Most dogs really enjoy digging around in soft dirt. You want to have a beautiful yard and a nice garden and your dog comes along and ruins it all. It is a big disaster that you can hardly keep up with. You want a nice yard but your dog wants to have fun digging around. What is the best way to handle this problem?

Dogs are natural-born diggers. Some breeds are actually bred to dig out certain prey so this digging conduct is instinctual for them. If your dog is a natural digger it may be more challenging but there are some things you can do to contain the digging.

It is important for your dog to engage his curiosity, learn about and explore his surroundings. But most people want a nice yard too. You must contain his digging or even stop it entirely if you want to keep your yard beautiful.

Digging Dog

Dogs sometimes dig because they are bored. They need entertainment. He may be experiencing separation anxiety because you are away. Maybe he is trying to dig out an escape route so he can leave the yard. He may even be digging for something as simple as controlling his own temperature. He may be too hot and trying to cool off or he may be too cold and trying to warm-up.

You can get your dog to reduce or even stop his digging patterns. First make sure that he has enough time with you and gets enough exercise and playtime. You can also make sure that he has toys that he enjoys. Frequently dogs will try to bury bones so if you give your dog bones to chew on make sure you replace them with chew toys or rawhide bones.

You can also try clicker training to prevent digging. Anytime you see your dog in the act of digging use the clicker and a command that tells him “no”. Reward him when he stops digging. You will need to be consistent but clicker training can work.

You can also try to fill his hole up with undesirable things. You can fill the hole that he has been playing in with garden mulch, sticks, pine needles and so forth. When he comes back he will dig and find the undesirable things in his hole and he will stop digging. You can also bury a balloon that will pop in his face as he digs. This will not hurt him but it will scare him and he may stop the digging. Some trainers also recommend putting dog poop into the holes as the dog will no longer want to play after he finds his own poop!

You can try to make a spot in your yard specifically for his digging. This will take the most time and patience but it may be the best solution if your dog is just a natural digger. You can reduce your dogs digging behavior with some time and patience but be gentle because he is just being a dog.

The best thing about Twitter is that you can do a quick search to find like-minded people. Teachers, writers, photographers, celebrities, Susan Boyle lovers, all are tweeting away and just waiting to have another follower. Oh yeah that’s the other thing. On Twitter you get to follow and be followed. Its great fun to see how many people you can woo in 140-characters or less.

Of course I did my usual search for dog lovers and was not disappointed. A long list of dog lovers came up, some promoting businesses and services and some just promoting their dog. It’s a great resource for free advice on training, feeding, breeding and generally caring for your dog. Here are some of the best dog-related Twitterers I’ve found:

@ EcoPup: Boasts Eco-friendly clothing and accessories for your pawsitively posh pets!

@ Dogfessions: Its Nikki Moustaki, author, TV/Radio personality, dog trainer, pet industry expert. She also runs www.dogfessions.com and www.dogvice.com.

@Petigreeworld: On Twitter to educate, inspire and create a world of entertainment for you, your lifestyle and your trusted pet. Can be found at www.petigreeworld.com

@Bluebeagle2: Just a cute beagle who checks in.

@TheHusky: The life and times of Misty The Siberian Husky.

@TheDogExpert: Sheryl Matthys, The Dog Expert, Dog Trainer, CEO of www.leashesandlovers.com. Lots of fun tips on behavior.

@dogdiaries: Its a social community for dog lovers. Check them out at www.dogdiaries.com/au.

@sylviedog: Chicagoan Sylvie whose hobbies include sleeping, eating cookies and yelling at Mugsy. www.sylviedog.blogspot.com.

@iPuppyCam: all about puppies!! Gotta love it! www.ipuppycam.com.

@Woofcp. Pet gifts. www.bigpawdesigns.com.

Like I said, these are my favorite Twitters. Each one has something I love to check up on even if its just an adorable picture of Sylvie sleeping on her doggie bed. What can I say? I really REALLY like dogs. So if you get a chance, give these people a look and see what they can do for you and your dog. Twitter them! I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to tweet back!

The companionship of a dog can truly be one of life’s under appreciated joys. However, that joy can be seriously diminished if your dog exhibits excessive behavior problems. Aggression, inappropriate barking, jumping up on you or visitors, destroying household items and other unacceptable behavior can usually be eliminated through effective obedience training.

As pack animals, dogs are most content when they know their place in the social hierarchy of the pack, be it as a leader or as a subordinate.

If the dog’s perception is that you are not a strong leader, he will most likely assume the role of “alpha” dog. Bad behavior will worsen since, as the pack leader, he will believe that he can do as he pleases without regard to your wishes.

Until you establish yourself as the alpha member of the pack your efforts to teach proper behavior to your pooch are doomed to fail. By providing high quality obedience training you will teach your dog that you are the leader and that he must follow comply with your wishes.

Dog Training

When you begin obedience training try to make it a fun activity for your dog. Be sure to reward your dog for correct behavior. Rewards can take the form of tasty treats, petting, giving him a favorite toy or  vigorous praise.

Never punish your dog while teaching obedience as it will make him associate training with negative feelings. When you need to correct your dog’s behavior make it a penalty rather than punishment. A penalty can be anything from a quick tug on his leash, a “time out” by simply stopping an enjoyable activity, or simply ignoring him.

For training purposes you should keep in mind that rewards are more effective than penalties. Find out what your dog really enjoys and use it when training. The old “using a carrot or a stick” adage should be forgotten. Instead, try to use many different types of “carrots” and throw away the stick.

If you are not sure about specific training techniques you may benefit from studying the tactics used by professional dog trainers. There are several terrific training courses and guide books available online that you may want to consider to help you in your quest for the obedient dog.

In addition to his basic requirements of food, water and shelter, a dog needs social interaction, positive attention from his human companion, exercise and mental stimulation. Several of these additional  needs  can be met by just taking your dog for a walk. Walking your dog daily provides him with the attention from you that he needs. Possibly more than anything else, our pets simply want our company. Even when you remain at home during the day, a lot of your time is spent doing household tasks rather than interacting with your family pet. When leaving for your walk, take along a plastic bag or similar container and be sure to clean up after your pet.

A walk permits you to reinforce obedience skills with your dog to increase the reliability of training. Going over the basic commands also will increase the advantages of a walk because your dog isn’t merely ambling along, but is also performing extra tasks. Walking your dog keeps him mentally alert through territorial examination. With nose to the ground and alert to the sights and sounds of his surroundings, your dog gathers evidence about how his territory has been altered since the last outing.

Together with the emotional benefits, there are physical advantages. Taking your dog for a walk is the most effective method to exercise a dog that may not be very active in your home or even in your yard. Older dogs must be kept as lively and fit as possible. However, he may not be disposed to exercise without some motivation. Whether or not your pet is active in your yard, it is certainly more active during a walk. Merely sharing an activity with you is one of your dog’s greatest motivations to exercise.

If you pass by another dog or person during your walk, your dog has the chance to socialize. Dogs are social animals. It is natural for them to investigate unrecognized individuals. Puppies ought to be encouraged, from the very beginning, to appropriately respond to and get along with other dogs and people while on walks. These friendly experiences help the puppy learn to behave appropriately when meeting visitors to your home, or when he is with you anywhere else. If a dog does not have the opportunity to socialize, it will not understand how to interact correctly with other people or dogs.

Walking your dog is among the the best means to prevent behavior problems. At least one walk each day will help prevent elimination problems, destructiveness, separation anxiety and other frequent behavior disorders. Take your dog for a walk soon after every meal, as this is often the time it’s most likely to urinate or defecate, and you’ll be able to direct your dog to an appropriate location. Praise must be given immediately to be effective. If you merely let your dog go out in the yard, you miss out on a great opportunity to bolster good behavior.

Allowing your pooch to wander freely is hazardous both to your dog and to other pets and people. It also gives the unsupervised dog freedom to revert to unacceptable wild behavior. Your dog’s life might depend on his obedience to your commands. Not permitting some activity cannot be viewed as unkind when considering the possible unfortunate outcome.

It’s very likely that just about all puppies have chased their tails at some point. For a puppy, chasing his tail is as common as a child spinning in circles. Puppies seem to become aware that they have tails and, therefore, they are something to try to catch. Who hasn’t had a laugh at a puppy spinning around trying to catch his own tail?

Many dogs continue this behavior as they get older. It’s a playful behavior and dogs seem to enjoy it. Of course, it may also be a sign that your dog is bored and is looking for some way to entertain himself. If the behavior bothers you, try to provide your puppy or dog with lots of fun toys and safe things to chew on so he will have some other options.

It’s possible that some dogs continue to chase their tails after they are adults because it amuses their owners. They have learned that chasing their tail gets them attention and causes their owners to laugh and give them affection, so they chase their tails to get this positive attention. If you don’t want your dog to chase his tail it’s not necessary to punish your dog or to be harsh with him. Simply stop giving him the positive feedback. Stop laughing at his antics. Encourage him to do something else. Play with him with some toys, for instance. Throw a ball for him. Play frisbee with him.

Some dogs may chase their tail if there is some kind of physical problem concerning their tail. In these cases it only looks the same as a dog who is chasing his tail for fun. For example, your dog may have a flea bite at the base of his tail and it may be driving him crazy. He may spin, trying to reach the place that’s itching, but he can’t reach it. So, it looks like he’s chasing his tail. You can help your dog by checking to see what’s bothering him. This kind of spinning and chasing actually does look different from tail chasing. With tail-chasing a dog is trying to catch the tip of his tail (usually). When there is a physical problem a dog is often trying to reach the base of his tail or his body. Try to notice the difference and see what’s bothering your dog so you can help him.

Impacted anal sacs or problems with worms can also cause dogs to chase their tails.

Tail-chasing can also occur after physical trauma, surgery or illness. Bull Terriers and German Shepherds seem to be more prone to tail-chasing than other breeds.

In some cases, tail-chasing can become a compulsion as in an obsessive compulsive behavior. There is some evidence to suggest that this OCD tail-chasing behavior may be linked to high cholesterol in the diet.

Dogs with anxiety problems may also engage in compulsive tail-chasing. About two percent of the canine population is estimated to have canine compulsive disorder.

If your dog does develop this compulsive tail-chasing behavior you will need to talk to your veterinarian. He may recommend drug therapy for the problem. The most common treatment is Prozac for dogs. You will also need to work with your dog on behavior modification. In case you think this is extreme, dogs who chase their tails compulsively may do so for hours a day, so it really is necessary to help them.

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes about dog information and dog training.

You’ve just settled in to watch the big game on TV with a plate of piping hot Buffalo wings and an ice cold adult beverage when the phone rings. Your wife answers the phone and after a couple of minutes of hushed conversation she cries out, “Honey, Duke has escaped! They’ve got him at the Animal Control building. You have to go bail him out – it’s gonna cost fifty bucks!”

You silently curse to yourself, abandon the game and head off to the dog pound all the while wondering why Duke always takes off whenever he has an opportunity to slip out of his kennel. You treat him well, he obviously loves and is loyal to both you and your wife. Why does he run away?

For the most part, dogs that head for the hills when off leash are not really running away. They just want a little excitement in their lives. Dogs who get little exercise and not enough one-on-one attention are more likely to go exploring.

Boredom is usually the root of the problem. In order to keep your dog from running off you need to ensure that you provide plenty of stimulation.

If you are not able to be there to walk or play with your dog there are a few things you can do to improve his contentment. In addition to shelter from the elements, food and water you can provide him with dog toys to occupy his time. Putting a few treats into one of those hard rubber Kong dog toys can keep him busy for hours.

Regular exercise will also go a long way in reducing the dog’s desire to wander off. Try to take him on a walk or play fetch at the same time every day. It won’t take long for your dog to recognize the pattern and begin to anticipate these activities. This will also reduce his wanderlust since the exercise will tire him out so that he’s more interested in sleep than exploring the neighborhood.

Of course, a tall fenced in area with a well secured gate will also help keep your dog from escaping.

Many communities have very strict leash laws prohibiting dogs from running loose. Steep fines can be imposed and, in some cases, you may have to relinquish ownership.
And quite rightly since a dog on the loose can do quite a bit of property damage and frighten people who are not comfortable with dogs. Of course, a dog on the loose can also be injured or killed if it runs out into traffic.

It’s trite, yet true, that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It also lets you watch the big game and remain $50 to the good.