Many dogs dig holes for various reasons. Some do this to find a cool place to lie; others dig to find prey, such as moles; others may dig just for fun.
If you feel that your dog is looking for a cooler place, put his sleeping place in the shad or provide a children’s inflatable pool for him to take a dip in. (Labradors usually like water.)
If your dog digs to hunt for small animals, the only way to stop him digging is to get rid of the potential prey in that territory.
If your dog digs just for fun, there are a few things to try:
– Give your dog a designated area to dig in. To encourage him to dig in a certain area, hide treats only in this area. This will also require some management on your part, as you will need to keep a close eye on the dog, and if he starts digging in another area, you will have to distract him. This will allow your pet to find out where he can and can’t dig.
– Give your dog toys to play with. A great idea is to fill toys with food. Freezing canned food inside a Kong toy can take the dog a long time. You can also take an empty two-liter plastic bottle and cut holes in it. Then fill the bottle with regular dog pellets so that the dog rolls it to get a treat. But do not forget to take into account the amount of food that you give the dog as a daily diet, so as not to overfeed him.
