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Dear Critter Chatter:

We adopted a year-old Labrador mix named Howie in January and he's a true gem. However, this past weekend we were out in the backyard raking twigs, preparing the garden for spring flowers and doing some other chores. Howie was a challenge because he was digging up and running through the garden and rolling on our small bushes to scratch his back. Do you think he just had spring fever and was over-excited or is he going to be this way all summer? He's great in the house, but not the same dog in the backyard.

 

Mirror Reader:

We just experienced the nicest weekend weather-wise of the entire year and I'm sure Howie had an extra spring in his paw, but I am sure he didn't realize he was doing anything untoward when he was out having his dog fun.

If he hasn't been taught appropriate behaviour he will simply do what dogs do - dig, run and roll around. You say he's great in the house and that's because you have taught him suitable house manners, but those manners don't automatically transfer outside - it's a whole different world outdoors!

At this point, your job is to teach Howie what areas are off-limits and where he is permitted to dig, run and roll. Supervision and good dog training will give him the garden manners you are looking for. If you are out gardening and aren't paying attention to him, he is going to do things you don't want so until you can concentrate on him and teach him what you want, don't be surprised or annoyed when you find him digging up your tulip bulbs. If you can't watch him, don't give him access.

The golden rule in training dogs is to set for success and not to take good behaviour for granted - when you reward the behaviour you want it will be repeated. So be sure to let Howie know when he is not in the garden that he's a good boy and reinforce with a treat, a ball toss or whatever motivates him. Consistently praising for desired behaviour will help him understand that good things happen when he's on the grassy area and not in the garden. You will have to devote several garden training sessions before the penny drops.

Teach him to come reliably when he is called so that you are not trying to chase him out of the garden; most dogs find a good game of chase fun so you may inadvertently be teaching him that going into the garden starts the chase game - not what you want! You may need to have him on leash so you can guide him in and out of certain areas.

Additional ideas to consider include designating a digging area for him if he enjoys digging. You can start it off by burying some treats or his ball with words such as "go dig" and then you have a specific area where he is allowed to dig. Perhaps put some fencing around your treasured gardens until he has some training. There are also pet-friendly, non-toxic repellents that can be sprayed around your garden as a deterrent.

If you let him out on his own to evacuate he's now unsupervised doing who knows what. You will need to be vigilant about supervision. If you are really struggling training him, hire a positive reinforcement trainer for a few private sessions so the dog can be led through the garden path successfully.