i am needing help with a very large garden. we have a very large dog
who is digging up the whole place. ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is no magic cure. Dogs are diggers, and while some are worse than
others they all like to dig to some degree. You will either have to confine
the dog or put up a fence around the garden to prevent it from digging
there.

Sam


"cookw" wrote in message
om...
i am needing help with a very large garden. we have a very large dog
who is digging up the whole place. ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It would seem obvious....you either need to fence off the garden, or
restrain/train the dog. Unless they are particularly stupid (happens
sometimes) most dogs can be trained to NOT dig in the forbidden spot,
especially if you give them an approved area. It takes time and repetition.
When he starts to dig in the wrong spot, tell him NO firmly but not nastily
(no smacking), take him to the approved area, encourage him to dig there,
and praise him immediately when he does. You can reinforce the praise with
a small food treat, especially at first. With a mature dog that you are
well bonded with, you praise should eventually be reward enough.

You can make it easier for the dog to understand where he is not allowed by
putting in place some visual cues; a simple arrangement of stakes and string
around the garden perimeter will let him know where the boundaries are.

You must be consistent. Do this routine every single time he strays, and
don't let him out unsupervised. A dog that has been trained in basic
obedience will pick up on this new training more rapidly. If you continue
to have trouble, an obedience class can be a good experience for both you
and the dog. Dogs really are much happier when they understand and are able
to meet your expectations, and a well trained dog is a pleasure to have
around.

Good luck in your endeavors with both the dog and the garden.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

"cookw" wrote in message
om...
i am needing help with a very large garden. we have a very large dog
who is digging up the whole place. ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cookw wrote:

i am needing help with a very large garden. we have a very large dog
who is digging up the whole place. ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


What about an invisible fence? It's kept my dog IN the yard, no reason
it won't keep yours OUT of the garden.

Kevin

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
cookw wrote:

i am needing help with a very large garden. we have a very large dog
who is digging up the whole place. ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


What about an invisible fence? It's kept my dog IN the yard, no reason
it won't keep yours OUT of the garden.

My dog and the neighbors dog were digging numerous holes under the fence so
they could play with each other. They'd also run up and down the length of
the fence, so she promptly wore a path into my landscaping. Then my dog
started climbing the fence, so we had to do something.

We had an invisible fence installed and now she stays in the yard, safely,
and does not damage the landscaping or gardens. It also gives the kids a
safe timeout place to hide from her when they are all playing. *laugh*

BV.

build a dog run.
Keep the dog inside it.


"Come into my garden, my flowers want to meet you!"

Xref: news7 rec.gardens:207628

The message . net
from "SugarChile" contains these words:

If you continue
to have trouble, an obedience class can be a good experience for both you
and the dog.

Our dog went to a training class. All the dogs were taken aside in
turn by the trainer, and within a few minutes were happily doing exactly
whatever he showed them to do. Then he returned each dog to its owner,
and the dogs went back to pleasing themselves.When asked why the dogs
would not do the same things for their owners, he said pityingly
"Because it's your first night.Training most dogs only takes me a few
minutes; training the dog's owner takes me six weeks". :-)

Dogs really are much happier when they understand and are able
to meet your expectations, and a well trained dog is a pleasure to have
around.

Excellent advice; you and your dog will have a far happier life together.

Janet.

Try planting some castor beans around every 20 feet or so by the garden.
The plants are attractive and POTENT deterrent to all digging animals.


--
Please see our website of gardening products at
http://www.southernexposure.com

Peace

Cricket
"cookw" wrote in message
om...
i am needing help with a very large garden. we have a very large dog
who is digging up the whole place. ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also incredibly poisonous!! They are also attractive to children. Not
something to plant casually.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

"Cricket" wrote in message
news:fue%9.9418$yU6.3785@fe01...
Try planting some castor beans around every 20 feet or so by the garden.
The plants are attractive and POTENT deterrent to all digging animals.


--
Please see our website of gardening products at
http://www.southernexposure.com

Peace

Cricket
"cookw" wrote in message
om...
i am needing help with a very large garden. we have a very large dog
who is digging up the whole place. ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cricket wrote:

Try planting some castor beans around every 20 feet or so by the garden.
The plants are attractive and POTENT deterrent to all digging animals.

I'm having trouble understanding how you can have an "attractive"
deterrent............ (attract & deter = antonyms)

On 31 Jan 2003 06:19:28 -0800, (cookw)
wrote:

i am needing help with a very large garden. we have a very large dog
who is digging up the whole place. ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You don't have a garden problem; you have a dog problem.

http://www.wpr.org/pets/

has info on Tricia McConnell's excellent animal behavior books.