Fortunately there are ways in which you can help
diminish your puppy's digging behavior so that it is
less destructive to your belongings while at the same
time giving him a place to dig without being punished
for it.
Below are a set of instructions that will help you
train your dog not to dig and claw in areas that you
do not want him to, as well as creating a place of his
own where he is free to dig at his heart's content
1. The first thing you need to do is find one area
that your puppy is allowed to dig in as much as he wants
to. This could be somewhere in your house, in a nearby
park, or better yet, in your backyard if you have the
luxury of owning the property.
2. Make it fun for your puppy to dig by burying some
of his toys and bones underneath the dirt. Now play
with your dog and start digging with him so you can
both play the game of looking for his toys while digging.
It becomes a lot of fun to watch your puppy dig along
with you in search of his hidden treasure.
3. Every day, go back to your dog's digging area and
instruct him to start digging by giving him a command.
This command could be as simple as "Sparky, Go
Dig!" After a while he will immediately begin clawing
at the dirt in wild anticipation for the fun that lay
ahead.
4. If you see your puppy digging in any area other
than his digging spot, be sure to correct him with a
firm "NO!" And then guide him to his proper
digging location. This is the same protocol that you
would use when housebreaking a puppy after he makes
a mess in the house. Eventually, your dog will seek
out his digging area when he feels the urge to dig away.
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