Many dog owners take great pride in their landscaping, and spend hours mowing lawns and cultivating flower beds. We may love to look out on an expanse of green yard perfect for our next big barbecue, but not so much when we see it riddled with more holes than during a mole invasion.

Our dogs love to dig as well, and sometimes they can go overboard. Here’s why dogs dig, and how you can control the behavior.

He’s bored

Dog life can get pretty boring at times. Unlike a human that can leave the house any time they want to, dogs get to see the same 4 walls and backyard almost all of their lives. The only time this changes is when we take them out, and those moments are precious few and far between for many pets.

The monotony of waiting for pet parents to come home can cause dogs to look for ways to entertain themselves, and digging is fun! If you see a lot of holes in your yard, this is likely the cause.

You can resolve this by giving your pet more to do. Take him for walks more often, give him puzzle toys instead of meals, and hide treats around the house before you leave. Even small changes that make him use his brain can help make digging less interesting.

He’s following his instincts

Certain breeds of dogs, such as dachshunds, were bred to dig under ground in search of prey. If there’s a mole or other animal digging through your yard, their instinct may be to try and catch it. If he’s following instincts it may be a bit harder to deter him.

A possible solution may be to give him outlets for his instincts away from the lawn, such as enrolling him in Earth Dog lessons. A designated dig area where he’s allowed to dig may also be helpful. Try building a sand box for your pet into your landscape, burying treats or toys in it, and encouraging digging there.

He’s trying to cool off

A dog’s natural instinct during hot days is to cool down his tummy, where much of their heat is dispersed. They may scrape a cool patch of dirt for themselves, so they can lay down to cool off. You can help convince your pet to do otherwise by giving him alternatives to cool down, such as a shallow paddle pool to wade in.

You can usually tell a scrape from other digging behaviors because there will be only one or two shallow but wide holes instead of lots of little ones. Some dogs may even dig a full den for themselves, leading to a single, massive hole.

Dogs dig for a variety of reasons, but they’re not intentionally trying to ruin your landscape. If they are bored, hot, or trying to chase down vermin, they may well end up destroying a lawn in the first place. Offering them alternatives to fulfill their needs is the best way to keep both you and your pet happy. These tips will help.