Hi everyone, I just wanted to see if someone has an idea of why my puppy digs in the couch? If I understand the reason, I feel like I could manufacture specific training session to prevent that behaviour. He is just 1 year old next week. Lovely nature, we have extensively socialised him and train him on a daily basis. By now, he has nailed recall, leash walking, heel walking, does not jump on people, can wait, stay, stand, sit, lie down.....with some distance and distractions. He can shake paw, touch target with paw and nose... Anyways, he's pretty great and we're really happy with where he is at... EXCEPT, he will not stop diging the couch. I have taught him to go on the couch and get off it on command, lie down on it, rest his head.... and he obeys consistently BUT then, randomly, he will just go on the couch and dig it with a lot of energy, like he would dig in the soil. Obviously, not great for the couch and I would really like to be able to stop this. This is literally the only "issue" we have with him. Any ideas of why he does this?
Hmm. I need more information. You are absolutely correct to look for a reason. I'd look for how the behaviour is being reinforced. If there is no reinforcement, then the behaviour should extinguish. What do you do when he digs the couch? Give him attention? How? Do you treat him if he gets off in response to following your cue to stop the couch digging? I am wondering whether you are inadvertently reinforcing the couch digging. Have you given him an area in the garden where he can dig. Dogs get positive emotional feelings from searching. Create a Sandy area. Deposit some treats in there routinely so that he is reinforced for digging in that area. And his search drive is fulfilled to some extent. Dogs sometimes like to ruffle their sleeping area. Does he dig his bedding? If so, you can try to stop him from sleeping on the couch.
