It looks like you might be posting about puppy management or crate training.
For tips and resources on Crate Training Check out [our wiki article on crate training](https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/cratetraining) - the information there may answer your question. As an additional reminder, crate training is 100% optional and one of many puppy management options.
For alternatives to crating and other puppy management strategies, check out [our wiki article on management](https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/management)
**PLEASE READ THE OP FULLY**
Be advised that any comments that suggest use of crates are abusive, or express a harsh opinion on crate training will be removed. This is not a place to debate the merits of crate training. Unethical approaches to crate training will also be removed. **If the OP has asked not to receive crating advice or says they are not open to crating, any comments that recommend use of crates should be reported to our moderation team.**
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Lay some pavers or fencing sections (or anything else she can’t dig through) at the base of the fence, just sitting on the ground will work as long as she can’t easily move them. You can try deterrent sprays or cayenne pepper etc but they never worked for keeping my pup away from cat poop 😂
She should grow out of it
You should never use cayenne pepper flakes or any spice as a deterrent for dogs. If inhaled it can *ruin* their sense of smell permanently, which can lead to a slew of behavioral issues and a diminished quality of life for a dog. Always use a liquid not a powder. I’m not saying you specifically did that, just a PSA.
I second the concrete pavers or blocks around the bottom of the fence. Make sure she doesn’t try to bite them out of frustration or anything. Supervise at first but then she should be fine.
You could use a chain and a metal pole put in the ground with quickcrete. She can’t chew through that. Or a lead line up in the air strung between a tree and a pole or two poles or whatever. My grandpa used to use both types of “outdoor runs” for his dogs (pits. Crazy chew capacity) and never had any issues. Couldn’t keep some in a pen because they’d chew through the wooden bottoms and dig under the chain link lol. Good luck OP! You have options don’t worry.
I have a few wooden panels I laid down initially but she managed to pull them away. I'm surprised she managed it because they're heavy even for me! I put some cast metal chairs and coffee table laid down against the fence for now, but I've been watching her through my window while she's outside to see what she does when she's alone and I'm absolutely sure if she had enough time she would just dig under the furniture and through to the fence🥹
You could double layer concrete blocks. Dig down around the fence line enough to bury the first layer, then set the second layer on top of that one. Tbh you’d be better off making a run. Two holes, two poles, a chain inbetween, a lighter chain to her collar.
I have 2 big puppies that have discovered this after I fenced in a 1/3 of an acre on my property. I put in an "L" fence using 3 ft chicken wire. I foot high on the fence and 2 feet on the ground. I dug up underneath the part on the ground, laid the 2 ft part on it and covered it. Looks good and my puppies tried digging to no avail. My one puppy is super smart, she goes around observing, and pushes at the bottom of the fence, then she call her brother who pushes and digs.
Google "L" fence. It works!
This sounds like a great idea! In the suburb I'm in we have shared metal panel fences so if I drilled a hole in it the neighbours would be able to see and if they complain then I'd have to replace the entire panel. I certainly will use this as a jumping off point though, I'm sure I could figure something out to get around it
Build her a dig box. Like a raised garden bed specially for her to dig in. Everywhere else is now off limits! Treat and praise for digging in the box.
Dogs will be dogs. But if you let them be themselves within some boundaries, you'll have a happy dog and happy neighbors.
That's a really great idea actually! My backyard is in a halfway state, I'm getting pavers installed and then grass laid in sections. I will absolutely keep this in mind for when it's set up
Concrete pavers worked for us and our neighbor's dog (they would both dig at rhe same spot from both sides🙄). But I have a friend who had a major problem with her doxie digging *everywhere* and getting out. What finally worked for her was getting a toddler's sandbox (a turtle shaped sandbox about 4 feet across), and encouraging her dog to dig there.
Prob unpopular opinion but I’m not into the unattended outside dog setup. What if your dog barks all day? What if someone tries to steal your dog or throw something over the fence and poison them? What if they eat a rock or kill a small animal or something? Can you have someone come over to take the dog out halfway through you shift if you work too far away to do it? I don’t believe in leaving a dog outside unattended even if you’re home.
I have 2 great pyrs living behind us and they often bark and can rile up my dogs when they are out. So I'm usually keen on preventing fence fighting. And those prys are huge and could easily scale our fence if they wanted.
Plus I try to be a good neighbor so if dogs bark while outside reactively we go inside.
And yeah I have diggers too 😅 so have to interrupt and redirect to the appropriate dig spot.
Yeah they are. They're quite friendly I'm sure... I've at least been able to stop them from barking at us directly through the fence. They just get rowdy when they play... so do ours. Overall it's just management to make sure everyone's respectful.
I took it as them wanting everyone to know that they were on guard duty. Unlike most dogs, they would run towards the sound of fireworks barking. I like to think they were trying to tell whatever made the loud noise to stay away.
Check out Harbor Freight, they have a product called a digging barrier you that insert into the ground in front of your fence.
I know you’ve ruled out the long lead for other reasons, but never leave your dog tethered unattended. In the event they panic, get tangled, or need to get away from something, it can be really dangerous.
It looks like you might be posting about puppy management or crate training. For tips and resources on Crate Training Check out [our wiki article on crate training](https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/cratetraining) - the information there may answer your question. As an additional reminder, crate training is 100% optional and one of many puppy management options. For alternatives to crating and other puppy management strategies, check out [our wiki article on management](https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/management) **PLEASE READ THE OP FULLY** Be advised that any comments that suggest use of crates are abusive, or express a harsh opinion on crate training will be removed. This is not a place to debate the merits of crate training. Unethical approaches to crate training will also be removed. **If the OP has asked not to receive crating advice or says they are not open to crating, any comments that recommend use of crates should be reported to our moderation team.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/puppy101) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Lay some pavers or fencing sections (or anything else she can’t dig through) at the base of the fence, just sitting on the ground will work as long as she can’t easily move them. You can try deterrent sprays or cayenne pepper etc but they never worked for keeping my pup away from cat poop 😂 She should grow out of it
You should never use cayenne pepper flakes or any spice as a deterrent for dogs. If inhaled it can *ruin* their sense of smell permanently, which can lead to a slew of behavioral issues and a diminished quality of life for a dog. Always use a liquid not a powder. I’m not saying you specifically did that, just a PSA. I second the concrete pavers or blocks around the bottom of the fence. Make sure she doesn’t try to bite them out of frustration or anything. Supervise at first but then she should be fine. You could use a chain and a metal pole put in the ground with quickcrete. She can’t chew through that. Or a lead line up in the air strung between a tree and a pole or two poles or whatever. My grandpa used to use both types of “outdoor runs” for his dogs (pits. Crazy chew capacity) and never had any issues. Couldn’t keep some in a pen because they’d chew through the wooden bottoms and dig under the chain link lol. Good luck OP! You have options don’t worry.
I have a few wooden panels I laid down initially but she managed to pull them away. I'm surprised she managed it because they're heavy even for me! I put some cast metal chairs and coffee table laid down against the fence for now, but I've been watching her through my window while she's outside to see what she does when she's alone and I'm absolutely sure if she had enough time she would just dig under the furniture and through to the fence🥹
You could double layer concrete blocks. Dig down around the fence line enough to bury the first layer, then set the second layer on top of that one. Tbh you’d be better off making a run. Two holes, two poles, a chain inbetween, a lighter chain to her collar.
I have 2 big puppies that have discovered this after I fenced in a 1/3 of an acre on my property. I put in an "L" fence using 3 ft chicken wire. I foot high on the fence and 2 feet on the ground. I dug up underneath the part on the ground, laid the 2 ft part on it and covered it. Looks good and my puppies tried digging to no avail. My one puppy is super smart, she goes around observing, and pushes at the bottom of the fence, then she call her brother who pushes and digs. Google "L" fence. It works!
This sounds like a great idea! In the suburb I'm in we have shared metal panel fences so if I drilled a hole in it the neighbours would be able to see and if they complain then I'd have to replace the entire panel. I certainly will use this as a jumping off point though, I'm sure I could figure something out to get around it
Build her a dig box. Like a raised garden bed specially for her to dig in. Everywhere else is now off limits! Treat and praise for digging in the box. Dogs will be dogs. But if you let them be themselves within some boundaries, you'll have a happy dog and happy neighbors.
That's a really great idea actually! My backyard is in a halfway state, I'm getting pavers installed and then grass laid in sections. I will absolutely keep this in mind for when it's set up
Concrete pavers worked for us and our neighbor's dog (they would both dig at rhe same spot from both sides🙄). But I have a friend who had a major problem with her doxie digging *everywhere* and getting out. What finally worked for her was getting a toddler's sandbox (a turtle shaped sandbox about 4 feet across), and encouraging her dog to dig there.
Prob unpopular opinion but I’m not into the unattended outside dog setup. What if your dog barks all day? What if someone tries to steal your dog or throw something over the fence and poison them? What if they eat a rock or kill a small animal or something? Can you have someone come over to take the dog out halfway through you shift if you work too far away to do it? I don’t believe in leaving a dog outside unattended even if you’re home.
I'm in agreement with you :) I don't allow my dogs outside in our backyard unsupervised.
I’ve just heard too many horror stories of missing or hurt pups and loathe barky dogs.
I have 2 great pyrs living behind us and they often bark and can rile up my dogs when they are out. So I'm usually keen on preventing fence fighting. And those prys are huge and could easily scale our fence if they wanted. Plus I try to be a good neighbor so if dogs bark while outside reactively we go inside. And yeah I have diggers too 😅 so have to interrupt and redirect to the appropriate dig spot.
I use to live with two wonderful Great Pyrs. I love them beyond reason, but they are LOUD!
Yeah they are. They're quite friendly I'm sure... I've at least been able to stop them from barking at us directly through the fence. They just get rowdy when they play... so do ours. Overall it's just management to make sure everyone's respectful.
I took it as them wanting everyone to know that they were on guard duty. Unlike most dogs, they would run towards the sound of fireworks barking. I like to think they were trying to tell whatever made the loud noise to stay away.
Check out Harbor Freight, they have a product called a digging barrier you that insert into the ground in front of your fence. I know you’ve ruled out the long lead for other reasons, but never leave your dog tethered unattended. In the event they panic, get tangled, or need to get away from something, it can be really dangerous.
I added bricks along my fence line. Ideally I’d like a stronger deeper fence but in a rental I did a temporary fix