Excessive Digging:

Digging occurs for many reasons. They dig cooling pits when it’s hot and warming pits when it’s cold. Dogs dig to bury and recover bones. Digging is a highly enjoyable and natural canine activity. Lack of exercise, prolonged confinement and boredom can also be the blame. Once digging starts, it can quickly become a habit.

Providing your dog with regular walks, play-time and proper training, the better chances you will not have a digging problem. But until your dog has been taught that digging up your yard is unacceptable, he should not be given free access to these areas when you are not there to watch over him. Confinement is not the solution. It is only a temporary measure until your dog can be trusted out in the yard.

Excessive Chewing:

When yelling at your dog for chewing something up, such as a newspaper, both the owner and dog are completely misunderstanding each other. We feel that when the dog has his head down and looking guilty, that he must know what he did was wrong. The dog’s body language is actually showing he is frightened and submissive. So in reality, he is avoiding punishment. He may indeed know you are angry about the newspaper, but what about the newspaper? Are the pieces not small enough or is the job not done well enough?

Whatever the dog is thinking you are mad about, it is not for the act of chewing because that is not what he was doing when you scolded him. In order for him to know you are mad about chewing the paper, he must be caught in the act of chewing.

Excessive Barking:

Barking is the most natural thing for a dog. It’s a dog’s way of communicating, like humans when talking. You cannot expect to own a dog and not have a certain amount of barking, whining and howling. Barking is simply what dogs do. You can however, train your dog to bark less frequently than he might already do.

Every time your dog barks, after two or three barks, praise him for sounding the alarm. Then ask him to, stop barking. At the same time, wave a favorite treat in front of his nose. Most dogs immediately stop barking because they can not enjoy a treat and bark at the same time. During this time, continuously praise him.