All dog lovers and dog owners know that with all the cuteness and playfulness, dogs come with a lot of bad habits that can ruin many of their owner’s items, from shoes and clothes to their backyard. It is not easy to make them stop, and even if you have them trained, they will still keep doing destructive things while you are out of the house.
Border collie is a very energetic and smart dog breed that will become annoying and destructive if you don’t know how to train him and how to make him obey you. Some of the bad habits that a border collie has is digging holes and chewing different objects in the house. If you have a backyard, the digging will be more upsetting than the chewing, so you will want to make your dog stop. In order to stop a border collie from digging, you must either find an alternative way of entertaining him or make a compromise and give up some of your backyard.
If you don’t want to ruin the aspect of your lawn, you should build a fence that will protect it and won’t allow any animals to pass. It is a cruel method since border collies have almost infinite energy and they can’t stay in one place. You will have to take your dog for a walk at least four or five times per day, and from time to time supervise him while he is in the backyard, allowing him only to sniff around. It will also be hard for you, since you must have a lot of time and energy to walk your border collie.
In addition, since you restrict his access to the backyard and you work all day, he will get very bored if and he will begin chewing objects in the house. This type of dog has a lot of energy and without consuming it he will transform your house into a disaster. A solution to this problem is to make him exercise frequently, for example you can take him during the morning for a long walk that can last from half an hour to one hour.
If you are willing to compromise and provide your border collie a piece of your backyard, you must know how to improve it so your dog will like it and use it. First of all, make sure that it won’t ruin any of your flower beds and that he will not make your house look bad. Secondly, choose a spot not smaller than four by four feet and one foot in depth. Make a mixture of soft dirt and soil, and put it in the hole. You can even plant grass or flowers over it so it will look more appealing for your dog.
Another step is to bury some of your dog’s toys into the hole and then call him out so he can see what treasures you can dig out. After he will see that most of his toys are in there and also some dog treats, your Border Collie will not resist the temptation to dig some of them on his own. If there is a tendency to make holes in other places than the designated one, you must catch him in the act and firmly say “No”, and immediately take him to the “sand box” and show him again why that place is more appropriate for digging.
In conclusion, the best solution to stop your border collie from digging is to either take him out for walks or make a special area for him to play in. You can also try to cover with small stones or bird wires the places that you don’t want him to dig.
