Prevent Whippets From Digging with These Effective Tips: A 4-Week Training Plan
A bored whippet can excavate a hole 12 inches deep in under 20 minutes, and most owners respond by yelling, which makes the digging worse. If you want to prevent whippets from digging with these effective tips, you need to stop treating the behavior as misbehavior and start treating it as a job your dog is doing badly because nobody gave it a better one. This guide gives you a 4-week plan, exact materials, costs, and fixes for what goes wrong.
Why Whippets Dig: The 5 Real Causes Behind the Craters
Whippets are sighthounds, bred for 200+ years to chase small, fast prey across open ground. Their brains are wired for sprinting and hunting, not lounging in a flower bed. When that drive has nowhere to go, it leaks out as digging.
Before you fix anything, identify which cause you are dealing with. The fix differs for each one.
- Prey drive: Holes cluster near fences, tree roots, or spots where moles, voles, or chipmunks live. Your whippet is hunting, not decorating.
- Boredom and under-exercise: An adult whippet needs roughly 60 to 90 minutes of activity daily, including at least one off-leash sprint. Dogs below that threshold dig in the evening, often in bursts.
- Temperature control: Whippets have thin coats and almost no body fat. In summer they dig cool hollows in shaded soil; in winter they dig to build a den. Holes under shrubs or against the house wall point to this.
- Escape attempts: Holes along the fence line, usually angled downward, mean your dog wants out. Whippets can clear a 4-foot fence and tunnel under a 6-foot one.
- Anxiety: Frantic digging at doors or in one spot while you are away is a stress response, not a hobby. Look for drooling, pacing, or scratched door frames too.
Spend three days noting where and when the holes appear. Write down the time of day, location, and weather. A pattern will show up fast. Holes at 6 p.m. beside the fence tell a very different story from holes at noon under the hydrangea.
How to Burn Off Digging Energy in 30 Minutes a Day
Exercise is the cheapest, fastest lever you have. Most whippet owners walk their dog and assume that covers it. It does not. A leashed 30-minute walk is a warm-up for this breed.
The sprint requirement
Whippets reach 35 mph. They need a few bursts of full speed each day, ideally 3 to 5 sprints of 15 to 30 seconds. A fenced field, a tennis court (ask permission), or a long line of 30 feet in an open park all work. Success looks like a dog that flops down panting, then sleeps for an hour.
But what if you have no safe off-leash space? Rent a private fenced field. Services like SniffSpot list hourly rentals, typically $5 to $15 per hour, across most U.S. metro areas. Many owners book one session a week and use a 30-foot long line the rest of the time.
Mental work counts double
Ten minutes of nose work tires a dog like a 30-minute walk. Scatter 20 pieces of kibble across the lawn and let your whippet hunt them. Or use a snuffle mat (about $15 to $25) and a frozen Kong stuffed with wet food (about $12, plus the filling).
But what if your dog still digs after a big workout? Then exercise is not the main cause. Go back to your three-day log and check for prey or escape patterns.
How to Build a Legal Dig Pit in One Afternoon for Under $60
You cannot delete a deeply instinctive behavior, but you can redirect it. A dig pit gives your whippet a place where digging is allowed, even rewarded. This is the single most effective tool in the plan.
What you need
- A frame: A 4 ft by 4 ft square from 2×8 lumber, or a hard plastic kiddie pool (about $20), with drainage holes drilled in the bottom.
- Digging medium: 2 to 3 cubic feet of play sand (about $5 to $8 per bag at Home Depot or Lowe’s) mixed with loose topsoil. Sand alone is too dry; whippets prefer soil that holds a scent.
- A location: Partial shade, away from the fence line, visible from your window.
Steps to build it
- Set the frame on level ground and fill it 10 to 12 inches deep. Success: soil feels loose when you push your hand in up to the wrist.
- Bury 5 to 8 treasures 3 to 4 inches down: dried chicken strips, a favorite squeaky toy, a sock with a treat inside.
- Bring your dog over on leash, point at the pit, and say “dig!” with an excited voice. Dig a little yourself to show the way.
- Reward the first dig with praise and a treat. Success: your dog paws the soil within 2 minutes.
But what if your whippet ignores the pit? Bury higher-value items, like a piece of cooked chicken or cheese, just under the surface. Make it easy at first, then deepen the burial over a week.
How to Stop Whippet Digging in Flower Beds and Lawn: A 4-Week Plan
Training works best in stages. Rushing straight to corrections backfires. Follow this schedule and keep each session under 10 minutes.
Week 1: Introduce the pit and manage the yard
Supervise every minute outdoors. Use a leash or long line if needed. When your dog heads toward a forbidden spot, interrupt with a calm “ah-ah,” then guide them to the pit and reward digging there. Do this at least 6 times a day.
Week 2: Add a cue and fade the treasure
Say “go dig” before walking to the pit. Reduce buried items to 3 and rely more on praise. Success: your dog goes to the pit without a leash pull.
Week 3: Reward the choice
Catch your whippet choosing the pit on their own and mark it with “yes!” plus a treat. Spend an hour per day in the yard, gradually giving more freedom.
Week 4: Test and tighten
Leave your dog alone outside for 10 minutes, watching from the window. If they dig elsewhere, go back one week. If not, extend to 30 minutes.
But what if progress stalls? Most plateaus come from too much freedom too soon. Return to supervised time for a few days.
Digging Deterrents Compared: What Works, What Costs, What to Skip
Owners often reach for the first spray or gadget they find. Some options work; others waste money. Here is how the common choices stack up.
| Method | Approx. Cost | Effectiveness | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dig pit with training | $20 to $60 | High (70 to 90% reduction in 4 weeks) | Boredom and instinct-driven diggers |
| Chicken wire or L-footer fencing (12 to 18 inches buried) | $30 to $120 per 50 ft | High for escape digging | Fence-line tunnelers |
| Rocks or river stones over problem spots | $30 to $80 per cubic yard | Medium; some dogs dig around them | Small, specific problem patches |
| Commercial repellent spray (e.g., Grannick’s Bitter Apple) | $10 to $15 per bottle | Low to medium; needs reapplying every 2 to 3 days | Temporary protection while training |
| Burying the dog’s own poop in the hole | Free | Low; whippets often ignore it | Skip it |
Recommendation: Use the dig pit for instinct-driven digging, L-footer fencing for escapees, and bitter spray only as a short-term bridge. Skip home remedies like cayenne pepper, which can irritate your dog’s eyes and nose.
3 Common Mistakes That Make Whippet Digging Worse
Good intentions go sideways in predictable ways. Avoid these three traps.
- Punishing after the fact. Dogs link consequences to what is happening right now, not what they did ten minutes ago. Scolding at a hole teaches your whippet to fear you, not to stop digging. Fix: Interrupt in the act, or use management (supervision, barriers) when you cannot watch.
- Filling holes without fixing the cause. If you simply refill a hole, the loose soil becomes an invitation. Your dog now has a pre-dug spot. Fix: Pack the soil firmly, then cover with a paver or rock, and redirect to the pit.
- Leaving a whippet outside unsupervised all day. Whippets are people dogs, not yard dogs. They get cold, lonely, and bored fast, and a lonely sighthound will dig for entertainment or escape. Fix: Outdoor time should be short and supervised, with your dog living indoors the rest of the day.
A fourth mistake worth naming: skipping rewards. Dogs repeat what pays. If the pit never pays off, your whippet will stop visiting it.
How to Stop Fence-Line Escape Digging Before It Becomes a Vet Bill
Escape digging is the most dangerous kind. A whippet that gets out can reach 35 mph near traffic within seconds. Fix this first if your holes run along the fence.
Install an L-footer
- Measure your fence line and buy 3-foot-wide galvanized hardware cloth or heavy chicken wire (about $1 to $2 per square foot).
- Attach it to the bottom of the fence with zip ties or hog rings, so 12 to 18 inches extends flat outward from the fence into the yard.
- Cover it with soil, mulch, or sod. Success: when your dog digs at the base, they hit wire after 2 to 3 inches.
But what if you rent and cannot alter the fence? Lay concrete pavers or flat stones in a 2-foot strip along the base. This costs roughly $2 per paver and is fully removable.
Check the height too
Many whippets treat a 4-foot fence like a suggestion. Aim for 5 to 6 feet if your dog is a known jumper, and remove anything they can climb, such as a stacked woodpile or patio furniture.
Answers to the “What If” Objections Owners Raise
Most owners have a reason the standard advice will not work for them. Here are the common ones.
What if I have a puppy or a rescue?
Puppies under 12 months dig more because they explore with their paws and mouths. Expect the plan to take 6 to 8 weeks instead of 4. Rescues may carry anxiety, so combine the plan with a consistent routine: same feeding, walk, and rest times daily.
What if I live in an apartment with no yard?
Then digging usually shows up on couches, bedding, and carpet. Whippets burrow to nest. Give them a thick blanket or a bolster bed (about $40 to $70) and teach “go to bed” with treats. Daily outings to a fenced field handle the rest.
What if my dog only digs when I am away?
That points to separation anxiety. Do not just add more toys. Talk to your vet about it, and consider a certified trainer. Many offer virtual sessions for $50 to $100 per hour.
What if I am worried the pit will teach my dog to dig more?
It will teach them to dig there. Dogs that get a legal outlet typically dig less overall, because the need is met. Keep the pit and your dog will keep using it.
When Digging Signals a Health or Anxiety Problem: Red Flags to Watch For
Most digging is behavioral, but some of it is a symptom. Know the signs that mean a call to the vet is smarter than another training session.
- Sudden onset: A dog that never dug and suddenly digs daily may have pain, a skin issue, or stress from a household change.
- Compulsive repetition: Digging that continues for 30+ minutes, ignores treats, and happens at night can indicate a compulsive disorder.
- Raw paws or broken nails: Check pads after every session. Whippets have thin skin and tear easily.
- Digging plus panting in cool weather: This can signal pain or nausea.
A vet visit typically runs $60 to $120 for an exam. If your vet clears your dog medically, a certified behaviorist (look for CAAB or DACVB credentials) can build a plan, though fees run $200 to $500 for an initial consult.
Whippets also feel the cold keenly. Provide a well-insulated indoor space and a coat below 50°F. A dog that digs a den in winter is telling you the house is too cold or the yard too exposed.
Your Next Step: Build the Dig Pit This Weekend
Pick Saturday morning. Buy two bags of play sand and a kiddie pool or four 2×8 boards, drive to the hardware store, and have the pit built by lunch. Bury five treats, walk your whippet over, and dig alongside them for two minutes. Once your dog gets that first reward for digging in the right place, the rest of the plan has a foundation. Start there, and take a photo of your worst hole today so you can compare it with your lawn in four weeks.
