Is your German Shepherd a digger? So you found your German Shepherd digging in the garden. It can be cute and funny at first – until your GS decides to destroy your whole garden. Why do dogs dig anyway and how can you stop them?
Reasons Why Your German Shepherd Dog Digs
Your German Shepherd Dog Digs To Bury His Food
Before they became parts of our families, dogs were wild creatures — hunting and scavenging for food. Burying things and food is in your dog’s natural instinct to keep his property safe. In ancient times, burying bones and food was necessary for their survival.
Dogs used to live in packs and they had to hunt for their food. Even with their number, hunting often took a lot of time and energy. As soon as they managed to catch their meal, other animals would be going after it once they smelled the meat.
There are times when a hunt would go too well and the pack were simply too full to finish their meal. To save the remaining food, they would bury it. By burying their leftovers, dogs were solving multiple problems:
- Dogs are preserving the meat since dirt helps maintain the freshness of meat by keeping it away from sunlight.
- Dirt keeps other creatures from smelling and finding the meat.
- Burying food means more food for later.
Your German Shepherd Dog Digs Because He Is Bored
They think of it as a game – If your dog is bored and lonely, it’s not uncommon for him to steal and bury things that are valuable to you. This was they get your attention and get you to play with them.
Your German Shepherd Dog Digs Because He Wants To Make His Spot Comfortable
Sometimes Your German Shepherd would dig in your garden to pile up soil and make a comfortable spot where he can rest in.
Digging is also an instinct dogs inherited from their wolf ancestors who dig dens to keep their young ones in. They build these dens to protect their offspring from predators and extreme temperatures.
Other Reasons Why Your German Shepherd Digs
There are more reasons why your German Shepherd or any dog digs. A dog who is digging by the fence may be trying to escape and get to the other side. A curious dog may dig when he senses that something is moving underneath the ground.
How to Stop Your Dog From Digging
The first thing to do is find out why your German Shepherd displays this behavior. So if your German Shepherd digs to bury his food, then the best way to lessen this is to give your dog the right amount of food.
If your German Shepherd dog is digging because he is bored, then walking him to drain his energy is the best thing to do. Provide him with lots of toys to keep him occupied and happy. Teaching your German Shepherd the command “No” or “Stop” is helpful especially for this situation. It is good to let him know that this behavior is not acceptable.
On the other hand, if your GS displays this behavior to get your attention, then it’s best to ignore it. Giving your dog attention when he does this behavior only encourages him to continue doing it. Instead, praise him or reward him when he stops digging.
It’s also a good idea to not leave your German Shepherd alone in the garden or backyard.
Why does my GS growl when we put food down and he doesn’t eat it, so if anyone goes near or walks past including the cat he growls, he sits and guard it, he does it with everything we give him, even if it’s a biscuit in the family, I try and ignore but the rest rest of the family reacts telling me I should be more in charge and not let him get away with it. Help
Hi Kaz!
Thank you for visiting German Shepherd World!
Does he do this with toys too or just food? Yep, we think you need to be more in charge and be the leader. You can do the following things:
1. Eat your meal before he gets to eat his.
2. Make him work for his food (like getting him to obey commands such as sit, stay, etc.)
3. Try handfeeding him (this way, he’ll understand that you aren’t a threat to his food.)
Just be consistent. And be assertive. Do let us know how it turns out. 😀