Hi Claudine, Can I pick your brains please? I was looking at your posts and was really impressed by your training, esp with regard to livestock, and I wondered if you had any experience of training an NI with regard to not digging up the garden? We have reserved an NI pup with a breeder (Julestar Inuits), and are due to collect him in a few weeks. I have owned dogs before, but I am now quite worried about the various posts I've seen (esp on the NI Society website) about NI's digging your garden up. I'm happy to spend as much time on this as necessary with the pup, and also for him to have a small area of the garden where we can make a game of digging. I'm finding it a bit odd that there are so many posts saying how intelligent and trainable the NI is, but then going onto say what a mess they make of the garden! Grateful for any ideas! Thanks, Maggie
Hi Maggie Not all NI's dig It is great to watch them though if you don't mind. I had a patch ready foy my puppy but thought better not teach him at all. It's a case of being vigulant when they are outside, using voice commands to tell them no, even a quick spray with the hose. I clap my hands when I'm not happy with him digging, when he stops I call him over and praise him. It's a habit now and the kids do it too. It works. If they are given bones and they don't finish them then they will bury them for sure. If that's the case then let then have them on a paving area and remove them as soon as the dogs finished. I'm in the process of having a wooden fence and gate made to keep my doggy off the grass and shrubs while outside when alone. This will also help the grass too. Good for the winter as no muddy paws either. It is very possible to train them but dogs will be dogs
Well Lucian's 10 mths now, still in puppy mode, a total delight, my first dog ever and I've never looked back. I can feel your excitment. Congratulations :0)
If you like your garden the way it is, is there any way you could maybe fence off a section for the pup to have 'play time' in? Much as we keep an eye on Kiba in the garden, what with him and the boarding dogs as well I have a couple of nice craters in my garden! Not that I mind as the grass is all dead and the garden is more of a jungle right now anyway. Best of luck with your pup, many happy years to come!
Hi Maggie I totally agree with velvet vampyre's reply. You can train them not to dig, as they respond to your command, but its when they are alone in the garden that they can get a little carried away . Something usually triggers the digging though, mostly bones and toys, or if they can smell rabbits or moles. I would not have a digging patch at all, better not to encourage the behaviour. Otto only ever digs when he is in the field, never in the garden. Lola usually to bury a bone, and the other 2 always seem to smell something, they dug down to the mains water pipe last week. The thing is, if you shout NO they instantly stop what they are doing and leave, they are very clever they know when they are doing wrong, however they will push to the limit because they are so damn cheeky;-) I would also suggest that you fence your lawn off and leave a patio play area, its much easier to clean and disinfect if your dog has a toilet accident
Thank you all! I will see how we go and be prepared for every eventuality. Sounds like I will need eyes in the back of my head though!
I must confess, I have never stopped them digging as the garden needs a refurb anyhow. However, OHs father was over at Xmas, saw the dogs digging and banged on the window and shouted 'no'. They stopped, looked at him for a mo, then carried on, lol!!!!! XXXxxxxxxxx
Ours will dig if left unattended in the garden, they have been trying to dig up the big cherry tree since we got Raina. They will stop when asked as they know its not allowed but will carry on if left again. Its the cheeky streak in them. We have now fenced off the patio area so the grass can grow and we have a lawn! As well as digging them playing, zoomies and fighting tears up the grass as well which was another reason for the fence. Oh and they tend to eat/chew the plants as well i have found
I got my idea from your pics Razcox......looking forward to my fence...thing is...HOW HIGH NOW!!! lmao....then again that's another subject...how high can yours jump?
Depends if you have a 'jumper/climber' or not? I know of one NID who will jump/climb 8 ft no problem Mine, thank god, will not , although more than capable, I am sure, they seem to accept that boundary. That being said, when Thunder was a youngster, he would climb a 6 ft wall, luckily he seems to have grown out of it.