Gad Zooks! Your yard has moon craters. Your dog is a psycho digger. What can you do? In order to change the behavior (behavior modification), you have to understand the motivation. Dogs dig for several reasons. Some breeds come with a genetic predisposition to digging. Sled dog types dig in the snow in Alaska to stay warm. In South Florida, they dig to stay cool. Terriers dig to find a varmint, whether it's there or not. The digging behavior is hard-wired in some breeds. It's harder to fix. Most dogs dig because of boredom. They don't have anything to do, so they go on destructive rampages. They have enormous amounts of energy. They were bred to retrieve dead ducks, pull sleds, kill rodents, herd ships, protect you from the bad guys for 16 hours a day. Now they're unemployed, on welfare. If you don't find a job for your dog, he'll find one himself. You'll hate it! First, before we begin any behavior modification, get him tired. Do few obedience lessons with him each day. Have an exciting and exhausting game of fetch. Would you rather your dog was tired or wired?

So, how do you fix the digging problem? Let's go on the correcting stage. In holes that the dog has already dug, bury some of his feces (poop). Cover it with a 2-inch layer of dirt. When he starts to dig YUCK! This works great with some dogs, and it's easy. Keep in mind, no one correction works in all dogs. They're individuals, so keep on trying.

Never let your dog see you digging in the garden. They're great mimics. They figure you're having fun, so why not join in? Watch the dog in the yard. Be sneaky. Don't let your dog see you. If he starts to dig, throw a soda pop can with 10 or 12 pennies in it at him, or shake it to make a loud, scary noise. Don't say anything. You don't want him to know you had anything to do with what just happened. It's called a remote correction. It's the logical consequence of digging in the yard. It's divine intervention. The Canine God hates digging and he rattles his thunderbolts when dogs dig. When you say NO to a dog, you are really saying, "Stop it." You are not saying, "Thou shall not." That's why he stops when you scream, but starts again when you're not there. If there is an awful consequence (in the dog's mind), he'll stop the behavior. You saying "NO" is not an awful consequence.

In the Stone Age of dog training, people filled the holes with water. They put the dog's head in the hole and almost drowned him. This was cruel, inhumane, and ineffective. It's a Bozo No No.

Now that we've shown the dog what he can't do, let's show him what he can do. We've corrected the behavior and now we are going to redirect the energy. Buy a Kong of hollow beef bone. Take some of his food and mix it with about one tablespoon of peanut butter or Cheese Whiz and water. Stuff the bone or the Kong and let it sit overnight to slightly dry. When you leave him on the yard, give him one of these. It'll keep him very busy. He doesn't know he can't get it all out. He'll keep trying. Feed him his meals in a Buster Cube. You can get them at Pet Smart. It's a cube that you fill with dry food. It has a hole that releases the food as the dog noses or paws it. You'll have to show him how it works. Dogs are hunters. They love hunting their food. If all else fails, build him a sandbox. At the far side of your yard, enclose an area with 2 X 4's. Fill it with sand. Bury some neat stuff in it. Play with your dog in the sand, digging up the neat stuff. Change the stuff often. He'll dig out there even if you're not there. It's fun.

Digging is a more difficult problem to solve than easy ones such as pulling on a leash or jumping on people. After you've fixed the problem, give yourself a pat on the head. GOOD GIRL! GOOD BOY!

-Penny Gilbert, dog owner, behaviorist and trainer has been working professionally with dogs since 1986, specializing in behavior problems. Her background includes hosting seminars on puppy temperament testing, canine mental health and training shelter personnel. She is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She has a boarding and training facility at her home in the Redlands. You can contact Penny at St. Francis Dog Camp (305) 246-3647.