How To Prevent Destructive Digging

Inactivity and long periods of isolation in a garden, garage or other enclosure can contribute to a variety of behavioral problems, including destructive digging and chewing, nuisance barking, hyperactivity, extreme neediness for attention, and indiscriminate and inappropriate aggression (ie: towards children, innocent passers-by, and other dogs).

Causes of destructive digging:

Inactivity and insufficient exercise.
Boredom, lack of stimulation, Isolation or loneliness
Frustration, and prey-drive or territorial aggression.
Reaction to seeing dogs, other animals, or people on the other side of fence.
Prey drive and hunting instinct
Digging into the cool earth in order to escape temperatures
To explore or find something new or interesting
To bury bones, toys, food or other objects.
Because digging is fun.

Possible solutions for destructive digging:

At least 1 to 2 hours of active outdoor exercise
Create a digging pit filled with dirt or a sand-clay mixture.
Sufficient daily companionship
Squirting a light water spray (with a water pistol or hose) towards dog just as s/he begins to dig a hole. (Obviously, this is NOT recommended during winter or cool weather.)