Is your dog digging up your lawn?
Nothing like a warm summer day in your backyard. But if you’re a dog you’ll need something to keep you cool, something like digging a trench on your lawn to create a cool dirt bed.
Dr. Ilana Reisner, Director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, mentions that all dogs dig in the summer to create a nice cool spot to lie down in.
A way to keep your dog from digging up your lawn is to choose an area for them.
- Pick a shaded place and till up the soil to get them started. "Dogs love loose dirt," she notes; "they love the different smells in it."
- Or give them a sandbox to dig in; "they seem to enjoy sand even more", she explains; "it provides great play for them".
- Hide some toys or treats in your chosen areas and praise them when they go there to dig.
- If they don't, simply fence off your nicest spots.
