Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I understand it is natural for a sibe to dig holes but it really has to stop because I’m renting the place I’m at presently. Obviously boredom is the main contributor here as she only digs holes when I’m at work. I’ve tried relieving her boredom with toys and bones… and everything apart from getting another sibe/dog (which isn’t an option at the moment). I take her for a run before work to tire her out. I’ve tried putting her poo in the holes but she just digs new ones. I’ve tried taking her to each hole and gently shaking her by the scruff of the neck and saying “no dig”. Nothing I’ve tried seems to work. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can stop this?

Get your dog a crate and crate train your dog to stay in the crate while yo uare at work. Digging is not something that can be dealt with if you aren't there to supervise 100% of the time.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

Thanks,

I live in Australia and to be honest I'd never heard of using a crate other then for travelling purposes till I came to this forum. I'm not real big on the crate idea. I feel huskies have way too much energy to be in a crate for a few hours. If she's bored hanging around the yard imagine how bored she'll be stuck inside a crate. Sorry I don't mean to be bagging on the idea

since you live in AUS why not get a sulky, the manufacterer is in AUS, if you dont have the money for that then how about a scooter?(scooter would probly have to be imported though)
if your asking yourself "why"; sibes are born runners it would only be natural for your dog to pull a sulky/cart/scooter/bike and burn off the extra energy that running is leaving in him, he'll be working double the amount since he's pulling you..
dog sulky site;
http://www.rjwalsh.com.au/mini/
if you'd like I can dig up the link to the chariots of the dog yahoo group, the guy whom builds the sulkies is a member of the group as well.

haha nice!!

I'm actaully in the process of making up a scooter and will be taking her sledding when the season comes (too hot out of season)

great she should thoroughly enjoy that, and I think your yard will too, another thought for after the scooter is up and running is getting a kong for her or two that is if she likes treats, or a buster cube so she can feed herself during the day.

It's true, dogs in crates do get bored. Yet, dogs also sleep a lot and if you create the crate as a "den" of sorts then it's the appropriate place for the dog to sleep while you are away. You have to be diligent though and make sure your dogs gets the excess energy burned off during the day. Maybe putting a back pack on the dog and have it learn to carry some weight while out on walks/runs would be a benefit. Crate are tools and tools can be used poorly. Also, with very active dogs, sometimes wearing out their brains is a good thing. In the States we have a thing called a "Kong" and it's a large rubber toy that has a hole on one side that you can put things like peanut butter in or freeze chicken broth inside. THe dogs can use their mouths for long periods of time trying to get the treats out of the toy.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

thanks again!interesting info on the crate. i will lookinto it.

I use a kong but she seems to be finished with it rather quickly. Big bones seem to do the trick

Sorry... you can't.

It's not just boredom. It can be the smell of fresh earth or a critter or bug under the ground. You can try every trick in the book and it ultimately won't work. Digging is hard-wired into their brains and it's actually pretty cruel to try to train them not to dig. It's like punishing a newborn baby for crying.

The best option is to give them a big pile of fresh dirt in one area of the yard in which to let them dig. Maybe throw in a bag of topsoil from Home Depot or Lowe's every once in a while. It may not totally work, but it will help.

In the meantime, all you can do is keep filling in the holes. If you can't stand it, find a good home for your Sibe.

Walt

A Kong with a big scoop of peanut butter inside will distract your Sibe for quite a while from digging. But you can't do that every single day or you will have a fat Sibe.

Walt