I rescued Nikko from a shelter in Jan., where he'd spent most of the first year of his life in a small kennel, being allowed to roam the office for a few minutes each day. I recognized his caged spirit the minute I saw him and knew I had to set him free.
Here, he has a nice large fenced-in yard to run and romp. And he also has free run of the house and can go in and out as he pleases. He is much loved and cuddled and even naps with me at times. He has lots of toys to play with and we often play catch or hide and seek. He eats well and gets daily "road trips" where he can hang his head out the window and feel the wind in his hair.
So you'd think he would be satisfied, wouldn't you? Well, he's begun digging holes under the fence and escaping his little paradise. In the past couple of weeks, he's really been bad. Almost daily I've had to go retrieve him from a neighbor's home or business. And a few times they've brought him home to me. He loves to wander and explore and chase anything that moves. And now he's crossing the busy 3-lane highway. He's very playful and lovable and wouldn't hurt anyone, but I fear an 18-wheeler is going to flatten the little guy on the highway.
How can I keep him at home? Everytime I block a hole, he moves over and digs another one. Is it possible to get dogs declawed? I just don't know any other way to stop the digging. As long as I'm outside with him, he won't dig. But sometimes I have to go to work all day and I can't leave him inside; he eats the furniture. I won't kennel him for 9 or 10 hours either; that's just inhumane I think. He has too much beautiful spirit to cage him up again.
When he has playdates, he is usually worn out after them and doesn't dig. But he can't have playdates daily. What can I do to help ease his boredom and his wanderlust? Would obedience training help?
