Uhoh we have a digger [Archive]

Sirrahsim

02-25-2008, 06:10 PM

I left Ginger unattended for all of five minutes this afternoon while I cleaned up the dinner dishes... When I went to check on her I discovered that she had managed to uproot the fence anchors and climb under the fence :eek: She was over there romping around with the neighbors (intact!) bulldog :eek: At 10 weeks ish she is too young to get pregnant, right??? :eek: From now until further notice she will be tied out and supervised everytime she is outside.
Any suggestions on how to keep her from escaping? The long metal stake type fence anchors didn't even slow my little girl down :rolleyes:

k9krazee

02-25-2008, 06:18 PM

Yes, at 10 weeks she is too young to get pregnant. She'd have to go through heat first, and that usually happens around 6 months. And if you get her spayed before her first heat cycle it will greatly reduce her chance of cancer in the future.

To keep her from escaping/digging I'd only put her out loose in the backyard when you can watch her. In fact with a 10 week old puppy I'd never leave them out unsupervised. And if you're out there with her you can make sure to correct her if she does start to dig. Bored dogs dig, entertained dogs do not.

shais_mom

02-25-2008, 07:57 PM

welcome to the world of Golden puppies!
I remember sitting down crying one day sobbing saying if I can't handle you I can't handle Kids....
But one of my friends who has 2 kids got a golden puppy - she had a golden but he was at least 3 before they got him- told me that KIDS WERE EASIER!!
One thing to do it blow up some balloons and put them where she digs - bury them and when she goes to dig - they pop - scaring her - HOPEFULLY deterring her.
If you are out watching her and she digs - spray her with the hose or a water bottle.
GOOD LUCK!

emc

02-25-2008, 08:40 PM

I also agree that a puppy shouldn't be left outside without supervision. It's not safe for the little puppy, even if she's from a larger breed.

-----------------
Paws In Art (http://www.styleartc.com/portraits)

Giselle

02-25-2008, 09:34 PM

Oh dear! Ginger, stop digging!

However, does your fence extend below underground? For persistent dogs of certain breeds, it's probably best if you extend your fence underground so that there will still be a barrier when they dig. And how tall is it? I saw pictures of it in your pictures and it looks like 4 feet. If Ginger turns out to be a hopper as well as a digger, I might rethink the height of the fence.

Puppies. Gotta love em :D

Sirrahsim

02-25-2008, 09:51 PM

We are not allowed to bury anything in the ground or get a taller fence. We just have to figure out a way to work with what we have. I would love to be able to supervise Ginger consantly but with two small children it is a miracle that I can see to her needs as well as I do. I don't need to be made to feel guilty for trying to grab 5 minutes of peace (as peaceful as it can be with 2 kids under the age of 3). I thought that letting her play outside for a few minutes would be more humane than locking her in her crate but I guess I was wrong :(

Sirrahsim

02-25-2008, 09:52 PM

sabies

02-25-2008, 10:01 PM

I don't know how you do it with your little ones. I so far think dogs are easier but that's just it - my dog was very young, but still an adult when I got her so I never went thru the puppy stage and as for the baby well she is just kicking my butt.

Cinder & Smoke

02-25-2008, 10:04 PM

I thought that letting her play outside for a few minutes would be more humane
than locking her in her crate ...

Try "relaxing" in a chair by a window that gives you a view of the fenced area.
Let the Pup out AND keep a "relaxed eye" on her!

If she strays out of sight or :eek: *digs* - a sharp "rap" or two on the window
should be enough to distract her and bring her closer to you.

Sirrahsim

02-25-2008, 10:08 PM

Try "relaxing" in a chair by a window that gives you a view of the fenced area.
Let the Pup out AND keep a "relaxed eye" on her!

If she strays out of sight or :eek: *digs* - a sharp "rap" or two on the window
should be enough to distract her and bring her closer to you.

I wish that I had time to sit in a chair by the window and relax... Maybe when the kids go off to school..

crazyboutanimals

02-25-2008, 10:13 PM

One thing to do it blow up some balloons and put them where she digs - bury them and when she goes to dig - they pop - scaring her - HOPEFULLY deterring her.
If you are out watching her and she digs - spray her with the hose or a water bottle.
GOOD LUCK!

i would be afraid that once the balloon popped :eek: and the initial scare was over, they would go investigate and maybe eat the balloon :( ...

i know the OP problem, i have a GSD/Lab mix and the snow is melting and the ground is getting softer... :eek: and my little cinni and thunder love to see what is on the other side.. i talked to my dad and he suggested that chicken wire be placed around the fence area about 6 inches or so, that way when they start to dig the hit the chicken wire and then, hopefully stop... :D

if not, i will only prewrite notes to all my surrounding neighbors, ( all of which have dogs as well) that if in fact they see my "children" to send them back on home :rolleyes: .. lucky for us, we all have fenced yards, so, they could not get very far ;)

caseysmom

02-25-2008, 10:13 PM

I wish that I had time to sit in a chair by the window and relax... Maybe when the kids go off to school..

Yeah I had two kids under three I know what you are going through. Try gettng a little playpen for her, for dogs. I had that for bubba, yes he is smaller but it saved him and my house when I had to cook dinner, etc and I didn't feel like he was being put in a crate.

crazyboutanimals

02-25-2008, 10:28 PM

A sandbox: Try to remember that digging is a natural tendency for dogs. So, if there is any place where your dog may be allowed to dig, you should encourage it (and only in that place). Designate an area where the dog can dig. Many people build a sand box for their dog. Place the box in an area that is cool in summer and warm in winter.

To teach the dog to dig only in the box, place or bury toys or treats (sliced hotdogs, for example) in the box. Encourage the dog to dig up the toy or treat. Praise the dog. Repeat until the dog willingly jumps in and digs. Watch the dog. When it starts to dig in any other place, quickly go out and take your dog to its box. Show it (by digging yourself), that it should dig in its box.

To deter boredom, place several toys/treats in the box before you leave for work. The dog will spend its time digging in the correct place rather than digging up your roses. You can also sprinkle animal essence (available at hunting supplies places).

Remember that dogs like to dig in freshly turned earth. So get out that shovel and turn the dirt over in the sand box every now and then. Toss in some fresh dirt. Keep a close eye on freshly planted areas, as they will be very attractive (bury some extra hotdogs in the sandbox when you are putting down new plants).

Put a cheap wooden deck over the area of the backyard. Or get a roll of rabbit cage wire (Home Depot) and lay flat over ground, stake it down. Also you say you walk him, so section off your yard with the wire leaving enough room for a toilet area.

Line the yard. for extreme cases you can line the yard with chicken wire and put a layer of sod over that. Use paving bricks or blocks around the edge to prevent the dog from injuring itself on the edge of the chicken wire.

Ok this is going to raise some eyebrows but it is not so bad, really. I did dog rescue work for 13 years and one of the vets we use suggested that when we trim the dogs nails that we trim them just a bit shorter than you are supposed to and apply styptic powder. It doesn't exactly hurt when they dig but it is uncomfortable like when you chew a nail down to the quick. It took me a while to get up the courage to do this but the dogs didn't seem to be in distress at all and quit digging. Of course you have to give them other stuff to do chew toys etc, and lots of exercise. I tried the chicken wire thing and it cut up their paws much crueler I think than this. You could file them down if you don't like using the clippers.

Giselle

02-25-2008, 11:17 PM

Surprises in the hole: The Koehler dog method advocates filling holes with water and sticking dog's head under the water for a few seconds or so. This may not work with some breeds (e.g., Labradors), and may not appeal to you as a method to try.

:eek: OMG. I would definitely not encourage you to try that.

I had a feeling you had restrictions on the fence, so I guess my best suggestion would be to use some type of physical barrier to discourage digging rather than an aversive. I like the idea of lining chicken wire on the ground since you can't extend the fence below the ground. At the least, it'll give you 5 minutes of peace of mind (provided Ginger isn't a jumper ;) )

crazyboutanimals

02-25-2008, 11:32 PM

:eek: OMG. I would definitely not encourage you to try that.

I had a feeling you had restrictions on the fence, so I guess my best suggestion would be to use some type of physical barrier to discourage digging rather than an aversive. I like the idea of lining chicken wire on the ground since you can't extend the fence below the ground. At the least, it'll give you 5 minutes of peace of mind (provided Ginger isn't a jumper ;) )

i just want you to know that is NOT what i am going to do with my dogs, :mad: i do not agree with it 1 bit! and i forgot to delete it when i copied it.. sorry, i will edit my post to take that out.

shais_mom

02-26-2008, 04:32 AM

I'm glad you edited your post about the almost drowning of the dog b/c that makes the balloon issue pale in comparison!
:rolleyes:
I was assuming that she would be watching her and Missy would be able to pick up the balloon pieces before Ginger tried to eat them. Goldens are a mouthy breed and need to be watched constantly at that age b/c everything goes in their mouth. (as I'm sure with all puppies)
10 weeks is still too young to be allowed out without supervision.
Missy, are the boys allowed outside with Ginger? not sure what the weather is like there but was just thinking that it would be a good time for everyone to get some fresh air. :)

RobiLee

02-26-2008, 06:54 AM

I Goldens are a mouthy breed and need to be watched constantly at that age b/c everything goes in their mouth. (as I'm sure with all puppies)
10 weeks is still too young to be allowed out without supervision.
Missy, are the boys allowed outside with Ginger? not sure what the weather is like there but was just thinking that it would be a good time for everyone to get some fresh air. :)

Hi Missy,
I think that Staci has a really good idea here. You said it was for only 5 minutes. So that should be a nice little break for all to go out and catch a breather and a bit of relaxation. My Tori is a digger and I need to take this advice for myself also. I have been trying harder to keep more of an eye on her when she is outside. I'm so tired of my yard looking like a mudd pit with all the snow and her digging it looks disgusting. Both of my girls like to be out for long periods of time so now I make sure I'm checking out the window every few minutes to make sure Tori isn't doing her usual thing. Once I see that she might be digging I immediately call her inside. I also don't believe that Tori digs because she is bored. I believe she digs because she loves too..lol. She loves to make nice little holes and then lay in them and watch the world go by or take a nap. Silly husky!

Now my opinion on raising puppies vs. childern.....Puppies are far more easier to raise than children. I think anyone who says other wise is crazy ;) . Just my two cents :p :D

dukedogsmom

02-26-2008, 07:05 AM

I wish that I had time to sit in a chair by the window and relax... Maybe when the kids go off to school..
I am not slamming you at all. Maybe an older dog would have been more fitting for your situation? Puppies are a lot of work. I'd love to have a Husky but I know my schedule and no fenced in yard wouldn't work with one.

pitc9

02-26-2008, 07:19 AM

I had a HUGE problem with dogs digging under my fence, both my own dogs AND my neighbors dog. :mad: All three dogs ended up getting bitten at least once and Bud and my neighbor's dog ended up with stitches!

I ended the problem by using chicken wire and wooden slates nailed to the fence (I have a wooden fence) to keep the chicken wire in place and bricks to keep the bottem edge down.

I know you have a chain link fence so you could use zip ties/plastic tie wraps to keep the chicken wire attached to the fence and using bricks, rocks.. etc. to keep her from digging up the bottom of the chicken wire.

Vela

02-26-2008, 08:57 AM

I am not slamming you at all. Maybe an older dog would have been more fitting for your situation? Puppies are a lot of work. I'd love to have a Husky but I know my schedule and no fenced in yard wouldn't work with one.

Gotta agree with Val on this one. If you didn't have time for a puppy, maybe it wasn't the best idea to get one. You HAVE to spend the time to train it and insure its safety, even if you think you don't have time to do it. She doesn't know any better. Puppies bite, dig, jump on you, jump on kids, potty in the house on occasion, get into all sorts of trouble and eat kids toys ALL the time. They may nip small children, knock them down. If you don't have 5 minutes to watch her outside, then how are you going to have time to train the pup to stop all of those other things? I'm not bashing you at all, but everyone knows how much work a puppy is. If you take on the responsibility of a puppy, then you have to MAKE the time to do it, whether you have the time or not. Saying you can't do this or can't do that won't help, you have to try to find things you CAN do to change the problem. There were some great suggestions (mostly), and hopefully some of those can help.

I hope you are able to work things out with the pup.

Ginger's Mom

02-26-2008, 09:03 AM

My suggestion would be to put something around the edge of the yard that she can't dig. You can put patio blocks or something like that for about 12" wide in front of the fence, so she cannot dig along the fence line. Or you can section off the area around the fence with bushes or a flower garden. Something that will enhance the appearance of the yard, not be a permanent addition, and yet keep Ginger from the fence at the same time. I think if I had a yard, that is what I would do.

Pawsitive Thinking

02-26-2008, 10:46 AM

Gotta agree with Val on this one. If you didn't have time for a puppy, maybe it wasn't the best idea to get one. You HAVE to spend the time to train it and insure its safety, even if you think you don't have time to do it. She doesn't know any better. Puppies bite, dig, jump on you, jump on kids, potty in the house on occasion, get into all sorts of trouble and eat kids toys ALL the time. They may nip small children, knock them down. If you don't have 5 minutes to watch her outside, then how are you going to have time to train the pup to stop all of those other things? I'm not bashing you at all, but everyone knows how much work a puppy is. If you take on the responsibility of a puppy, then you have to MAKE the time to do it, whether you have the time or not. Saying you can't do this or can't do that won't help, you have to try to find things you CAN do to change the problem. There were some great suggestions (mostly), and hopefully some of those can help.

I hope you are able to work things out with the pup.

I'm with these ladies - but I am sure you will work things out

caseysmom

02-26-2008, 10:51 AM

I would never do the puppy thing again, too intense! However, Casey is my rescue and she has growled at small children, I just don't know her past or how she was raised for the first 3 and a half years. Bubba on the other hand was raised by us and we have helped form his personality.

If I had 2 small children I think raising a puppy with them would make me feel more comfortable, you just have to get past feeling like you are being mean crating her, you are home all day so I am sure you can do a fine job with her.

Sirrahsim

02-26-2008, 01:59 PM

Thank you to those who gave me ideas of how to fix the problem.
To those who merely suggested that I shouldn't have a puppy, I hope that you might go back and read the OP. I spend nearly every minute of the day training and teaching my puppy and my children. Taking 5 minutes to put the children in their rooms or put the puppy outside doesn't make me a bad parent or pet owner. It just makes me human. If you are telling me that you spend every second of every day watching your dogs like a hawk then I will call you a liar.
We made an informed decision about getting a puppy and chose a puppy for many reasons. One of which is that my son is scared of older and larger dogs. Seeing Ginger little and watching her grow will be a great experience for my son and it will ease him into a more comfortable state once she starts to get bigger.
I take Ginger to training classes weekly and diligently repeat her lessons throughout each and every day. I walk her at least once a day and provide her with a variety of toys.
When she climbed under the fence I was just taking a few minutes to do the dishes. I wasn't sitting on my butt at the computer or watching TV, I was caring for my family. If I'm a bad person for letting her play by herself for a few minutes while I took care of my family then fine. Next time I'll crate her.

Glacier

02-26-2008, 02:20 PM

I have diggers, tunnellers, cave builders! The bottom of my fence is buried in most places, but all the way around, there is a foot of wire along the ground. I buy 8 foot fencing and just bend the bottom foot when I put it up. I use tent stakes, topped with rocks, logs ect to hold the bottom down.

Can you angle a section in at the top to keep her from going over as she grows? I have that too in a few places. Just a couple feet of wire angled in. Stops the jumpers(most of them anyway!). I use game fencing as chain link is a ladder to my huskies!

The other option is one that probably won't work for you. You rent your home right? Your landlord might not appreciate this, but I have gone with abandon all hope of stopping the digging! As long as they aren't digging to get out, I let my dogs dig to their little heart's content! Don't bother landscaping or planting anything. I'll fill in the holes when I sell the place! Our last house, which was home to three huskies, needed six trucks of black dirt to fill in the back yard when we sold it!

shais_mom

02-26-2008, 02:52 PM

If I had 2 small children I think raising a puppy with them would make me feel more comfortable, you just have to get past feeling like you are being mean crating her, you are home all day so I am sure you can do a fine job with her.
BINGO!

and I wasn't able to watch Keegan 24/7 either.
B/c there were times I woke up to a room full of torn up boxes of Kleenexes. (that would happen now if I let it at 6 1/2 years old)
Found poop under the Christmas tree -dried- that I didn't see.
That's exactly right - we are only human.

dukedogsmom

02-26-2008, 02:58 PM

I have had nothing but nice things to say about her if you'll check my posts in your other threads. Nor did I accuse you of sitting on your ass. I already advised I wasn't slamming you. Just because I had a different opinion, you chose to take it negatively.

Cinder & Smoke

02-26-2008, 03:22 PM

I have diggers, tunnellers, cave builders!

Our last house, which was home to three huskies,
needed six trucks of black dirt to fill in the back yard when we sold it!

:eek:

SIX Loads of Dirt!??
Good Golly! :confused:

WHAT did they DO with all the dirt that came OUT of those holes?
(Were thye selling dirt on the black market when you weren't home?)

:D

K9soul

02-26-2008, 03:49 PM

I think the impression some people have are based off multiple posts of various puppy problems (which are all normal puppy things), and your continual emphasis on how difficult it is, how you have so much on your plate, so much stress, can't even get a few moments of peace that you so badly need. It's bound to make one say "perhaps a puppy is too much for you right now?" It's not meant as a personal slam, it's the impression one gets by various things said. You seem so overwhelmed and believe me, I know how overwhelming a puppy can be even without having young kids in the picture. No one is saying they are better than you, no one is trying to imply you are a bad person, a bad parent, a bad pet owner. They just read your words and state their impression based on how those words come across to them. Please try not to take suggestions and/or opinions so personally. You could always just explain you are stressed and venting a bit but you are truly happy with your puppy and thanks for the concern. It can make such a difference in communicating what you are wanting to.

Sirrahsim

02-26-2008, 05:32 PM

OK *deep breath* I'm sorry. I will admit that I am more emotional than usual right now. At this point in time it does not take much for me to become offended and defensive. I am sorry that I snapped at everyone and I am ashamed of myself.
That being said, I do understand that it might not have been the best idea for us to get a puppy right now but that is done with. We have her and certainly aren't giving her back! :D What I need is practical advice on how to make things work because I will (now) admit that I might be in a little over my head.

K9soul

02-26-2008, 05:52 PM

Hey we all get in over our heads sometimes! I'm glad to see you are so determined to work with her though, too many people give up during the hardest times and miss out on the best years with their companion.

As far as the digging, have you worked with come or look at me yet? Have you clicker trained any? I had a treat pouch I carried with me, and when Raven was getting into things and I caught her, instead of scolding I'd give her a command "Raven come!" in a cheery voice, and click as soon as she started moving towards me. Oh she came running then cause she knew a goody was waiting. It may seem like you are rewarding her for digging, but in a pup's mind they associate the reward with the last thing they did: In this case leaving the digging and coming when you called. The more you can turn her attention to good things and things that she is supposed to play with and supposed to do, the more the bad habits will phase out. Of course the best way of prevention is not leaving her unsupervised as much as possible out there, because every time she digs it's rewarding for her because it's fun. Puppies remember those rewards oh so well. I also got a couple toys that the pup wasn't just free to play with whenever she wanted. They were reward toys. Special toys she got to play with for awhile when she did something good or had behaved well. When she got tired, I'd pick the toy up and put it away for next time, so that every time it was a really coveted and special toy. I hope this can give you some ideas on dealing with her puppy self.

Kfamr

02-26-2008, 05:53 PM

I would refrain from letting her outside by herself. As others said, 10 weeks is far too young to be left attended outside. It can be very dangerous, you're lucky she was trapped in another yard.

My dogs are well over 10 weeks and I still don't trust them outside alone (not saying that they aren't left for 5-10 minutes at a time while I run inside and answer the phone, use the restroom, etc.) They know not to dig now because I never left them unattended outside when in the learning stages.

bckrazy

02-27-2008, 06:39 AM

Fozzie LOVES to dig holes... I don't know why, and it has only developed since he was about 1 year old, but he just loves it. He doesn't even try to dig out of the yard; just random holes. Of course, he decides to do this ONLY in the winter, and ONLY in the red, clay-like dirt in the back of our backyard; resulting in him getting completely filthy.

I filled his holes up with dirt several times, and had no luck. I even put some rocks in the dirt, but he still managed to get around them. The only trick that worked, and I know this is disgusting, was filling them with poop. He hasn't dug in any of those holes since, so I guess it's working!

I am also setting up a sandbox for him, this summer. He obviously really enjoys digging.

My advice is to supervise her from now on... you are lucky that Ginger happened to dig into a neighbor's backyard (with a friendly dog!) rather than into your front yard. To keep her safe, and to keep your yard from getting wrecked, make sure that you are keeping a close eye on her when she's outside. You should also give her something productive to do, when she's out there. There are LOTS of awesome Kong tricks on the Kong website; you could give her a stuffed Kong, a hanging kibble-filled Kong, etc. You could teach her to play "find the treats", and hide treats around the backyard while she watches, then let her go run around and find them. Make sure she has plenty of fun, interactive toys out there to occupy herself. Also, make sure she gets plenty of daily exercise. You should play with her a few times through out the day, enough to tire her out. Digging can sometimes be the result of a lot of pent-up energy.

Unfortunately, 10 week old puppies are looking for trouble, by nature. They just don't know what's "right" and what's "wrong", so it will take a lot of guidance and supervision before she learns that. It really is safer to keep her in her crate, or an x-pen, than outside alone.