puppy digging at wall

by Tonya
(Sellersburg, IN 47172)

I have a 3 month old beagle mix and she is digging and scratching at the wall to the point that there is a pretty good hole started.

why is she doing this?



Hi Tonya
Many dogs dig, especially those whose original purpose was to hunt vermin and other small animals. This includes terriers and dachshunds, Beagles may also dig and as your pup is a mix, he could have a 'double dose' of the urge to dig!

Digging is a natural dog behavior, and often there is a reason for it somewhere. In hot weather dogs often dig in the dirt to make themselves a cooler resting place. They dig to bury bones 'for later', or to track down interesting smells/sounds.

If your dog is digging outdoors, I would hazard a guess that there is some sort of underground activity going on - maybe rodents or insects, or perhaps a water pipeline or something similar. Even indoors dogs have been known to dig after hearing air in plumbing pipes, or mice behind the walls.

I would recommend that you try to deny your pup access to this particular area, as it may be a very specific urge to dig at this spot only. If he continues to dig elsewhere, and it's outdoors, try burying some of his own feces where he digs. This sounds 'yukky' to us, and your dog won't like it either. However, if your pup tends to be one of those who likes to eat his own poop, this obviously won't work for him.

You can also try making a special 'dog digging allowed' area for him, and whenever you catch him digging elsewhere, tell him "NO" firmly, and redirect his attention to his own digging spot. You can encourage him to use this area, by occasionally burying bones/toys there for him to 'find'. If he's digging to bury his bones or toys elsewhere in the yard, watch where he puts them and then remove them later on when he's not around. Put them in his own digging area, and he'll be more likely to bury them there next time.

It may be that he's digging just because he's bored, if he's alone a lot, try making sure he gets plenty of exercise and stimulation during the day, and give him lots of sturdy, interesting toys to play with when he's alone.

Hope this helps a bit, best of luck!