside. This doesn't work. Now that she's back in training she's learning "Leave it," which she does when we're practicing with her but doesn't seem to work on the digging. What the heck should I do?

[tickle]

She will grow out of it, and then you will have a really really big dog that does what you say. Puppies will be puppies. Just be thankful an pup that size is not eating your furniture !

Tick

[ZoeMarie]

I sure hope she grows out of this. She comes in the house absolutely filthy when she does this. I think that might be more irritating than the holes she's digging. Lol

[tickle]

If its warn enough, hose her down, she will probably love it and start jumping and biting the water, thinking you and the water are playing a game with her ! Try it, my taffy just loves when I do that and she goes bonkers even at 11 LOL

Tick

[teachnk]

Increasing her exercise might help. My dog used to do it when she had extra energy to spend. I found that very long "controlled" walks really helped. Good luck!

[rex123]

Well as many times as I've said this I think you should try it cause with me it worked wonders. Cesar Millan always says to curb the behaviour, in a way that we don't take the dogs instincts away. So you could buy a small sand box and teach her to dig on command and only in that spot.

Every time you see him outside digging, go out and bring her to her sand box, and say ''dig'' if she does not you could even show her how with your hands, just move the dirt around a bit. As soon as she digs in the sand box give her lots of praise.

Now, for the dirt I can't really help you with that, Rex comes in from outside and his paws are so dirty... We try to wipe them off with a cloth, it don't work extremely well, my mom's even trying to teach him to wipe his paws on the mat, by himself.LOL

[danielnoahsmommy]

Maybe she is bored. Put her to work give her a job. i.e. little obstacle course or toys that take effort such as a toy that you fill with treats and they have to figure out how to get it out.

[Catsmine]

If the pic is your puppy she looks awful big for walking to tire her out. If she's good on a leash then taking her for a bike ride might work. When I've had diggers it normally was an excess energy/boredom problem. I had one that decided he liked swimming better than digging. Have you got a kiddie pool?

[ZoeMarie]

Well it's a little too cold here right now for water activities, although I did find out that she loves to play with the hose when I was trying to spray the mud off her paws. I try to get her enough exercise. I know she needs more but I play with her out in the yard every day and take her for walks whenever I get time- which isn't EVERY day but I try. I wouldn't even try walking her while I'm on a bike yet, she's just started back in obedience training so we'll see. I appreciate all the help guys! I think I may get her a sand box or something that she can dig in like that. I've gotten her a couple frisbees and she loves to play in the backyard with those.

[Catsmine]

One other idea occurred to me... if you have a big box pet store nearby that allows canine visitors(around here it's a Petsmart), take her with you to choose a chewtoy. We did that with Sheba(see picture at left) and she chose an ultraplush carrot of all things. It provided her hundreds of hours of gnawing where a tanned cow's ear lasted 43 minutes.

[artlady]

Here is a nice article I think you will find helpful.
Behavior Problems - Digging Problems, Stop Your Dog from Digging in the Yard, Your Garden, in the Flowers

[ZoeMarie]

OK, my husband and I want to give the sand box idea a try. We have water outside for her to keep cool, plenty of shade, toys, she goes for walks. She just really loves to dig. My question is, how big should we make a sand box for a great dane?

[Catsmine]

how big should we make a sand box for a great dane?

How much yard do you want to give up? Seriously, make it at least large enough for her to curl up in the hole she digs.

[rex123]

I was just thinking about the sand box idea. You would have to be very careful with it. I've never had a sandbox but my neighbours did for their kids. And it was NOT SANITARY at all! All the neighbourhood pets used it as a litter box, which in itself was disgusting. And then later in a whole wack of wasps decided to build a nest in there. If your going to use a sandbox with sand in it, you will have to keep it very clean and make sure no wasps or bees get in it.

I'm guessing that the point of the sandbox is to give her certain area to dig. So instead of putting sand in it, why not take the sides of the sand box and just put it over a certain spot on your lawn. That way she will already dig it and it is sanitary(it will not look like a giant litter box) and there will be no wasps. I don't know just a susgestion :)

*** Have you tried teaching her to dig. It worked great with my husky. My neighbours have a great dane and I can only imagine how big of a hole, those huge paws are capable of digging.

[ZoeMarie]

Yeah, I have been reading about the possibilities of it being unsanitary. Our yard is fenced in and we've never had any other dogs or cats in the yard, just squirrels and whatnot.

I would want to make it about 5ft square I think, but I didn't know if that was too big. I wonder what else I could use for fill besides sand? I don't want her to just dig in the yard because I have to hose her off every time. She gets so muddy. She looks thrilled while she's digging though and I don't necessarily want to take that away from her.

[shazamataz]

You could try fine pebbles, like the ones you put in fish tanks.

They would be small enough not to hurt her feet and they wouldn't stick to her

[ZoeMarie]

You could try fine pebbles, like the ones you put in fish tanks.

They would be small enough not to hurt her feet and they wouldn't stick to her

I was thinking about that. Maybe I'll go that route. Thanks Shaz!