How to Solve 2 Common Dog Behavior Problems
In this article I am going to shed light on how to stop 2 of the most common dog behavior problems, Digging, and Stealing Food from the trash.
Firstly let’s get to the bottom of Digging. Dogs dig for a number of reasons, they might find it fun, they may be bored or frustrated, they may be able to smell something interesting such as a rat or any other kind of garden rodent, or they may in fact be trying to escape.
Dogs that are digging because they are bored just need some fun and mind stimulation. If you train your dog for 15 minutes a day, you may notice the digging disappears totally. Try to exercise your dog so that it can use some of the energy that is building up inside. Spark some new interest in your dog’s life by introducing him to some new toys, or swap around the toys he currently uses for new one, then swap them back a week later. Add some interest to your dog’s daily life.
If you have a dog that simply really enjoys digging, you might be able to find a win – win situation by allocating a small area of your yard for digging. You can encourage your dog to dig there by burying food or his favorite toys and then starting to dig with him.
If your dog is digging in all the wrong places, try spraying some dog digging deterrent in the specific places you don’t want your dog to dig. Dog’s don’t like the smell or taste of this deterrent meaning they will most likely avoid digging in that spot.
The second common issue I want to mention is dogs breaking open trash bags. Dogs are programmed to take food whenever its on offer so doing this really comes naturally to them. Whenever a dog spots and opportunity to eat, they take it as in the wild they never knew when they would next get the opportunity.
The easiest way to solve this problem is to put the trash where your dog can’t get at it. Leave it in the garage overnight or in some other garden shed. If you have absolutely nowhere you can leave the trash, try to catch your dog opening the bag and instantly discipline him.
Another trick you can use to train your dog not to tamper with the trash is to booby trap it. Balance some heavy objects on top of the trash that would make a loud bang when they hit the floor. The bang should (at least) scare your dog off for a while!
Lastly, another option is to use some form of smell deterrent such as bitter apple spray or something similar. Sprinkling cayenne pepper or chilli powder on the trash bags also works well as most dogs dislike the smell and flavor of these.
The training tips mentioned above have worked well for many people dealing with these particular problems. To find our more information about these problems and other dog behaviour problems, visit the links listed below.
