Digging And What To Do About It

[Guest cheltzey]

I was looking in the "Cute and Funny Things Greyhounds Do" forum, and I noticed several threads with digging hounds, and one right in the middle of the grass! We're getting our first grey (first dog as well) on Friday, and this is starting to make me nervous! One reason that my husband okayed greyhounds as a pet of choice is that we had read that they weren't big diggers. But now I'm starting to wonder how accurate this was! Is my lawn going to be destroyed? Is there any way to avoid or correct this behavior? I'd definitely like to stop it before it begins, so any preventative tips would be appreciated!

Edited April 6, 2010 by cheltzey

[Guest greybookends]

My gang are not diggers they are excavators.

Case in point.

I think Monty is either seeking burring treasure or he's looking for oil! It doesn't matter. The back yard is theirs and if they want to dig I let them. The yard is mostly sand so holes like this one are not uncommon. I go through and fill them in from time to time so they can dig them again.

[DocsDoctor]

I don't think they all want to do it, by any means. The only time Doc tried he was out in the garden with me, and saw me start digging the borders - I spotted him having a go, apparently in imitation! Since then, I have made sure he is shut indoors before I do any digging.

 

With dogs who do want to dig on a regular basis, one solution is to give them an area of earth or a sandpit of their own and encourage them to confine the activity to that. Bury toys/ bones/ treats yourself to make it more enticing.

 

From the photos many of the greyhounds on Greytalk who like to dig just want to scrape out a hole to lie in and enjoy the sunshine. This is surely akin to the nesting behaviour that many (including Doc) like to do with their beds indoors, scrabbling at them with their paws until they have got them 'just right'. I wonder in this case if giving them an outdoors bed to lie on would pre-empt the digging? On the other hand if it was hot, and they were trying to lie in the earth to keep cool, a paddling pool filled with water could be a better solution. Again, from photos lots of greyhounds on here apparently enjoy lying in those!

[Scooby172]

Not to sound harsh but greyhounds are dogs, they can dig, they can bark, they can shed, not all are 45 mph couch potatos. If you are that worried about your lawn, supervise the dog in the yard and re direct, watch out for urine spots when they pee and race track ovals when they run around and around and around. Good luck with your new grey!

Linda, Valor, Bella and Keeva

[Guest ellieb]

Max is my digger. He drives me nuts. I try fencing off areas that are tempting...he jumps the fence. *sigh*

[Guest Greytluv]

I have 4 dogs and only one is a digger. I think you'll be fine

[Guest dmona]

Two of our three dig so they will have something to eat.(they apparently don't get enough food) One doesn't dig or eat dirt but he likes to run laps. That's just what they as dogs do.

[Trihounds]

2 dogs, 2 diggers, pee spots and a race track oval here. And I LOVE my manicured law (or what it was... It's a challenge now)

[ZoomDoggy]

My Dazzle is my little digging machine. Hubby built a sand pit in the far corner of our yard basically just for her. It's pretty adorable to watch her go to town in her sandbox. Alimony will occasionally join in, but Tipper never digs. He will occasionally plop his belly on Dazzle's freshly dug hill to enjoy the cool sand.

 

If you are concerned about digging, just don't leave the pup alone outside (I never do anyway), so you can keep an eye on him/her. Make sure he/she has plenty of exercise (walks, playtime, etc) so they are less likely to get bored and decide to start digging.

 

Or you can just give in like we did (because we thought it was cute) and make a digging pit. Fwiw, they never dig outside of the pit. They seem to understand that this is the acceptable location for such shenanigans. I think the fact that our soil is mostly clay and the play-sand is more enjoyable digging material helps.

 

Dazzle, proudly surveying the land from her sand pit:

 

Dazzle, hiding in her hole.

 

Alimony, "helping"

[Guest dobiegrey]

My doberman is far worse than my Greyhound!! My dh is a bit of a yard freak so we just try to keep an eye on the dobie and if digs it is only in the morning or evening and I think he hears something under ground and digs for that, when he does dig a hole it is usually small and my dh puts poop in it before he fills it totally in, than he won't go back. Like any dog, if it is ok with you they will do it for pleasure but if it is not ok and you teach them, over and over again AND keep your eyes on them, it does not have to be a big deal, but of course, in any breed you will get a die hard digger, but I think those a few and far between, like Max, ellieb's guy he loves to dig!! But my Greyhound she just stands and wunders what in the world Jack is doing...Like Greytluv says, I think you'll be fine, a whole lot better off than if you get one of the "to earth" dogs, like Jack Russells, they are bred to dig, that's their thing. Of course my brother has a Jack Russell that never digs, so dogs are indiviuals like people.

 

Lou

[Guest greysonly]

Marley and Myles like to dig in the sand. We are trying to grow grass in our backyard. It is difficult because our soil is very sandy (like it is all sand). I have to watch them when I let them out. Marley likes to fluff the sand to lay down Myles on the other hand likes to dig a huge crater Making them their own sand pit is a really good idea tho.

[Guest TBSFlame]

My gang are not diggers they are excavators.

Case in point.

I think Monty is either seeking burring treasure or he's looking for oil! It doesn't matter. The back yard is theirs and if they want to dig I let them. The yard is mostly sand so holes like this one are not uncommon. I go through and fill them in from time to time so they can dig them again.

 

Cute.

[TheFullHouse]

I voted hardly ever because I'm one who doesn't allow the dogs to dig. Reason being, I have 10 greyhounds and once one starts, they all tend to follow and my yard would be nothing but a big hole. Every time I saw one of them try to start to dig I would tell them "no no" and chase them away. They all learned pretty quickly that it wasn't allowed.

[Guest MyBoys]

We have 3 boys and no diggers, but that is because we always dicouraged digging. I always stay outside when they are in the yard and correct them if I see the start of any digging. We don't use anything on our grass in the back yard because of they do eat the grass at times. I just stay on top of weeds and seed when we see any bare spots starting, we also have a sprinkler system which really helps. Our grass is not perfect but we don't have holes or craters.

[Guest Spencers_Greyt]

My 2 Greyhounds do not dig at all unless they want to eat some dirt. My Airedale Terrier mix is a HUGE digger and in her younger days dug big craters in the yard in the middle of the grass. She rarely does this any longer though. I almost considered getting a kiddie pool and filling it with sand to give her a digging spot. You might try this if you end up with a digger.

[Guest Ohiogreymom]

I have 4, and I know my girl would be a digger,but I've always discouraged it. I worry too much about holes and broken legs from running. If you supervise your grey outside, and at the first sign of digging, let him know you don't approve, it shouldn't be a problem.I DO fill up a pool in the summer so they can cool off. Darlene

[Guest cheltzey]

This thread makes me feel better. I don't care about having the perfect yard (with 3 kids, there's no hope for that!), but it's nice to know that I'm not doomed to a barren crater! Thanks for all the suggestions. I know we'll definitely be using the kiddie pool idea, and I like the suggestion about always being there to manage the environment.

[Guest mcsheltie]

Most of our dogs will dig if they are left outside too long. They get bored and are looking for stuff to do. So I don't leave them outside for long periods if I am not out there too. They do their business and come in.

 

Once it starts to get hot they will dig a quick hole so they have some place cooler to lay.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

None of my dogs dig except a little in excited play, with a toy. I also don't ever have them outside unless I'm there.

[Fruitycake]

Monty isn't a digger in general, but freshly tilled garden is too soft and inviting to resist! We had a great laugh at his kicking dirt many feet behind him in a rooster-tail the year before last just after we'd finished tilling my sister's garden. We laughed, shooed him out of there, and put up a small garden fence with "caution" tape on it so he could definitely see it, and he never bothered it again. But he looked so very happy when we caught his attention - his face all full of dirt and the biggest grin on his face...

[Guest greytgrandma]

Hot Rod only digs where there used to be a sand box.The left over sand makes for easy digging and a cool spot to lay . It is also very easy to take a rake and smooth it over for mowing. Josh doesn't mind if Hot Rod digs in this spot. He seems to know this is his special digging spot and hasn't started any other holes in the yard.

[jenn8]

Our grass is not perfect but we don't have holes or craters.

 

Yes, I think I see a spec of dirt in the lower left hand corner but I had to look real hard to find it! Oh, and there's a tree branch obstructing the newly painted fence.

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Your yard is uber-perfect. I want one!

 

Jenn

Edited April 7, 2010 by jenn8

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

Chelsa is my digger; we do try to discourage it. Not so much because we have a pristine yard, more because she is also a runner and I don't want her stepping in any holes and getting hurt! DF fills them up as soon as she makes a new one, and she'll be good for awhile; then she'll start another one. But, she does it much less when she has been getting regular lure practices and free running. It might be partly due to pent-up energy, in her case...

[Guest MyBoys]

Jenn8 you are too funny, by the way the fence is PVC no painting needed and I also got rid of that speck of dirt you found in the picture

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

Ahhh my yard looks NOTHING like the one pictured above. I have three greyhounds and they all will dig at one time or another. This past spring, my daughter and I wheel barreled 3 tons of topsoil into my fenced in yard to make repairs. Poor drainage was causing great digging spots, and they dug and dug. One night I walked out 10 seconds after I opened the door and the boy had dirt flying all over the place! He looked like a loon! I do discourage it. I do, I swear I do. But I don't always go out with them. I use muzzles and try to keep an ear out. No longer than a minute or two, but they can excavate a giant hole very fast. With three kids? You aren't always going to be able to stand there watching. Mine like to run in and out all night. I also muzzle them outside to hang out while I am doing yard work out front. Outdoor beds have helped!!!

 

I do recommend fixing any holes the minute they appear. That will help and also keep the ground level. My grass looks nothing like the above, I seeded and seeded and still end up with weeds. Can't use weed killer with the hounds, so I have clover and am just now seeing crab grass. Must have came in on the top soil would be my guess. We also have a track, around the trampoline that I have long since given up on.