CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Behaviour & Training => Topic started by: lovelystuff on January 22, 2020, 08:32:49 PM
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We have a lovely 2/half year old cocker spaniel called Harry.
Just a quick question - Harry still likes to go hell for leather digging the carpet before he lies down and goes to sleep!
We move him over to his blanket, but just moves that out the way and digs again.
Just wondering if anyone has got any advice to stop this digging behaviour every night before sleep?
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Bella does the same although luckily for us we don’t have carpet!!
If we are out and she is sitting on the floor she starts digging like she’s looking for gold, then she lies down. When she gets into her bed she digs in there too before lying down.
When she first did it I thought it was because the surface was cold and in a weird way she was trying to warm it up but her bed is soft so who knows. Maybe they are trying to make the area they are lying on more comfortable.
Unfortunately I can’t really be of any help...other than to sympathise that Bella does the same thing.
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It's supposed to be a throwback to wild dogs making a nest in the grasses to sleep, treading down the foliage. I've had dogs in the past that did it. My current cocker doesn't do it to the carpet, but does on the throw on the sofa, to make a cosy nest underneath it. If we are sitting on the beach he will dig a hole in the sand to lie in beside us. Ot's a natural behaviour, and I can't think of any way to stop it :dunno:
Lesley and Dylan
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My cocker will dig until the fabric on the sofa cushions wear thin. When I stop her she huffs, lies down, stares at me, and I swear I can hear her think "I'm not allowed to do anything ever!" She stops when I tell her to, but she'll do it again next time. It's like she can't help herself. I've decided to let her dig in her own bed, but I stop her when she does it on furniture or carpets. No helpful advice here I'm afraid.
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Yep Harry does it just before sleeping.....prob a dog thing to make himself comfortable before settling down.
When I stop her she huffs, lies down, stares at me, and I swear I can hear her think "I'm not allowed to do anything ever!" She stops when I tell her to, but she'll do it again next time. It's like she can't help herself. I've decided to let her dig in her own bed, but I stop her when she does it on furniture or carpets. No helpful advice here I'm afraid.
This is exactly what Harry does!
Just wish there was something we could do possibly to stop him doing it? I have been using a clicker with a treat for other things to get his attention, but don't want to use it as he may see it that he is being rewarded for the digging.
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Rhodri does this on the corner step of the stairs. He’s ruining the carpet, I keep finding little strands everywhere!
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Mine does this too.
I agree I think it's a natural behaviour and not really their fault.
Our dog only does it for short spells so touch wood no damage so far but I do have a few ideas:
1) we notice its worse if her paws are wet, so always dry between her toes.
2) She loves to do it on our long pile rug (maybe because that gets between the toes?) .so maybe you could get her a little long pile rug of her own.?
3) (Caution-I think this depends on the dog wether they're ok with it) but sometimes ours comes up when we're still in bed at the weekend and thinks she'll start digging our bedclothes and nice new throw...We gently push her over so she falls on her side!
I say caution because there are probably plenty of dogs who would not tolerate this but ours (now 2.5) has been SO NAUGHTY as a pup and in her early months that she has had so much manhandling with time outs etc and is very affectionate and loves being touched so it's fine. After a couple of pushes over accompanied by a ' no- no digging you'll go out' she just settles down.
You probably can't eradicate that behaviour alltogether but if you can minimise it it's fine.
Good luck!
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*sorry- ' his'
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Got one here too....but only in the guest bedroom and it is attention seeking - beside the bed :shades:, it a long pile carpet and it's like he's digging down to Australia, yep the minute you appear he scurries off, it's so funny with me it's like he's thinking I'll get her attention, how dare she iron and ignore me(do iron in next room).
Don't you just love there ways :005:
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My 10 year old Harry does it too 🙂 I can cope with him digging on the carpet but he does the same on the settee which scratches it and drives me mad!! Whats worse is sometimes I am upstairs and can hear him digging the settee, so I bellow down the stairs and he stops, I come down and OH is sat next to him and hasn't even noticed him doing it...😲