Harmony Forum

Digging is a natural, instinctual behavior for dogs. Depending on the breed of dog, the desire to dig might even be a part of their breeding and hardwired into their instincts. The act of digging can be a source of joy and enrichment for dogs, but a yard filled with holes is likely a going to cause headaches for owners. Digging is not an inappropriate behavior, but the spots that your dog is indulging in its habits might not be appropriate for you. If you have a digging problem on your hands, here are some tips to channel the behavior into something more appropriate. Step 1: Break the Habit Is your dog digging in all the wrong places? If so, prevent his access. Your dog won’t learn new ways while he has free access to his old digs—digging is just too much fun! Prevention is better still, and easier. If your dog has yet to dig up the roses, don’t wait for him to discover how much fun it is. Teach him where to dig from day one. Step 2: Supervise Early on, don’t use the yard for alone-time. Give your dog ample time to learn where he is allowed to dig before you leave him out there unsupervised. Otherwise it is too easy for him to make mistakes. (If you need to leave your dog alone, use his confinement area in the house. Give him plenty of chew toys for company.) Step 3: Create a Digging Area Make a dig pit or use a large pot with loose potting soil. A dig pit can be a sandbox or a 3-by-6 foot area in your yard. Loosen about 2 feet of earth, and remove any nails or wire or such. A little sand mixed in helps drainage when it rains. Then: • Let your dog see you barely hide a Kong or some other treasure. Encourage him to find the toy and praise him when he does. • Gradually cover the toys with more dirt every time. Keep praising. • Every now and then hide something new and exciting to keep your dog coming back for more. Step 4: Redirect Mistakes Calmly stop any unauthorized digging, then lead your dog to his dig pit or digging pot. And yes, this means you need to be around when your dog is playing outside—at least until he knows where it is okay to dig and where it isn’t. Training Tip: If your dog has developed a liking for a particular spot in your yard, block access to that spot until he has had time to form new and better habits. Other Reasons for Digging Digging is an instinctive behavior, but there are many reasons why a dog might suddenly develop a desire to dig. If your yard has recently become home to ground-dwelling prey animals like moles or gophers, your dog might be digging as a way of hunting these critters down. When they can smell and hear animals under the earth, they're more likely to dig like crazy to try to find them! Digging can also be a sign of boredom. While it is a natural and enjoyable behavior for dogs, providing them with an equally stimulating alternative such as chewing, scent games, or something more appropriate (and less destructive) could help keep the habit at bay. In the summer, dogs will sometimes dig a shallow bed in the ground to help keep cool. Digging becomes a serious concern when dogs dig to get under barriers. Escaping the yard by digging is a serious concern, and can be caused by many underlying issues including separation anxiety and even barrier frustration if the dog is trying to reach other dogs outside of the yard. If you're concerned about your dog's digging habit, you might consider consulting a professional to help determine and resolve the underlying issues.

The Holiday Season is in full swing, and Santa Paws will soon be delivering presents to all of our very, very good boys (and girls!). While we prepare for a joy-filled Holiday and celebration of the New Year, take a moment to go over some helpful holiday safety tips for pets. Pet Proof the Christmas Tree Oh, the Christmas tree. A holiday staple in many homes, and the one addition to our living room that poses the largest threat to our furry friends! A Christmas tree that isn’t pet-proofed can result in upset stomachs, injury, or worse. Manage the danger of a Christmas tree by always supervising pets when they’re around the tree, and by taking special care to pet-proof your holiday decorations. Ornaments. The ornaments on a Christmas tree can be attractive to pets. Most curious dogs and cats will want to inspect the odd tree that has suddenly appeared in their living rooms. Breakable ornaments are a double danger. If they shatter on the floor you can end up with cut paws, and if they’re chomped on you run the risk of mouth injury and ingestion. Try to keep all ornaments (especially the glass!) out of reach of pets. Secure the Tree. A wobbly tree stand can make for a holiday disaster if your dog or cat decides to try to climb the evergreen. Check the bolts on your tree stand to be sure they’re secure, and consider adding a separate anchor, such as a ceiling hook with clear line or wall anchor, to prevent the tree from toppling over. Don’t Drink the Tree Water. Did you know that the water in your tree stand can be dangerous to pets? As the tree soaks up water, it can release sometimes toxic sap into the water. Some fresh trees are also preserve with pesticides or given fertilizer water additives that include substances like aspirin. Aspirin is particularly dangerous to cats as they lack the ability to break down the drugs. While aspirin is occasionally prescribed to dogs, too much can also be deadly. The water reservoir in the tree stand should be tightly wrapped with a tree skirt or other material to prevent animals from accessing it. String Lights and Tree-Trimmings. Festive lights, garland, and tinsel are a part of many of our holiday decorations. The flashing lights sure are pretty, but they can also pose a potential threat to your pet. Veterinarians say pets can easily die from electrocution, internal injuries, or intestinal blockage after enjoying a decorative snack. Be sure you fasten holiday lights to your tree and place cords out of reach of your curious pet’s mouth. Block access to any loose cords or wires. When eaten, things like garland and tinsel can result in intestinal blockages that could mean a trip to the emergency vet for your dog or cat. Safe Holiday Plants Three plants that are popular this time of year can also be potentially dangerous to pets. Whenever you bring a new plant into the home, be sure that it is pet-safe and monitor your curious pets when they’re around it. Holly. English and Asian varieties of the holly plant can contain toxins that cause gastrointestinal issues when eaten. Mistletoe. Not always for kissing, the leaves and berries of this common plant contain viscotoxins and can cause upset stomach and bradycardia. Poinsettia. Typically thought of as the most dangerous holiday plant, the poinsettia flower is typically toxic only when ingested in large quantities. The sap from the plant can cause diarrhea, excessive drooling, and vomiting. Holiday Bouquets. Holiday bouquets might contain any of the above plants, but may also contain flowers such a lilies, which are particularly hazardous to pets. Just a few bites of a lily plant is enough to cause potentially fatal kidney damage in cats. Gifts, Candy, and Stockings Make sure that your stockings are hung by the chimney with extra care this holiday to prevent pets from pulling them down and attempting to eat their contents! Avoid wrapping food items in boxes or hanging them in stockings, as your dog’s strong nose might inspire them to try to unwrap the goodies. Food puzzles are a great form of enrichment for dogs, but your holiday snacks and candies should not be part of the game. Gift wrap, small toys, ribbon and string, and bows should all be moved out of reach of dogs and cats to avoid injury. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) is your best resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call (888) 426-4435. A consultation fee may apply.

As we discussed in our Introduction to Cooperative Care , this training concept involves training your dog not to just tolerate handling, grooming, and other husbandry procedures, but to empower them to be an active and willing participant in these experiences. The concept of cooperative care has become commonplace in large animal practices such as zoos and rescue facilities where an uncooperative large animal could be potentially dangerous. By training these animals to “opt-in” to care procedures, they can be safely treated without the need for physical or chemical restraint. The same concept applies to our pets. If we train them to become willing participants in their care, and empower them to “say no” when needed, we can help them become an active part of their care and reduce the need for force in husbandry procedures. Foundation Behaviors for Cooperative Care One of the foundations of Cooperative Care is teaching a duration target behavior. This behavior helps to keep the dog still and in place, but it also empowers them to opt-out of the process if they break that position. To achieve this, we can begin by teaching a Chin Rest. When we teach the dog to rest their chin on a target, it can be the dog’s way of communicating that they are ready to go ahead with the procedure. While training the chin rest, we can begin to mimic husbandry procedures such as eye drops, ear cleaning, or dental cleaning. To begin, use only gentle touches to simulate the behavior. For example, lift the ear gently and then alternate sides and reward your dog along the way. As the dog grows more comfortable, add in a tool such as a Q-Tip. Touch the ear with the swab, give a treat. Then lift the ear, gently touch with the swab, and reward your dog. Your goal is to gradually build up to an ear cleaning. If at any point your dog feels uncomfortable, allow them to lift their chin and take a break. The video below illustrates the start of training a chin rest. Every time you practice this training, be it an ear cleaning, eye exam, or oral exam, you are building your dog’s trust in their ability to opt-in or opt-out of procedures. Think of these practices as making a deposit into your dog’s “trust account”. The more deposits that you make through regular practice, the easier it will be to make a withdraw when the time comes to put practice into play.