The difference between a dog showing guilt and what Ed is talking about is correctiopns and timing. A dog that has been corrected for digging in the trash may show signs of avoidance when you come home and the bin is tipped over. However, the dog does not have the cognitive ability to understand that he will now be punished for digging in the garbage hours ago. For a dog to understand WHY he's being corrected, the timing has to be immediate.

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the good stuff. To answer a question (I have no idea how long it was after she stopped digging and i came home...5 or 10 minutes?). All I know is that as soon as I opened the gate and saw the hole and looked her way she bee-lined for the crate.

I understand that the only way I could have corrected her for digging is if i had caught her in the act; which I never have. I will be honest and say that I have given her the verbal what for after the first few digging events...maybe as one suggested she is reading my body language...

Anyway, I appreciate the suggestions about engaging her more mentally. I think she is smarter than I give her credit for. Her brother (same father) is four and very chilled out, very well trained. A gem. I tend to look at her as more puppy/spastic.

Can you recommend some resources for me? I know Ed has plenty of DVD's. I have no idea how to do nose work with her. I understand the concept and think she would love it. Aside from clicker training tricks, I'm not armed with too much for her to do.

BTW,

yes, she is from working lines. Her brothers and sisters are mostly K-9 and SAR dogs. She was chosen for me because I requested a "soft" companion dog. She tends to be a bit skittish and fearful at times, but is otherwise a great dog.

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Edited by Connie Sutherland (10/17/2013 09:00 PM)
Edit reason: move post to new thread

 Quote: Vanessa Grebe

Can you recommend some resources for me? I know Ed has plenty of DVD's. I have no idea how to do nose work with her. I understand the concept and think she would love it. Aside from clicker training tricks, I'm not armed with too much for her to do.

Look into (google search) footstep tracking, the basics of wilderness SAR work (she'd probably LOVE hide and seek games with your kids if you've got some acreage you can work with) and also check out the Andrew Ramsey Nose Work DVDs that Leerburg sells.

First of all, I agree with the advice you have already received about making sure your girl gets more mental and physical exercise. I'm sure that will be beneficial in many ways for her state of mind.

I will tell you what completely cured a dog I had who started a digging habit. Put her own dog poop in the holes she has dug, then cover it back up. If she starts to dig again in the same spot and finds the poop, it will stop her. You will have to be persistent and make sure you do this with each hole she has dug, maybe for weeks.

I know how this sounds, but it was 100 percent effective for me. I got the idea from my brother, and it was 100 percent effective for his digger, too. (Not sure where he heard about it.) I used the same method to stop another dog who insisted on eating tree bark. For several weeks, I put poop around the perimeter of all the trees in my backyard. She wouldn't go near the trees and did not resume the habit later.

I can't guarantee this will work for you, but I don't think you have anything to lose by trying!

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moved to http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=33764&page=1#384581

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The only way I've been able to stop digging is to say "no digging HERE" and make a place with soft dirt where digging is allowed, encouraged. Burying bones in some soft dirt was something I had to resort to with a basset hound who was absolutely excavating our property.
Voles and moles are digging in this time of year and the moisture and cool temps seem to perk up smells. I find this digging habit is worst in spring and fall.

I'm not very good with links, but if you go to http://www.schutzhundvillage.com somewhere on there is a link to articles that Armin has written. One of them is very detailed about how to teach footstep tracking. It's very good. I believe it's called only the nose knows.