My dog keeps digging holes in her bed. What can I do to stop it?

If your dog is whining or "digging" at bedding, it may be that she is attempting to nest with her favorite toys. Dogs that are unspayed may be showing signs at the beginning of a heat cycle (displaying nesting behavior to get things ready for puppies), however spayed dogs may also have this behavior just as a comforting factor. Digging helps create a nice soft bed, and bringing a toy means having something to cuddle! It may also be that your dog is feeling a little distressed or bored, especially if the behavior happens when you are doing something else (such as focused on another task, or out of the home). If this is the case, providing a nice place for your dog to rest (such as a big bed or a kennel) may help. Providing toys that also distract such as ones filled with treats or puzzles can also help with anxiety. Leaving behind a shirt or object that smells like you in the bed may also help to comfort your dog if she is anxious. If you are concerned about your dog's behavior and do not think it is related to anxiety or normal doggie behavior, it is always a good idea to make an appointment with your local vet. Your vet can perform a complete examination and rule out any signs of illness or pain to make sure everything is OK.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dog behavior is very complex sometimes and does not always make sense. Dogs dig for various reasons including digging at the ground and circling before lying down, as though they're trying to make a softer resting place (many dogs do this on the carpet or furniture as well.) Dogs also dig when trying to get warm or stay cool, to entertain themselves, to bury valued items, and when hunting ground-dwelling animals. Oftentimes we see our pets do things that seem odd and there isn't a good answer for their behavior. I'm not really sure in this case why Chacha is doing this but I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you start to notice other odd behaviors or signs that something is wrong with her medically. Good luck with Chacha.

Bella is displaying normal behavior. It's somewhat like people fluffing thier pillow before laying down. For dogs or their wild canine ancestors that lived outside they would scratch an dog to make a comfortable bed to lie in. You could provide a blankie for her to scratch and fluff up or may want to get a heavy duty cover for the bed so she does rip it.

Many times, digging can be a sign of boredom and understimulation. This can also be a behavioral problem. The things you can do to help prevent digging are as follows: 1. Increase exercise and get Duke to play more. Dog parks, increased walks, playing fetch, etc. can all be beneficial 2. Don't allow toys outside. Many dogs dig and bury toys outside so not allowing toys outside can prevent this. 3. Provide an area that you permit digging. Train Duke so that he knows it is okay to dig in a certain area of the yard. 4. Get Duke enrolled in dog sports or training classes I hope these help! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. Dogs will shred beds for several reasons. The first is from anxiety from being crated. This can be accompanied drooling, pacing and urination/defecation in the kennel. Next, dogs can rip up a bed out of boredom. Other dogs are destructive by nature and have a high desire to chew. The bed will satisfy this desire. It will likely be best not to leave a bed in the kennel. I hope this information helps!

This sounds like territorial behavior. Dogs are naturally driven to mark their territory. You’re probably aware that dogs urinate on objects to claim them as their own, but that isn’t the only way to mark territory. Dogs have glands in their paws that leave a distinctive scent on bedding or other objects whenever they scratch. Both male and female dogs can do this. Dogs are more likely to return to a bedding spot if they already feel it’s theirs. This may be why scratching behaviors sometimes begin or intensify when a new pet or person has moved into the house, or there has been another type of major change in the household. Since this is a new dog to your house she is likely marking her territory. I see that listed her as not spayed. If she is pregnant and getting ready to have her puppies she may do this behavior as well. I sure hope she is not pregnant at 13 years of age! Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello, I would be concerned with dirt getting into her eyes and causing irritation as well. I would keep her from digging if you could. Perhaps she is digging because she is anxious or bored, so providing her with some toys or something to keep her distracted like a Kong toy would be ideal. If the digging persists the. You may want to speak to your veterinarian about behavior changes in Shafika. Hope this helps and best of luck