Why Does My Dog Dig?

You look out the window and your dog is elbow-deep in a fresh crater, tail going, dirt flying, absolutely delighted with themselves. Digging can be maddening for the garden, but for a dog it is one of the most natural, satisfying things in the world. Understanding why they do it is the key to redirecting the habit instead of fighting a losing battle.

Digging is normal, wired-in behavior

Before anything else, know that digging is not naughtiness. It is a deeply instinctive behavior that has been useful to dogs for thousands of years. Some breeds are especially driven to dig because they were literally bred for it, including terriers and dachshunds, whose whole job was to go to ground after burrowing prey. If you share your life with a doxie, a love of excavation is written into the job description, which fits right in with everything else in their one-of-a-kind temperament.

The most common reasons dogs dig

Beyond raw instinct, most digging comes down to a handful of motives:

• Fun and energy. Digging is genuinely enjoyable and burns energy. A dog with time on their paws and little else to do will often invent a landscaping project.
• Boredom. An under-stimulated dog digs to entertain themselves. This is one of the most common causes, and also the most fixable.
• Comfort. Dogs dig to make a cool hollow on a hot day, a warm nest in the cold, or simply a comfy shape to lie in.
• The hunt. Interesting smells, insects, or small animals under the surface are irresistible to a nose as powerful as a dog's.
• Stashing treasure. Some dogs bury bones and toys to save for later, an ancient food-caching instinct.

When digging points to something more

Sometimes digging is a symptom rather than a hobby. A dog digging frantically at doorways, along fences, or trying to tunnel out may be anxious or trying to escape, which is worth taking seriously. Digging that comes with other worried behaviors, especially when your dog is left alone, can be a sign of stress. Our guides to stress and fear signals and calming an anxious dog help you tell relaxed, happy digging from the anxious kind, and escape-digging in particular is worth addressing before your dog finds their way out.

How to redirect the digging

You will have far more success channeling the instinct than trying to erase it.

• Meet the need first. More physical exercise and mental enrichment, like sniffy walks, food puzzles, and training games, take the boredom fuel out of digging. A tired, satisfied dog digs far less.
• Give them a legal dig spot. A designated digging area or a sandpit, with a toy or treat buried in it, gives your dog somewhere digging is allowed and even encouraged. Praise them for using it.
• Manage comfort. On hot days, offer shade and a cool place to lie so your dog does not have to dig one.
• Do not punish. Telling off a dog after the fact does nothing but confuse them, since they cannot connect the scolding to a hole dug earlier. Redirect to the allowed spot instead.

Most digging is just a happy dog being a dog, and a little management goes a long way. If the digging looks anxious or driven by wanting to escape, loop in your vet or a qualified trainer, and if you want to get sharper at reading whether your dog is content or stressed, our free dog body language cheat sheet is a great place to start.