Why Do Samoyed Dig Holes?

Do Samoyed's Dig Holes?

Anyone who has a Samoyed knows that they have a whole lot of energy. One of the unfortunate outlets of that energy can be for them to dig holes. This can be incredibly frustrating for your average Samoyed owner. After all, we love our dogs, their awesome beautiful creatures but when they start turning our yards into a cratered moonscape then the hair pulling begins to start. Don’t panic though because there are things you can learn to do that will reduce your fluffy Samoyed’s digging.

Most Samoyeds dig because they have too much energy. They get bored and digging is an easy hobby to engage in. Besides an outlet for boredom, they can dig for a myriad of reasons such as hunting, to protect from bad weather, or even to prepare a shelter for puppies if they’re a pregnant female.

There are two key steps to reducing your dog’s digging. First off you have to know why they are digging in the first place. Believe it or not, it’s not because they hate you and want to make your life miserable. Generally, it’s for some doggy reason that makes digging seem like a wonderful idea. There is no malice to it they are just trying to live their life in the best way they know-how.

Here are a few significant reasons that might be causing your Samoyed to dig:

  • They are bored and have way too much energy.
  • You have rodents in your yard and your Samoyed is trying to reach them.
  • It’s either too cold or too hot and a dug hole is a way to alleviate that.
  • They’re a pregnant mother who is trying to prepare for their future children.
  • They have a friend in a nearby yard and they’re trying to dig under the fence so that they can say hello.

Once you’ve been able to identify why then you will be able to understand what it is that you need to fix to stop the behavior.

Here are just a few of the possible solutions that you can try out:

  • Take them on regular daily walks.
  • Let them run around at a dog park.
  • Remove the rodents or other pests that may have infested your yard.
  • Make sure they have a nice cool shaded area for hot days and some kind of warm shelter when it gets cold.
  • Give them a designated digging area where your Samoyed can dig to their heart’s content.
  • Bring them inside with you and only let them outside to potty and have your there to supervise them.

In all of these possible solutions to your dog’s digging problem, there is one thing that you shouldn’t do and it will be counterintuitive. Do not punish them for digging a hole. A dog’s memory is not the most long term thing so by the time your yelling at them for their digging. Then they have already forgotten so to them it will feel like you are just being mean to them.

What you want to do instead is figure out why their digging, remove the cause and redirect the energy of your Samoyed to something less destructive.

Keep reading though because now we’re going to go into more detail about how to determine why your dog is digging and which solution where will work best for your dog’s individual behavior.

A Bored Samoyed Likes to Dig

If your Samoyed is a younger dog especially around the 8 to 18 month age range then this is probably the most likely reason for their digging. These are quite hyperactive dogs on the best of days and this is the truest when they are young and in their prime. Think back to how much time you’ve been spending with them. Have they pretty much been alone out in the yard for long periods of time? Then this is probably the reason for their digging.

Try to play with them and just spend more time with them. Your relationship with your dog will be better for it and their digging behavior will most likely improve. After all, it can become immensely boring to just be in a yard all by yourself most of the day.

Besides that, you should also be walking your Samoyed for at least 30 minutes a day. This will help reduce their energy levels and they will get more mental stimulation which will alleviate boredom and loneliness. A Samoyed that gets walks every day is much less likely to engage in digging.

A dog park can also help a lot. After all most yards are going to be too small to allow a young Samoyed to get up to full speed with their run. In a dog park there going to have a lot more space to move around which will allow you to not only get to see your beautiful dog at full speed but will also calm them down later in the day so they’re less frantic.

Toys can also be a great solution. You may need to go a little overboard with it and just litter their yard with toys and chewies of all kinds. Faced with the option of chewing on their favorite squeaky toy or digging they will choose not to dig on their own much more often.

Samoyeds Like to Dig When Their Are Small Animals Around

While Samoyeds may not be the greatest predators in the canine world. You can bet that they will still go to great lengths to chase down any small animal that is silly enough to cross into their yard. In this case, it’s possible that your Samoyed may be digging to flush out varmints that are infesting your property. In their eyes, they are actually doing a noble service through their digging. That is the defense of their family.

One of the primary ways to know whether your dog is digging for this reason or not is to identify where they’re digging their holes. If you find a lot of the holes having been dug near trees or other forms of shrubbery. Then this could be a sure-fire sign that they’re trying to hunt out small creatures.

The way to stop this kind of digging is to simply remove the creatures that your dog is trying to find. Unfortunately how to remove varmints from your yard is beyond this article. But just make sure that whatever you do won’t have negative side effects for your dog. Samoyeds are curious creatures so you have to be extremely careful when laying down poison. Best to leave it to a professional and make sure that they understand that you have a beloved dog in the yard who likes to stick their noses into everything.

Bad Weather Could Be the Cause of Your Dogs Digging

Samoyeds with their thick fluffy coats are only going to be bothered by the most extreme forms of cold. But they are highly likely to have problems with even mild heat. After all their basically constantly wearing a parka that they can never take off. So if they’re getting too hot then they may engage in digging so that they can lie down in the nice cool soil.

Identifying this kind of digging is very easy. Does your Samoyed lie down in the holes that they have dug? If the answer is yes then the reason that their digging is likely to get out of the heat. Just make sure that you have been giving them enough water and perhaps build some kind of shaded shelter for them.

It doesn’t have to be fancy just something that gives them a bit of shade and shields them from the fiery rays of the sun. Refer to this article on Samoyeds living outsideOpens in a new tab. for more detailed information on how to make sure your samoyed is comfortable outdoors.

Samoyeds Sometimes Dig Because They Want to Escape

don’t take it personally every dog wants to be able to leave their yard. It’s not that they don’t love their family they just wish they could roam a bit farther than the modern yard. After all, in past times many dogs wouldn’t even have a fenced-in yard and would be free to roam around the neighborhood.

Now I am not at all recommending that. It’s simply not suitable for most modern suburban or urban environments. Though it may be more viable in a more rural setting where you have a very good rapport with your neighbors.

The way to know if your samoyed is digging because their trying to escape is very easy. If the holes they’ve dug are along the fence line then their probably trying to escape.

The best way to avoid this form of digging is to place your fence posts deeper into the ground. Hopefully, once your dog realizes that digging their way out is futile then they’ll simply give up.

A Pregnant Samoyed Will Dig to Prepare for the Future

If your dog is female and has never been spayed. Then they may be pregnant. Pregnant female dogs will dig holes to try to prepare a nice safe burrow for their future offspring. Usually, these holes will be dug near some brambly cover. That way their puppies will have the advantage of two forms of protection. One being the hole and the other the thick foliage that surrounds it.

The hole that she digs will help keep the puppies safer from weather conditions. Helping them to cool off when it’s hot and making them warmer when it’s cold. It also will protect them from both the wind and hide them from any puppy eating predators.

So if your female Samoyed is digging holes you might want to take them to your trusted vet for a check to rule out pregnancy as the cause.

If All Else Fails…

If you can’t beat them then join them as the old saying goes. If your Samoyed just loves digging and nothing you do will persuade them otherwise. Then it might be time to give in. Now I’m not saying give up quiet the opposite its just time to accept that digging is an important part of their life. There are ways that they can dig without destroying your garden and the rest of your yard.

The trick is to give them a part of the yard where it’s okay for them to dig in. Pick out that part and then replace whatever is there with a bunch of loose soil or sand. You can even use a child’s sandpit if you want. Just have a very nice diggable surface. Then to provide a bit of extra encouragement hide some cool toys and treats in the dirt or sand.

Last but not least actually praise them whenever they dig in their designated digging area. With all of these things combined their sure to dig there and hopefully will ignore the rest of the yard.

Final Words

Digging can be a challenging behavior to overcome for any dog owner. This is especially true for those lucky enough to own the fluffy and very hyper Samoyed. But just take a deep breath and try some of the suggestions in this article. If simply nothing will work then there is always the possibility of bringing them inside and only letting them outside under supervision.

In fact, for many dogs, this may be the best solution. Since their probably digging for attention from their beloved family. Maybe getting to curl up sleeping contentedly on your feet while your watching tv maybe the best thing you can do for both your dog and yard.

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