Uhoh we have a digger

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:

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.

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!

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.

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Paws In Art

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

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 :(

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Originally Posted by shais_mom

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!

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I have two kids under the age of 3 and I definately agree that the kids are MUCH easier :)
I will try the balloon trick :)

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.

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Originally Posted by Sirrahsim

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by Cinder & Smoke

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.

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

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Originally Posted by shais_mom

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!

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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 ;)

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Originally Posted by Sirrahsim

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

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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.

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.

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Originally Posted by crazyboutanimals

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.

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: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 ;) )

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Originally Posted by Giselle

: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 ;) )

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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.