A Bit of Dog Training

Labrador Retrievers are known to be very friendly dogs that love to be active. This is why Labs need physical and mental stimulation in order to live long and healthy lives. When a dog doesn’t get the interaction that it needs, it will find a way to entertain itself. Labs often do this by digging. In this article, you will gain some insight on the reason behind why Labrador Retrievers love to dig holes and what you can do about it.

The first thing you must understand is that digging is a natural behavior for a dog. Dogs dig for one of several reasons. They may do it to cool off from the heat or warm up from the cold, a dog could be digging to hide its food, or it could just be doing it to gain attention. If you want to stop your Lab from digging, you need to watch him and determine what is causing him to dig.

Let’s Get Started

Is your dog digging a hole to bury a bone or some type of food? Then stop giving your dog these types of things. Another option is to only give your Labrador food or toys inside the house.

Need more info? Click here to read more on how to stop labrador digging problems.

Another thing to watch for is if your dog is laying in the hole that it dug. If this is the case, give your Lab a shady area for hot days and a nice warm place to get out of the wind and cold. One of the easiest ways to give your dog shelter is to buy a dog house for her.

Is your dog digging under the fence to get out? This problem can be a little more difficult to deal with. Labs love to be around other people and animals so they have a tough time being isolated. Your dog may be digging because she is lonely.

There are a few ways you can solve this type of labrador digging problem. Firstly, give your Labrador lots of exercise. Dogs love “play” exercise – go for a run or thow a ball. If you have to leave the dog alone, give him plenty of toys to play with while you’re out.

One other option is to set off a specific digging area. Give him a special treat then they dig in their special area. As a last resort, bury chicken wire where your Lab likes to dig. She wont like the feel of the wire and will probably stop digging there.

However, not leaving your Labrador Retriever is really the best option. Try sectioning off a part of the yard to keep him in when you are out. This will confine any yard damage to one area

Digging is preventable. It is simply a matter of determining the cause of the problem and fixing it. Always remember that discliplining your dog for digging won’t help. This just confuses him and makes matters worse. Positive reinforcement is the only thing that will do any good in the long term. Give your Labrador lots of attention, interaction and exercise and you’ll find that you have much fewer problems. The biggest dog training secret is love and positive affirmation.