Garden Digging. Please advise.

[Mel]

Ok so Tali is still trying to come to terms with the move and can be a handful sometimes. Barking is better but annoying.

Now he has attempted to destroy the garden by digging holes.

With OH being a landscape gardener, he isn't going to put up with holes in the lawn. He is not daft but he doesn't think the softly approach always works with Tali. Tali will dig the patio doors to go out, the same with digging at the tv stand and 99% of the time he just walks around the courtyard and comes in again. If his water bowl is empty he digs it across the floor for water.

He has now started digging a hole in the lawn where there are ants. I have been silently picking him up and putting him behind the gate in the kitchen. It seemed to work but now it's back. OH is losing patience and we have no idea how to tackle this. I suggested a digging box but he doesn't agree it will work. His words are "Tali never sees a negative consequence to his bad behaviour and so he just continues on doing the same stuff. We don't need to be rewarding him in any way for digging." I see his point but also see giving him somewhere where it is ok to dig may help.

If I didn't know better I would say he is spoilt and will do anything he wants just to get what he wants. He has started barking at dinner time to be fed, barking for treats and barking and crying if separated from me in the house.

I have recently been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and I get so exhausted constantly running after him. We had a behaviourist in to teach us how to stop him barking at the people walking and driving past. He stopped for a bit then instead of us walking out of the room as we were told, he started beating out of the room as he started barking.

Any sane advice gratefully received.

[Penelope]

I think a place of his own to dig may well be the answer.  Especially if you hide some treats in there to encourage him to dig where you want him to.  As far as the hole digging is concerned, my brother told me (when we had a westie who dug constantly) to put some of the dog's own poo in the hole - not nice, but it will dissuade your dog from digging there again. (It worked with our westie and she eventually grew out of it)
Good luck!!

[Ali101]

 Sorry not sure how to cope with digging, hope you find someone can help.

[Mel]

Hi Penelope . I think this sand box thing maybe the answer. I know he can't help much of his behaviour with his eye issue and moving and just generally being a bit scared with stuff. He has gone through a huge change in the last year.

Hi Ali. Thank you for your general advice. Tali is my third cocker but he has a nerve issue with his eye which was from birth. He is, as someone put it, a challenging little man but also a very exceptional boy in others.

He will get there but sometimes I can't see the wood for the trees, so best thing to do is to ask my pals at COL. Thank you for your imput which is good advice.