best toddler garden toys image
Breezie
He has a really large fenced back yard, and my 5 year old son is in the yard playing with him for most of the day, so I dont think he's bored. We feed him twice a day, he has numerous rawhide chews (flavored and unflavored) and many MANY toys, Kongs, rope toys, tennis balls, etc., and he wont play with any of thoes, he finds sticks to chew. How do I get him to be interested in the toys, and keep him from digging?
Answer
Discourage Your Dog From Garden Digging
If your dog likes to dig, you know that it can be a hard habit to break. It is, in fact, instinctual. Not only is garden digging extremely annoying, but also it can endanger your dog's health.
Why is my dog attracted to my garden?
If you think about it, gardens are wonderful dog playgrounds. There's lots of fun stuff there:
Smells: Manure is often used as fertilizer. Plantings often smell good and this may encourage your dog to dig around.
Playthings: Moles, mice and other fun things often live in a garden or stop by for a visit. And plants are fun to pull out of the ground.
How to stop digging
If you do some work in the garden, roll out the hose and fit a sprinkler on the end. When the dog goes to investigate the area, turn on the sprinkler. In this way the sprinkler is telling the dog off, and not you. The added bonus of letting the sprinkler do the work for you is that many dogs will learn not to dig whilst you are present but can dig away happily when you are away from home. The sprinkler causes the dog to think that the actual garden is chastising him and does not realise that you were involved at the tap end!
What if you do not have a sprinkler, or the dog is digging at a point too far away for the hoses to reach? Treat yourself to a toy water pistol. For very little cost, you can buy a water pistol that has a good accuracy over several meters. Then you just hang around in the garden and wait for the dog to start digging. As soon as this happens, deliver a jet of water at the dog, aiming for its head. Say nothing; act as if you were not involved. This can have a similar effect to turning on the sprinkler.
If your dog seems hyperactive, chews destructively and digs holes then this could be boredom. Take the dog out away from the garden for exercise for at least one hour each day. Play games of fetch with a ball and do not restrict the dog to the garden - allow him into the house. The more the dog is alone the more likely it is to dig. Leaving toys stuffed with food and goodies when he is left alone will make the "home alone" times more stimulating.
Dogs that dig at fences may well be bored and trying to get out to something on the other side of the fence. The scent hounds will especially do this when they can smell something really interesting on the other side of the fence - so watch out if you have a Beagle. If there are any gaps in your fencing fill them in but also watch for gaps below the fence - fill this in with concrete or attach chicken wire to the bottom of the fence and curve onto the ground, burying it below the surface. For dogs that do keep going back to the same hole to dig, try lifting some of the dog's own poo and placing that in the hole - few dogs will dig through their own feces.
If you find that despite all your attempts to stop it your dog keeps on digging, then you might consider ceding a portion of the garden. If your toddler likes to dig, we buy them a sandpit. The same can apply to the dog. Provide a sandbox - or just a small corner of bare, dug over earth, and bury bones and favourite toys. At first, leave part of the toy sticking out of the ground, take the dog over to the area, and act excited as if you are about to discover lost treasure. Let the dog dig to get the toy and praise like mad.
Whenever you then see the dog digging in other parts of the garden, switch into your "excited - buried treasure" routine and encourage the dog over to the digging area. Better to have one small area dug up by the dog than to have your whole garden looking like a minefield.
If you feel your dog is digging because he is bored and you decide to obtain another dog to keep him company, then expect to have two digging machines! Far better to solve the first dog's digging problem before multiplying this by two.
Discourage Your Dog From Garden Digging
If your dog likes to dig, you know that it can be a hard habit to break. It is, in fact, instinctual. Not only is garden digging extremely annoying, but also it can endanger your dog's health.
Why is my dog attracted to my garden?
If you think about it, gardens are wonderful dog playgrounds. There's lots of fun stuff there:
Smells: Manure is often used as fertilizer. Plantings often smell good and this may encourage your dog to dig around.
Playthings: Moles, mice and other fun things often live in a garden or stop by for a visit. And plants are fun to pull out of the ground.
How to stop digging
If you do some work in the garden, roll out the hose and fit a sprinkler on the end. When the dog goes to investigate the area, turn on the sprinkler. In this way the sprinkler is telling the dog off, and not you. The added bonus of letting the sprinkler do the work for you is that many dogs will learn not to dig whilst you are present but can dig away happily when you are away from home. The sprinkler causes the dog to think that the actual garden is chastising him and does not realise that you were involved at the tap end!
What if you do not have a sprinkler, or the dog is digging at a point too far away for the hoses to reach? Treat yourself to a toy water pistol. For very little cost, you can buy a water pistol that has a good accuracy over several meters. Then you just hang around in the garden and wait for the dog to start digging. As soon as this happens, deliver a jet of water at the dog, aiming for its head. Say nothing; act as if you were not involved. This can have a similar effect to turning on the sprinkler.
If your dog seems hyperactive, chews destructively and digs holes then this could be boredom. Take the dog out away from the garden for exercise for at least one hour each day. Play games of fetch with a ball and do not restrict the dog to the garden - allow him into the house. The more the dog is alone the more likely it is to dig. Leaving toys stuffed with food and goodies when he is left alone will make the "home alone" times more stimulating.
Dogs that dig at fences may well be bored and trying to get out to something on the other side of the fence. The scent hounds will especially do this when they can smell something really interesting on the other side of the fence - so watch out if you have a Beagle. If there are any gaps in your fencing fill them in but also watch for gaps below the fence - fill this in with concrete or attach chicken wire to the bottom of the fence and curve onto the ground, burying it below the surface. For dogs that do keep going back to the same hole to dig, try lifting some of the dog's own poo and placing that in the hole - few dogs will dig through their own feces.
If you find that despite all your attempts to stop it your dog keeps on digging, then you might consider ceding a portion of the garden. If your toddler likes to dig, we buy them a sandpit. The same can apply to the dog. Provide a sandbox - or just a small corner of bare, dug over earth, and bury bones and favourite toys. At first, leave part of the toy sticking out of the ground, take the dog over to the area, and act excited as if you are about to discover lost treasure. Let the dog dig to get the toy and praise like mad.
Whenever you then see the dog digging in other parts of the garden, switch into your "excited - buried treasure" routine and encourage the dog over to the digging area. Better to have one small area dug up by the dog than to have your whole garden looking like a minefield.
If you feel your dog is digging because he is bored and you decide to obtain another dog to keep him company, then expect to have two digging machines! Far better to solve the first dog's digging problem before multiplying this by two.
What is a respectable time to leave your dog during the day?
~Good Look
I am working part time and am interested in getting a dog. How long would a dog be able to be on it's own. I have a friend who, when they leave their dog on its own, has access to the garden through a cat flap.
Please help!
Also, tell me anything that you think would be helpful aswell - thanks!
Answer
How long can you go without peeing? Four hours? Five? Don't expect that your dog can go any longer than you can without getting outside to relieve him/herself - and for a young dog or puppy - much less time. If you have a doggie door, where the pet can come in and out at will you could go for a longer period of time - provided of course that the yard IS FENCED so that the dog cannot get out and so that no other animal can get in [the yard]. If you are going to be gone any longer than just a few hours and you get home and there are "presents" for you this is NOT the dog's fault, but yours for being irresponsible in attending to the dog's needs. I recommend - highly recommend - crate training any dog. A puppy is just like a baby and then a toddler and you wouldn't leave a baby or toddler alone, would you? When the puppy chews an electrical cord and electrocutes itself - ahh - your fault for not making sure that you'd baby-proofed first - or when the puppy is teething and decides your best shoes are perfect for this - your fault for not putting your shoes in a closet and closing the door. And when a dog is anxious - he/she will chew - not always, but... Do you want chair legs chewed? You can't leave and then come back, find something destroyed and try to discipline your dog at that point. The dog will have absolutely no idea what it did that you are so upset about if you aren't there to correct a behavior when it is actually happening - after the fact is too late. A crate prevents all of these behaviors from happening. Also, for the most part, will eliminate "accidents" from happening so that your carpets are not ruined. Go to the library, check out a book or two on the responsibilities of owning a dog. Sign up for a course on dog obedience at your local SPCA. Get on the internet and you'll find a plethora of information about all of this. [Crate training is NOT cruel. My two four-legged "kids" luv their crates and enter and exit them all day long. These are their "rooms." My older "kid" actually opens and closes his door - doesn't latch it, of course, but whacks the door open and closed with his paw.] Never leave your dog unattended with a rawhide chewey [don't buy rawhides that are treated with a formeldehyde process!] as he/she can choke to death. Putting a puppy in a crate with a "chew" and then leaving is an accident waiting to happen. There are tons of safe chew toys out there - Nylabones, treated marrow bones that do not splinter - and other chewing and teething toys - that are safe to leave in a crate with a puppy but NEVER a rawhide chew! And the best way to have a happy dog in his/her crate is to make sure that you've given your dog ample exercise / play time, etc., before crating so that the crate then becomes a "rest area." A puppy full of energy is not going to want to "rest" if he or she hasn't done something - a long walk - runs around the yard chasing a tennis ball - something - before being put in the crate. Good luck.
How long can you go without peeing? Four hours? Five? Don't expect that your dog can go any longer than you can without getting outside to relieve him/herself - and for a young dog or puppy - much less time. If you have a doggie door, where the pet can come in and out at will you could go for a longer period of time - provided of course that the yard IS FENCED so that the dog cannot get out and so that no other animal can get in [the yard]. If you are going to be gone any longer than just a few hours and you get home and there are "presents" for you this is NOT the dog's fault, but yours for being irresponsible in attending to the dog's needs. I recommend - highly recommend - crate training any dog. A puppy is just like a baby and then a toddler and you wouldn't leave a baby or toddler alone, would you? When the puppy chews an electrical cord and electrocutes itself - ahh - your fault for not making sure that you'd baby-proofed first - or when the puppy is teething and decides your best shoes are perfect for this - your fault for not putting your shoes in a closet and closing the door. And when a dog is anxious - he/she will chew - not always, but... Do you want chair legs chewed? You can't leave and then come back, find something destroyed and try to discipline your dog at that point. The dog will have absolutely no idea what it did that you are so upset about if you aren't there to correct a behavior when it is actually happening - after the fact is too late. A crate prevents all of these behaviors from happening. Also, for the most part, will eliminate "accidents" from happening so that your carpets are not ruined. Go to the library, check out a book or two on the responsibilities of owning a dog. Sign up for a course on dog obedience at your local SPCA. Get on the internet and you'll find a plethora of information about all of this. [Crate training is NOT cruel. My two four-legged "kids" luv their crates and enter and exit them all day long. These are their "rooms." My older "kid" actually opens and closes his door - doesn't latch it, of course, but whacks the door open and closed with his paw.] Never leave your dog unattended with a rawhide chewey [don't buy rawhides that are treated with a formeldehyde process!] as he/she can choke to death. Putting a puppy in a crate with a "chew" and then leaving is an accident waiting to happen. There are tons of safe chew toys out there - Nylabones, treated marrow bones that do not splinter - and other chewing and teething toys - that are safe to leave in a crate with a puppy but NEVER a rawhide chew! And the best way to have a happy dog in his/her crate is to make sure that you've given your dog ample exercise / play time, etc., before crating so that the crate then becomes a "rest area." A puppy full of energy is not going to want to "rest" if he or she hasn't done something - a long walk - runs around the yard chasing a tennis ball - something - before being put in the crate. Good luck.
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