My Shih Tzu Keeps Digging Holes and Escaping

We had this exact same issue with our german shepard - she is our little (big now) houdini!! Check this product out http://hubpages.com/hub/Scarecrow-Sprinkler

It is not inhumane and it worked for our girl! There is also the idea of putting cayenne pepper down where they tend to dig, but after a few bottles of this, we decided we would try something else. Petsmart also sells a product called Bitter Apple that is supposed to deter dogs (best used inside though). We even burried cinder blocks where she would dig so she couldn't go under the fence. HOpe this helps. The scarecrow product is a little expensive but it was finally the trick that saved our Maddie girl from escaping.

Oh also, a dog door might be a good idea. We put one of these on the back door so our dog could come in & out as she liked and didn't feel like she was ever trapped in the backyard.

1 mom found this helpful

You have several options. One is to barry chiken wire about 3-4 inches deef all the way around the fence. You don't have to barry it. You can lay it down, anchor it to the ground and then cover it with mulch, or pebbles.

Another is to place large rocks around the entire fence.

The last is (and I don't know how this would work with a toy dog) but adding an invisable fence/shock collar around the existing fence. Lots of people will disagree with the last one, but my thought is that I would rather them get a shock than get hit by a car or eaten by another animal. My sister finally resorted to the shocck collar for her 130lb lab, but I would think they probably size them down for toy dogs also. I don't know though. We chose the chicken wire with our own large mutt. It does work double-duty as it also prevents skunks from digging to your yard, which was another problem that we had. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

I've buried my dogs' poop when re-filling favorite dig spots, and it works like a charm.

M.

We hadoneof those escape artisit ourselves. We dug a trench about 12 inches deep or so. Then we got some wire with small holes in it, and burried the bottom of it, and nailed the top to the existing fence. When our dog would dig she would give up when she got to the wire. It is alot of work, but it is so worth not having to worry. Good luck.

Try sinking some pig wire or some old chain link fencing. Dig out an area about a foot deep around the fenceline. Cut the wire/fencing to be about 2 foot tall. Attach it to the fence about a foot above ground and have the rest of it in the dug out area around the fence. Replace the soil burying the wire/fencing. "Underground fence" should discourage her. Larger/stronger animals would need a deeper & higher fence.
Oh, sometimes you can find old chainlink fencing under free on Craigslist.

I used bricks for this purpose in my back yard so far it has worked for me.

You can try rocks, or we have an area that we covered with wood logs. You can also put pepper, like cayenne pepper in the holes so it comes up and kind of irritates, its better than being hit by a car. I have not tried this, my dogs are not that determined.

You can try dog feces in new holes...They normally wont try to dig thru. I wish I had that problem we have two Pugs and a Border Collie--The pugs are pretty much indoor dogs and for the most part the Border Collie is too-But lately he has been Chewing thru his chain link fence. He is hurting his mouth and I dont want to loose Him. The last time he let the Pugs out with him---They really dont have any idea what to do when they are let free. They would be gone in a minute and Im sure someone would pick them up!!

The people that lived in my house before us had this problem. They installed small metal fencing against the big fence, that went down into the ground about 6" all around the big fence. Digging problems solved.

We have 2 dauschounds and one of them LOVES to dig. We put chicken wire around the perimeter of the yard. It helps for the most part. He still tries though.

Tip: We cut the chicken wire in half along the seam down the center of the role. Then you get 2 sections out of it and then anchored it with the u-shaped lawn pins. The top we stapled to the fence.(The pins are cheaper at walmart in the lawn and garden section than at Lowe's.) The grass grows through so you don't have to worry about covering it unless you don't have grass, I suppose.

Email me if you have questions or want pictures.

We put down the metal garden edging at the bottom of the fence where there were small gaps.

We poured concrete under our fence line.

If she's digging the same holes repeatedly, you can put a piece of chicken wire in the hole before refilling. It should keep her from escaping and encourage her not to dig.

Take her for a walk everyday for 30 minutes.

M. :)

All 3 of our dogs love to dig holes in the yard but luckily not under the fence! I was thinking about getting some little doggie shoes! lol They are cute and they just might stop the digging...Good luck!

I don't have an answer for you---but when you get your answers, can you forward them to me?!!!! I have a male Shih Tzu who does the same thing. I'll let him out to "do his business", and check on him after 5 minutes, and he's either in the neighbors' backyard or down the street! We have put so many bricks and stakes around our fence, it looks like Omaha beach on D-Day! (For you young ones--that was quite a criss-crossed mess of barriers made of barbed wire and wooden x's--not to mention land mines and nests of German soldiers with machine guns.)

Hope you find a solution!

I have heard that you can put chicken wire around the fence and they will quit digging out.. but you have to dig down to put it in...

You can burry a foot or two of chicken wire. I would put it verticaly in the ground along the fence line. Also if you pick up poop from the back yard place it along the fence line. Dogs wont hang out where they go. You could also put the chicken wire along the top of the ground. It feels uncomfortable for there paws and they cannot dig threw the wire. If anything you could get a professional trainer to help you. I personaly would put up an electric fence. Its just a wire that runs along your fence line. I would put the back yard off limits to the kids for a week. You can turn it off after that. The dog will not touch the wire as he still remembers. We have had a dog shock collar and it does not work at all. Best effective method would be a trainer to teach him to stay in the yard and the fence is a big no no. This way he obeys the master no matter what back yard you are at. Good luck.

My daughter has the same problem with hers too..and she has 2 of them. She works every other day and when she is home she has the kiddos take turns keeping an eye on the dogs..her dogs play with the kids also...when they have to go chase them it is so funny. Them little boogers wait till the kids bend down to pick them up and then they are off again. If you saw my grandkids you would think it is funny too. They start laughing so hard they fall down and within about 1 min. those dogs are on them licking their faces and nipping at them. Hers also like to escape through the hole between the gate post and the gate on the fence, and they are small enough to do it. For this she uses her trash can on the outside of the fence. It fits nicely up against the fence, and they cannot move it, though they try real hard. LOL

As for digging holes,when my Lady was digging holes, we put cider blocks where she was digging and that stopped her. Is it possible that she wants to be with the kids while they are playing? That is what my daughter thinks. She makes the kiddos responsibile for the dogs outside, unless she is out there...You might want to ask your Vet for help there too. Lots of time they not only are medical wise, but they know a thing or two about behavioral issues. Good Luck..

I have a Lhasa Apso (13 months old now 6 months when we got him) and I was reading that they escape because they are bored. They need more activity. My Peanut escaped everyday, we covered all the holes and could not figure out how he kept getting out we called him Houdini. Anyways have you tried walking her jogging with her, but this may also kinda be a bad thing because then they just learn how to travel further from home. And the way we got Peanut to stop escaping (which was by accident and may NOT be the answer for you) was we got a black lab puppy that he plays with in the yard now and he just stopped escaping. short of trying to get her tired or putting her on a leash anytime she is outside I think they are head strong and stubborn.

I saw once on one of those dog training shows that one of the reason why dogs try to escape by way of digging is that they want to see whats on the other side of the fence. This was bc the owners never took their dogs out for a walk. Now I myself is a bad dog owner. We hardly ever walk our guy, but he does not dig our yard either. But in that episode they also put in a sand pit for the dog designated for digging. They used one of those kiddy sandbox toys. It showed that the combination of the daily walks and the digging time stopped the dog from digging under the fense to try to escape.

My neighbors dogs kept coming into our yard by digging under the fence... He put two by fours along the bottom of the fence and the problem stopped.

J.