Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 21May 08, 2011 2:40 pm Eager - I have to disagree with you there. If you know anything about Samoyeds and their traits, they are a breed who like to dig and unfortunatly working 40hrs a week I cant keep an eye on her 24/7. She does get walked 45min a day and has plenty of things to do, but as I said before its a breed specific trait and I don't believe because of that it should disregard me from owning this breed of dog, She is well loved and has lots of enviromental enrichment. This topic was made in order for me to find a solution, you havnt even given constructive cristisim and assumed you know the way my dog is treated. I like to thank ever one else for your advise its much appreciated Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 22May 08, 2011 3:25 pm Our neighbours dog used to get out (we all have an acre) but we could never figure out where. He was very old and definitely couldn't jump the fence. Dad tried to find it for years and found a few holes or spots in the fence he could push out, but until this day, we still don't know how he did it. Now back on topic In cse you haven't been told this one, I've heard that you can bury balloons in the holes so when they dig them up they pop in their face and scare them off. Worth a try. Otherwise, mesh or board buried below the fence sounds like the best idea if your not scared of a bit of digging. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 23May 08, 2011 4:32 pm Eager I'm going to be a bit controversial here and suggest that if one was to have a breed of dog that is cooped up in a backyard, and it is desparate to get out by digging at the fenceline, well maybe it shouldn't be living in that environment anyway. I have a Siberian Husky, very adventurous dog.. known to be escape artists it is just in their nature Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 24May 08, 2011 5:28 pm Natti - I did mention controversy! Just because I am not an expert on that breed dosn't mean I can't have an opinion, even if you don't want to hear it. It would be exactly the same as if you gave joles a tut-tut for having a blue heeler in suburbia. I made no assumptions at all; you were the one who mentioned that your dog is left alone during working hours. Nor is it my fault that there might be other solutions that you may need to consider, but won't. I do have some experience in that we have a lab/shepherd cross who occasionally digs but he is growing out of it. He has never tried to dig his way to freedom though, because that's not in his nature. His holes were mainly in the lawn alongside paths or garden edges. We constructed a simple chicken wire fence across the front of the rear garden to protect it. His distraction now is a small pile of dirt that was left over from a recent garden project, and we let him do what he wants with it. He's great fun to have around and has a gentle nature. He even gets on with the cat! Blind Freddy can see that he is of a more suitable breed for the back yard (and inside too ) than one that causes its owners heartache, agreed? Constructively then: Can you get her re-homed, like Fernyhouse's dog? Can you get a sitter or a minder for her? Can you leave your dog inside, or maybe in the garage, when you are at work? Can you alter your working hours? Can you build a dog run in the yard for her? I just think that you need to consider whether to (a) make your yard escape-proof, or (b) prevent her from digging at all. Geoff - Decophile. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 25May 08, 2011 5:29 pm Mrs P Eager I'm going to be a bit controversial here and suggest that if one was to have a breed of dog that is cooped up in a backyard, and it is desparate to get out by digging at the fenceline, well maybe it shouldn't be living in that environment anyway. I have a Siberian Husky, very adventurous dog.. known to be escape artists it is just in their nature Yep and that's fine if you're willing to take the risk; just don't complain if it all goes wrong one day. Geoff - Decophile. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 26May 08, 2011 6:07 pm Eager Constructively then: Can you get her re-homed, Would you re-home a child? My pets are like children to me an are very loved an I would never re-home them. A dog is lifelong commitment not something you give up on as soon as things get to hard Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 27May 08, 2011 6:12 pm Eager Mrs P Eager I'm going to be a bit controversial here and suggest that if one was to have a breed of dog that is cooped up in a backyard, and it is desparate to get out by digging at the fenceline, well maybe it shouldn't be living in that environment anyway. I have a Siberian Husky, very adventurous dog.. known to be escape artists it is just in their nature Yep and that's fine if you're willing to take the risk; just don't complain if it all goes wrong one day. This is why I live on a large property nowhere near main roads If it all goes wrong one day I am pretty sure the last thing I would be doing is complaining Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 28May 08, 2011 6:19 pm Natti Eager Constructively then: Can you get her re-homed, Would you re-home a child? My pets are like children to me an are very loved an I would never re-home them. A dog is lifelong commitment not something you give up on as soon as things get to hard No I wouldn't, and I agree with you 110%! Besides, furkids are preferable to real ones sometimes I reckon! But sheesh, I was just making a suggestion! I was castigated for NOT making suggestions before; now I am for making them. Are you now going to denounce Fernyhouse for making that particular suggestion in the first place? Geoff - Decophile. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 29May 08, 2011 6:20 pm Mrs P Eager Mrs P I have a Siberian Husky, very adventurous dog.. known to be escape artists it is just in their nature Yep and that's fine if you're willing to take the risk; just don't complain if it all goes wrong one day. This is why I live on a large property nowhere near main roads If it all goes wrong one day I am pretty sure the last thing I would be doing is complaining That's cool. Geoff - Decophile. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 30May 08, 2011 6:37 pm I am very protective over my doggies, u can have a opinion by all means but I never said my dog digs only fence lines, she digs where she sees dirt cause she might like the feeling between her paws not cause she wants freedom. An fernyhouse gave some great feedback eg. Sandpit, they didn't say re Home.. but let's move on we d on't need this to become nasty Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 31May 08, 2011 7:08 pm I might add that the dog we re-home was a second dog. Having two dogs didn't prevent the second dog wanting to get out. (one of the first suggestions re: the escaping is to get the dog a companion - it wasn't a preventative as she was the second dog already). Re-homing was our last option. I sought lots of advice and ideas many of which we had used with our first dog when he was a puppy. Re-homing becomes the only option when the escaping is putting the dog's life at risk. Yes it's a lifelong committment and you need o be prepared to consider all suggestions to keep your dog safe, happy and occupied. Just like real kids. Then selecting the home for our dog to go to was not a simple thing either. I think it's unfair to rule out re-homing if everything else is not tried first. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 32May 08, 2011 8:03 pm My dog has never escaped an now with all these great ideas she never will, re homing just isn't a option for me, she only likes to dig sometimes, she doesn't do it everyday I just wanted to prevent if she ever did dig her way out. Where can I get invisible fencing ?? Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 33May 08, 2011 8:49 pm Natti I am very protective over my doggies, u can have a opinion by all means but I never said my dog digs only fence lines, she digs where she sees dirt cause she might like the feeling between her paws not cause she wants freedom. An fernyhouse gave some great feedback eg. Sandpit, they didn't say re Home.. but let's move on we d on't need this to become nasty No - you don't get to say "Let's move on" when you are clearly wrong. Fernyhouse DID mention re-homing, and confirmed it in the next post. No, you didn't mention that your dog doesn't just only dig fence lines, but the fact that she does is why you raised the topic - particularly with the possibility of her escaping - and that is what everyones responses are based on. No, there is no nastiness here. Just accept that the definitive solutions to your problem might not be the prettiest ones, and that you shouldn't shoot the messenger. Geoff - Decophile. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 34May 08, 2011 8:54 pm Ok guys. I thought you had sorted this out. I don't think anyone is going to see the others POV. Things are getting a little out of hand. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 35May 08, 2011 8:57 pm try this site www.hiddenfence.com.au finished building 40 square home on 5 acres with perry homes.working on the landscaping just finished pool deck with ://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=2217 Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 36May 08, 2011 9:18 pm We find our boys are only concerned about the boundary fence when there's another dog/noise over there. We dug extra plinth boards (sp?) flat ways at the base of the fence, then covered them with a little dirt (similar to the chicken wire suggestion above), so if/when they dig, they hit timber and get no where. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 37May 08, 2011 9:47 pm Erin that is a great suggestion. One of the escape routes our digging dog tried many times was a length of fence that had a concrete plinth. It was the softest soil so she did repeatedly try this section. Of course anytime I tried to put any vegetation in that section it just meant the dog wanted to copy what I was doing and dig it all up as well. It was the place I put the balloons with the first dog and had great success with him. Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 39May 09, 2011 12:52 am Natti (j?), the key to managing a digging dog is to identify why they are digging in the first place. Is that a recent picture of your dog, if so she is still quite young unless I'm very much mistaken about the breed of the other dog in the pic. Chances are plain old investigation could be her main motivator and by making it less interesting by stopping her from doing it easily, by pegging down some mesh (and you can use heavy duty plastic mesh if you're worried about her hurting herself but so long as it is good quality and the right size I've never known anyone to have a problem). Having a sand pit can be helpful, but you will need to actively redirect her digging to there by burying objects and treats for her to scent, discover and play with or eat. Does she bury anything when she digs? If so it could be that you are simply over feeding her, or feeding her at an inappropriate time (eg another dog or person is present and she doesn't want them around while she eats). Does she have an area to retire to when outside, a kennel, the laundry, a shed etc? Is there anything specific going on at the times that she digs in random places in the yard, any dogs barking, neighbours arguing, general noise etc? Is there anything specific going on when she digs at the fence line, the postie delivering the mail, the neighbours kids playing in the yard etc? Is there anything specific about the areas in which she is digging that might be causing the behaviour, or is it totally random? EG perhaps something is buried there, your neighbours have put down fertilizer for garden beds etc? I'm going to assume you have the environmental enrichment angle covered and that she gets plenty of attention, stimulation (physical and mental) and gets to spend plenty of time outside the yard? How old is she? How much time does she spend in the yard and without the company of a person or another animal? How do you respond when you come home to find she has been digging? How do you respond if you actually catch her in the act of digging? Re: Digging Dogs - What to Put along the back Fence 40May 09, 2011 8:50 am Hi Jewellbaby, Photo actually is a year or so old but in saying that she is only 2 an still acts like the biggest puppy She doesnt dig everyday and sometimes its not every week but when she does do it an we catch her we give her a steern no untill she listens an walk away then we re-direct her to playing with toys. The other dog in the photo is mine aswell so she has company all the time but unfortuantly my other dog doesnt play as much She doesnt bury when she digs, atm she does have a kennel but never uses it but we are building our house an was thinking of putting a doggy door in the outdoor door to get into the garage what do you think of this??? So the weird thing is she wont dig where she sees grass but we are currently living at my parents an they pulled out a lemon tree a few years leaving a big patch of dirt an she has been loving the hole pit. We have tried covering it, when my dads mows he dumps all the old grass there but she seems to get back to the dirt an she likes to sleep in it too weird or normal ???? lol Firstly the ableflex that has been installed needs (manufactures specification) a sealant cap over the top, preventing water draining down between the slab and the… 3 7793 0 9826 I’m loving the potential versatility and practicality of a bench seat in a shower. Anyone had one of these done recently? Not sure if they are straight forward and easy… 0 773 |