Many dogs like to dig. The second you let them out, they will run right to a spot in the yard and get right into digging their hole. This can be frustrating as a pet owner to see your beautiful yard all dug up and looking horrible. You may have corrected your dog and tried to get them to stop, but nothing seems to work.
Why Does My Golden Retriever Dig?
The answer is your Golden Retriever may be digging because they are anxious, they are bored from being alone, they want to store their food for later, or because they are following their instincts. Some Golden Retrievers dig to help cool their skin down in the dirt.
Understanding why your Golden Retriever is digging in the yard can make it easier to fix the problem. For example, if your dog is bored at home alone, spending some extra time taking them for a walk when you get home can help. Let’s explore some of the reasons your Golden Retriever is digging and the simple solutions you can use to make it stop.
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Why Does My Golden Retriever Dig?
There are several reasons why your dog may dig around the backyard. Whether this is a habit they have done for a long time or a brand new habit, it can still be a pain and something you need to deal with.
Learning why your Golden Retriever is digging can help you figure out the best solution to getting them to stop. Each dog will have a different reason why they are digging in your yard. Some of the most common reasons that your dog is digging includes:
Instinct
The first reason that your dog is digging around in your yard is their instinct. The Golden Retriever breed was bred to help their owners during the gaming season. They were taught how to go after some small animals for their owners. They may have needed to dig near the nests of smaller animals, including voles and mice. This is an instinct that the dog may still have, even if you have never trained them to do this digging before. If they are following their instincts, it may be time to get them outside more and wear out their energy so they won’t take it out on your yard.
Anxiety
Some dogs experience anxiety just like humans and they may take it out and try to handle some of the anxiety by digging. If you notice that something has changed in the home or the routine of your dog, then they may start to dig.
If you notice that your dog is digging around in the yard and this was never a problem before, this is a good sign that anxiety is the root cause. It could be something as simple as your dog sensing a new neighbor moving in. They could show their anxiety for this by digging near shared fences because they feel that this is a way to help assert their territory, especially if there are new animals nearby.
Boredom
Your dog may also dig in the yard because they are bored. Your Golden Retriever needs to get out a lot of energy because they are so active. Owners need to be ready to spend a lot of time taking this breed out on walks and playing with them too. Once your dog starts to get bored because you do not take them out for this time of playing and walking, then they will need they will start to do some of the entertaining on their own and this could result in digging.
Your dog has to go through and get rid of the extra energy somehow. And if you are not providing them with an outlet to do so, they are going to find it themselves. They may start digging around in the yard and in places you don’t want them to just to let all of that extra energy out.
Heat
Your dog may decide to start digging around the yard because of the heat. Because they have a thick coat, the Golden Retriever may get hot and uncomfortable on some of those hot days. Even a few degrees of digging can give them soil that is a little cooler on the surface, helping them to cool down on the hot summer’s day.
If you take a look at the hole and you notice that it is close to the length of the dog, then this is a sign that they are trying to cool down. You may need to find some alternative methods to help them cool down and be comfortable outside.
Too Much Food
In some cases, you may be giving your dog too much food. If you are providing them with too much food, your dog is likely going to hide the food. They won’t just leave it in the bowl; they will want to hide it in case they don’t get food later on.
This is just part of their instinct but it is a sign to look for. If you notice that they are digging quite a bit, you may want to consider making some adjustments to the amount of food that you are feeding to your dog. This can help to stop the digging.
Solutions to Fix the Digging
The good news is there are a few different methods you can use to help train your dog to stop digging in the yard. Taking some time to train them and help teach them the right behavior can make all the difference in how nice your yard will work.
Something as simple as finding some new toys, like the SMART DOG Suction Cup Dog Toy can help. Some other options out there include:
Top Toy Picks To Keep Your Dog Busy
- IDOGMATE Automatic Tennis Ball Thrower (Available on Amazon)
- Giant 9.5″ Dog Tennis Ball (Available on Amazon)
- Blinky Babble Ball Interactive Dog Toy (Available On Amazon)
Keep Them Company
When you send your dog outside, go with them as they run around. This helps you to reinforce some of the good behavior that you want. You could play with them, provide them with some toys to play with and make sure they understand that you do not want them to dig in the yard. Being there and re-enforcing what you want them to do and what is not allowed is the best step to take.
Provide Them With Their Place
If you can avoid it, try not to leave your dog outside to dig if you can’t watch them. But if you do need to let the dog be outside on their own, you could portion off a part of the garden that is all their own. This can be one small area where the dog is allowed to dig if they want, without destroying the whole yard. This may be hard to give up some of your yards, but it is still important and allows your dog to get out some of those instincts too.
Training Method
In some cases, you may find that training your dog is the best way to teach them how to behave and not dig in the yard. Many dog owners have taken the time to train their dogs, but the right method will depend on you and your dog. There are several options to try so look them up and see what seems to work for you and your dog.
Counter-Conditioning
Owners of Golden Retrievers may also want to consider a method known as counter-conditioning. This is one of those training methods that we listed above. The idea here is to teach the dog how to associated negative situations with something positive. The point is not to put them in harm, but to let them know that even if something like being left alone isn’t their favorite, they will get a favorite toy or a treat when they are good while you are gone.
This is a good method to use if your dog starts to dig up the yard due to anxiety. It helps them to feel less stressed when you leave or when something else is making them anxious. They start to associate the experience that is used to give them anxiety with something positive and even exciting.
Positive Reinforcement
One of the best ways to train your Golden Retriever is to use positive reinforcement. It works well and helps to motivate any dog to do the behaviors that you would like. You will need to put in the work here and not just assume the dog will do what you ask, but it is effective and will stop the digging. The method will also rely on you being around the garden so that you can give lots of treats and praise as soon as your dog behaves the way that you would like.
For example, if your dog likes to bury items in the garden, you can hand them one of their toys that you think they will bury. After giving them the toy, you can tell them to sit or stay. If they can resist that immediate urge to run off and try to bury that toy, then reward them. This may include a treat and lots of petting and praise.
Once the dog has caught on to what you want them to do, you can start to limit the treats and praise a bit so they don’t only behave when they get those. You can restrict the reward to every other time you hand over the toy and they don’t dig. Slowly drop how often they get the reward until the dog fully understands how they are supposed to behave in the garden.
Restriction
Another method to try is known as a restriction. If you haven’t had time to train the dog on how they should act when outside and without supervision, then you may need to restrict their access. One option you can use to help with this is to crate train your dog. This means that you will leave the dog in a crate where they feel warm and comfortable. Then you let them out when you can be around to supervise and train them properly.
The first step to making this one work though is your Golden Retriever needs to feel safe in the crate. It is not an effective method if you have to force the dog in there and they spend the whole time barking and whining. Take some time to read up on crate training and see how this method is meant to work.
Supervision
The most important thing you can do through this is to provide supervision to your Golden Retriever. This will help them to understand what you allow and what they need to avoid doing around you. You can head out to the yard with them and as soon as there are signs of them about to dig around, you call them over.
Remember through this that if they listen and come to you, rather than digging in the yard, give them a lot of praise. You can reward them with a treat as well if you want, with playing ball, or lots of praise. The important thing is to respond with something they love. This helps them to learn that it is good to listen and not dig, rather than letting them go with their instincts and tear up the yard.
Playing with your dog before they start digging is a good way to stop them. Finding some new toys to use when you play with them and rewarding them with something fun can help. Some great toys to consider include UPSKY Dog Rope Toys , Outward Hound Squeaker Ballz and Tennis Ballz and the Babble Ball. (Available On Amazon)
Conclusion
Many Golden Retrievers will dig in your yard because they are bored, they feel anxious, or they are following their instincts. This digging does not mean they are a bad dog who is ignoring you. As a pet owner, you need to teach your Golden Retriever how to behave outside and let them know that you do not want them to dig at all. Once your dog is trained, they can easily listen to you and leave your yard alone.