Digging Up Flowers!?

[Foam]

HELP ME!
Ozzy and Darlin have been getting into my mom's flowers. They dig up the roots, barry them around, and get all dirty. They track dirt all over the house, on the carpet, I have to sweep inside and outside, vacumme and scrub dirt stains. I'm sick of it! This has been going on all week. They've done it TWICE already today, and it's not even noon. I put Ozzy in the laundry room, with his gate shut so he can still see and hear everybody, just can't get out, and I put Darlin out back.
I don't want to move the flowers, because they look nice..(Well they USED to anyways) and there's still two pots they haven't totally destroyed yet.
These flowers were expensive to get, and I'm so sick of cleaning up all the dirt and everything. Every time I catch Ozzy or Darlin with a flower in their mouths, I take it from them, and try to get their interest with a toy so they realize THAT'S what they need to play with. But when I catch them actually IN the pots (They're big), digging up flowers, eating them, or pulling on them I punish them.
They only do it when they're together, so it's okay to leave Darlin outside with the pots when Ozzy is inside.

Just..pleeease help me!! How do I get them to stop?

[aly]

Some things you can try:

- Put their poop around the flower bed and that may stop them from digging around in that area.

- Put those plastic carpet runners around the flower bed upside down so the spikey things are facing upwards. They would have to walk across it to get to the flowers, but most dogs won't walk across them because the spikies don't feel good on their feet.

- Sprinkle cayenne pepper in the dirt.

- Provide an area for the to dig and teach them that is the only acceptable area. Digging is natural behavior for dogs so rather than trying to stop it altogether, it is easier to give them an outlet for it. You can go get one of those kiddie pools and fill it with sand and fun toys for the dogs to dig in.

[Foam]

Thanks, Aly! I'm going to go sprinkle some pepper on them right now.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

ALy's advice is excellent.
Funny, Molly never had a chewing or digging problem...but Daisy, OH MAN!

[Foam]

Lol! Daaaisy...

[G.P.girl]

lol. my dog used to dig up cat poop out of the sand box. we used pepper and she stoppped.

[Tonya]

Put their poop around the flower bed and that may stop them from digging around in that area

That worked for the most part with my dogs. But I'm the worst person to give advice on that subject! You should see my backyard!

[carrie]

Number 1 - do not let them out together unless you are there to supervise - when supervising have a can with three or four coins or pebbles in it and as soon as any dog shows interest in a flower bed THROW the can so it lands near the dog in question - do NOT shake the can, THROW it! The whole idea behind this can thing is that the dog does not connect the can and the horrible noise to you. If you stand and shake the can the dogs will realise it is only you making a noise and they can get used to that really quickly! When you throw the can (have several in reserve!) do not aim to hit the dog but get it close and as near as possible to the dog's target.

Number 2 - Never attempt to remove plants from the dogs' mouths, especially not with a ball - dogs' will think - bring green stuff, get game! Yeeehaa! I'll remember that and the next time we are out here and fancy a game all we have to do is take the boss some flowers!! (What they are probably thinking is that you like them bringing you plants because you reward them with a game every time they bring you one!)

Number 3. - Prepare to have the neighbourhood talking about you going crazy! Buy an artificial Christmas tree this year - it only needs to be cheap - cut it up into plant sized fronds and "plant" these in your flower beds. Every time you let the dogs out together, use the cans of coins or stones BUT if one of the dogs brings you a plant (Christmas tree frond) you can make a big thing of walking away from that dog without noticing that it has greenery in it's mouth - the dog will, of couirse, follow you - you then cross your arms, look up to the sky and go inside, closing the door on the dogs for two minutes. Don't peek through the window or watch them in any way - go outside agian - if both dogs have plants in their mouths or at their feet (as if they have just dropped them) you pretend that the dogs are not even there., walk for a few seconds around the garden and go back inside for four minutes. If one dog has a plant then you make a fuss of the other one and totally ignore the offender - leave the offender outside on his own for the four minutes but take the innocent one with you. Keep this up for a couple of days and the dogs will get the message.