How To Stop A Great Pyrenees Dog Digging

There’s a treasure buried beneath the soil and your Great Pyrenees may have discovered the location. Perhaps, he’s found a short cut to the other side of the world. Maybe, he just wants to make a hole because it’s something he finds extraordinarily entertaining. Normally, that’s one of the most accepted reasons for dogs digging but there are others. However, unless you want your yard to look like an excavation site, you have to find a way to discontinue his chronic hole-creation activities.

Your Great Pyrenees is a loyal family member that isn’t crazy about strangers or other dogs, although he’ll love your family cat. He is an independent serious dog that thinks he’s the boss, unless you let him know otherwise. The problem with most people and their Pyrenees dogs is that they fail to establish leadership. Without that, no training will help because the dog simply ignores you.

Some dogs dig because it’s in their nature. The Great Pyrenees is a herder and protector so it isn’t from an inherent need to dig. However, they do tend to become bored and digging is a “hole” lot of fun. If this is the cause, make sure you take time every day to have planned activities with your dog. Provide toys for him to play with while you’re gone. You can also resort to creating a special area where they can dig.

The dog may be trying to escape, either to go on an adventure, look for the yummy garbage they keep smelling, find a female companion or simply try to find their owners when the owner leaves for work. In these cases, you have to find out why they want to leave and then you’ll have a course of action. If they smell the neighbor’s garbage or the neighbor finds your dog lovable and feeds them, discuss the issue with the neighbor.  If they’re looking for a female, neuter them. If they are having anxiety attacks, you may need help from a qualified professional.

Sometimes doggy digging is a sign they’re hot and want to expose the cool ground or they’re frightened and seeking refuge. You need to provide shelter from storms and a safe place for your dog to hide if this is the case. A house in the shaded area of the yard provides a cool place to lie and a safe place to hide.

Immediately reprimand your dog if you find him digging. This means you have to supervise his outside play for a while. Dogs don’t associate a hole with the behavior of digging so punishment later is almost useless. Take the time to stop the behavior while it happens and you won’t have hours of reseeding the lawn.

If all else fails and the dog insists on going for an adventure by digging his way under fences, you can improve your fencing. You might have to create an underground electric fence to keep your Great Pyrenees at home. If he’s a Houdini at escaping, this may be the only answer.

If all else fails, consider getting your Great Pyrenees a job with an excavation crew. Of course, you’ll have to train him to dig on command. If you thought the job of training him not to dig was hard, wait until you try to tackle that one.