How to Stop Dog From Digging

How to Stop Dog From Digging

If you want to know how to stop dog from digging, you are in the right place. Digging is normal dog behaviour, but it becomes a problem when gardens are destroyed, fences are compromised, or dogs hurt themselves. At Smart Dog Training, we use the Smart Method to deliver clear, calm, and lasting results in real homes. This guide explains the steps, why they work, and how a Smart Master Dog Trainer can help you get control fast.

Before we begin, know this. When families ask how to stop dog from digging, the answer is not a quick gadget or a guess. It is a structured plan with clarity, fair guidance, and rewards. Every certified Smart Master Dog Trainer, also known as an SMDT, follows the same proven pathway so you see change in days and reliability in weeks.

Why Dogs Dig and Why It Matters

You cannot solve a problem you do not understand. If you are searching for how to stop dog from digging, learn the drivers first. Dogs dig to cool down, to hunt, to escape, to bury, to nest, to reduce stress, or simply to have fun. Some breeds are more likely to dig because they were developed for earth work. Terriers, northern breeds, and scent hounds often love to dig. Puppies dig because soil is interesting and soft. Adult dogs may dig because there is a smell worth investigating. Dogs under exercised or under stimulated often rehearse digging because it fills a need.

Digging matters because it can lead to injuries, damaged irrigation or flower beds, and escapes. If a dog digs under a fence and gets out, that risk is simply too high. That is why families come to us asking how to stop dog from digging with a plan that lasts.

The Smart Method Applied to Digging

Smart Dog Training uses a proprietary system called the Smart Method. It is structured, progressive, and outcome focused. When we answer how to stop dog from digging, we use the five pillars below.

Clarity

Clear commands and markers remove guesswork. Your dog must know the exact meaning of Leave it, Come, and Place. Clarity is the basis of how to stop dog from digging because the dog learns what to do instead of guessing.

Pressure and Release

Fair guidance paired with a clear release builds accountability without conflict. We apply light, timely leash guidance to interrupt the start of the dig and release the moment the dog chooses the right behaviour. This makes how to stop dog from digging feel understandable to the dog.

Motivation

Rewards keep dogs engaged. Food, toys, praise, and access to the garden are used with intention. Motivation is essential to make how to stop dog from digging both effective and positive.

Progression

We layer difficulty carefully. We train inside first, then at the door, then on a lead in the garden, then off lead with supervision. Progression is how to stop dog from digging so the result holds under distraction.

Trust

Training should make your relationship stronger. The dog learns that you lead with fairness and consistency. Trust is what lets how to stop dog from digging turn into reliable habits for life.

Safety First Before You Change Behaviour

Before any training, secure the environment. If you are working on how to stop dog from digging, do these checks right away.

• Block exits with heavy planters or temporary garden fencing while you train.
• Remove hazards near fences, such as loose boards, gaps, or exposed nails.
• Water and shade are always available to reduce heat digging.
• Fill old holes with soil mixed with pea gravel to make the surface stable and less rewarding to dig again.
• Supervise all garden time until you have reliability.

Safety is not a fix by itself, but it protects your dog while you implement the plan for how to stop dog from digging.

Quick Wins You Can Start This Week

Families want fast progress. Here are quick actions that support how to stop dog from digging while you build skills.

• Short, frequent garden visits with you present so the habit does not rehearse.
• Rotate interesting chew items and enrichment in the house before garden time.
• Use a long lead for guidance to prevent rehearsal outdoors.
• Schedule garden time after a walk or training session so energy is lower.
• Feed part of meals in training to build focus and make how to stop dog from digging easier.

Step by Step Plan for How to Stop Dog From Digging

This section gives a simple roadmap any family can follow. It applies the Smart Method so you can see change quickly.

Step 1 Teach a Powerful Leave It

Leave it is central to how to stop dog from digging because it interrupts the start of the behaviour. Begin inside with a treat in your closed hand. Let your dog sniff. The moment your dog backs off, mark Yes and reward from the other hand. Repeat until your dog moves away quickly when you say Leave it once. Then place a treat on the floor under your shoe. Say Leave it once. Reward for backing away. Proof this around scattered food and around a plant pot filled with soil. This links Leave it to earth smells, which is key for how to stop dog from digging.

Step 2 Install a Default Place

Place means go to a bed or platform and relax. Start inside. Guide your dog onto the bed, mark Yes, reward, and feed calmly while your dog lies down. Build duration in small increments. Place is your anchor in the garden. It gives your dog a clear job, which makes how to stop dog from digging far easier.

Step 3 Move the Skills Outdoors

Clip on a long lead and step into the garden. Do a short warmup with engagement and Leave it. If your dog orients to soil, roots, or the base of a fence, say Leave it once. Guide away if needed with light pressure on the lead, then release and reward when your dog turns back to you. Send to Place for a minute of calm. Repeat. This is where how to stop dog from digging becomes automatic.

Step 4 Add Mild Distractions

Scatter a few low value smells like plain soil or leaves in places your dog tends to target. Run the same pattern. Remember the formula. Clear cue. Fair guidance. Timely release. Reward. Do not wait until the paws are deep. Early interrupts are the heart of how to stop dog from digging.

Step 5 Proof When You Are Not Right Next To Your Dog

Step back two meters while your dog is in Place. Send a calm release, then watch. If your dog heads for a digging spot, use your Leave it, then guide back to Place if needed. Gradually increase distance and time. This step is vital for how to stop dog from digging when you are watering plants or playing with the kids.

Build Calm Behaviours That Replace Digging

Digging often fills a need. When we answer how to stop dog from digging, we also teach what to do instead.

• Teach a Settle on a mat with quiet reinforcement to build off switch.
• Teach a Find it scatter cue in the lawn so sniffing happens on cue, not at the fence line.
• Teach Carry and Drop with a soft toy so your dog has a job in the garden.

Design a Dig Pit That You Control

Some dogs need an outlet. A dig pit is a contained area that keeps your garden safe. It supports how to stop dog from digging everywhere else because you set clear boundaries.

How to Set It Up

• Choose a corner with soft soil or add a shallow sand box.
• Bury toys or chews a few centimetres down and let your dog discover them.
• Use a cue Dig here and reward when your dog digs only in the pit.
• If your dog starts to dig elsewhere, Leave it and guide to the pit, then reward for digging in the right spot.

A dig pit is not a cheat. It is a smart way to apply clarity and motivation while you reinforce how to stop dog from digging in the rest of the garden.

Stop Digging at Fences and Under Gates

Fence lines are common hot spots. Here is how to stop dog from digging at boundaries.

• Run a line of paving stones or dense chicken wire flat under the soil on your side. Dogs dislike the surface and give up.
• Stand several steps off the fence and run short training reps. Approach the fence calmly, pause, then call your dog away and reward. Repeat until your dog offers to turn back before you cue it. This teaches a boundary awareness that supports how to stop dog from digging.
• Redirect energy with a tug toy or ball only after your dog answers the cue. Structure comes first, play second.

Fix Digging Driven by Stress or Anxiety

Some digging is a coping behaviour. If your dog digs when left alone or during storms, focus on the emotional driver. This is still part of how to stop dog from digging, because behaviour and emotion connect.

Separation Linked Digging

• Short, controlled absences with a camera can show the pattern.
• Teach Place and calm crating skills to help your dog rest.
• Use food puzzles for predictable, short alone times.
• Do not punish. We replace the coping behaviour with skills and routine. This is real how to stop dog from digging for anxious dogs.

Noise or Weather Triggers

• Build a safe indoor den with white noise and a chewer.
• Play low level recordings during training sessions while you reward calm on the mat.
• Time garden access for quiet periods until your dog is stable.

Exercise and Enrichment That Prevent Digging

Dogs dig when needs are not met. If you want practical ways for how to stop dog from digging, add the right outlets.

• Two structured walks per day with engagement and heel work, not only free sniffing.
• Short training sessions that use part of meals to build focus and settle.
• Flirt pole play on a clear start and stop cue for terriers and sighthounds.
• Sniff games on cue, such as Find it in the lawn and simple track lines.
• Chewing time with safe items to meet foraging needs.

Proofing So Results Hold in Real Life

Proofing is where we make how to stop dog from digging stable under pressure.

• Change the time of day. Train at morning, midday, and evening.
• Add mild weather changes like light rain or a breezy day.
• Invite a helper to be in the garden while you run your plan so your dog can succeed with visitors present.
• Practise in different corners and near raised beds, not only in one spot.

What Not To Do

When people ask how to stop dog from digging, they often try quick fixes that backfire.

• Do not leave your dog alone in the garden for long periods. Rehearsal builds the habit.
• Do not shout or punish after the fact. Your dog will not connect it to the act.
• Do not rely on filled holes only. You must change behaviour, not only the landscape.
• Do not remove all outlets. Give a clear place to dig or chew in a way you control.

When to Bring In a Professional

If you have tried the steps above for two to three weeks and still need help with how to stop dog from digging, bring in a certified professional. An SMDT will run a full assessment, set up your training space, and coach your family through each phase so results stick. Ready to turn your dog’s behaviour around? Book a Free Assessment and connect with a certified Smart Master Dog Trainer - available across the UK.

Real Family Case Study

A young mixed breed in a suburban home had created seven holes near the fence line in two weeks. The family wanted a humane plan for how to stop dog from digging that worked with school schedules. We installed Place inside in three short sessions. We taught Leave it with soil in a plant tray in the kitchen. We moved to the garden with a long lead and did five minute reps twice daily. We added a dig pit with buried rope toys. By day five, there were no new holes. By week two, the family could garden while the dog relaxed on Place and played Find it on cue. At week four, the long lead was removed. The dog still used the dig pit on cue. The family had their garden back and a calmer dog.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way for how to stop dog from digging in my garden

Start with supervision, a long lead, and the Smart Method steps. Teach Leave it and Place indoors, then move outside. Interrupt early and reward the choice to turn away. This is the fastest route for how to stop dog from digging that holds.

Should I fill the holes or leave them

Fill them with firm soil and pea gravel so the area is less rewarding to dig again. Then run the training plan. Filled holes alone do not fix how to stop dog from digging.

Do dig pits encourage more digging

No. A clear dig pit gives structure. You reinforce digging only in the right place and stop it elsewhere. When you follow the Smart Method, a dig pit supports how to stop dog from digging.

Will more exercise stop the behaviour

Exercise helps, but it does not replace training. Many athletic dogs still dig. Combine structured walks, training, and clear garden rules. That is how to stop dog from digging for the long term.

My dog digs only when I am not watching. What can I do

Use short, supervised garden time and a camera to learn the pattern. Train Place and Leave it, then proof with distance. This is the reliable route for how to stop dog from digging when you are not next to your dog.

Can a Smart Master Dog Trainer help with severe fence digging

Yes. An SMDT can customise the Smart Method to your space, set up safe boundaries, and coach you through proofing. If you want expert help with how to stop dog from digging, professional coaching speeds up results.

Is punishment necessary to stop digging

No. Smart Dog Training uses clarity, fair guidance, and rewards. We interrupt early, guide back to desired behaviour, and reinforce calm choices. That is how to stop dog from digging without conflict.

Your Next Steps

You now have a structured plan for how to stop dog from digging. Start with safety and management. Teach Leave it and Place with clarity. Move outdoors with a long lead and proof the skills. Add a dig pit if your dog needs an outlet. Keep sessions short and frequent. If you want coaching tailored to your home, we can help.

Your dog deserves training that truly works. With certified Smart Master Dog Trainers (SMDTs) nationwide, you will get proven results backed by the UK's most trusted dog training network. Find a Trainer Near You