Behavior · St. Bernard
How to Stop a St. Bernard From Digging
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Short answer
To stop your St. Bernard from digging, identify their motivation, block off forbidden spots, and build a dedicated, cool digging zone filled with buried rewards. Satisfy their heavy-coated need for cooling relief with shaded mats and frozen enrichment while rewarding calm alternative cues like 'Leave It' and 'Place'.
With their immense size and dense double coats, St. Bernards can turn a manicured lawn into a series of massive craters in just minutes. These gentle, watchful giants rarely dig out of spite or frantic hyperactivity; instead, they usually excavate looking for cooler subterranean soil to rest their heavy bodies or out of mild boredom during their slow, multi-year mental maturity. Because an adult St. Bernard can move dozens of pounds of dirt effortlessly, physical punishment or yelling will only erode their trusting nature and fail to stop the instinctual drive. By pinpointing the root trigger, creating an approved digging outlet, and rewarding calm alternative behaviors, you can successfully redirect your dog's paws while preserving your yard.
How to do it
Step-by-step
Tick off each step as you practice it — your progress is saved on this device.
Step 1: Identify the Primary Motivation for Digging
Observe your St. Bernard from an indoor window for five to ten minutes across several different times of day to see why they are digging. Note whether your dog immediately lies down in the freshly exposed cool earth, hunts for burrowing insects, or buries high-value chews. If your dog is scraping dirt specifically on hot afternoons, cooling relief is the driving factor, whereas pacing and digging along fence lines indicates mild boredom or barrier frustration. If the motive is unclear, track the yard temperature and your dog's panting levels for three consecutive days to establish patterns before changing the environment.
Step 2: Construct a Dedicated Giant-Breed Digging Zone
Build or designate an approved digging pit that is at least six feet by six feet to comfortably accommodate your St. Bernard's massive frame. Fill this bordered box with pet-safe play sand mixed with damp topsoil, keeping the substrate loose and naturally cool to entice their paws. Introduce your dog to this zone daily for two five-minute sessions on a standard flat collar or front-clip harness, gently tossing high-value rewards like roast beef slices directly onto the sand. If your St. Bernard ignores the pit, sit inside the perimeter yourself and lightly scrape the surface with your fingers to engage their natural curiosity.
Step 3: Bury Scented Rewards and Cue the Digging Pit
Bury partially exposed giant rubber chew toys stuffed with frozen wet food or beef liver about three inches deep inside the designated pit. Walk your dog to the pit on a long line, point to the hidden items, and give a cheerful release cue such as 'Find It' to encourage them to excavate the approved area. Practice this reward search twice daily for one week, praising heavily with calm, affectionate rubs when they uncover a prize. If your St. Bernard tries to walk away to dig elsewhere in the yard, step on the long line gently to halt forward movement, turn around, and redirect them back to the pit with a fresh, surface-level treat.
Step 4: Deny Access to Established Off-Limit Dig Sites
Temporarily block off your dog's favorite excavation spots using sturdy wire garden fencing or by placing heavy stepping stones over the filled craters. When letting your St. Bernard into the yard, keep them attached to a fifteen-foot biothane long line rather than leaving them unmonitored for open roaming. Supervise every outdoor session for two weeks, ensuring they cannot rehearse digging in forbidden soil while the new habit forms. If your dog approaches an old crater, use a cheerful 'Touch' hand target cue to lure them ten feet away from the boundary before rewarding them with a handful of freeze-dried meat.
Step 5: Train a Strong 'Leave It' and 'Place' Response Outdoors
Teach your dog to turn away from raw soil on cue by practicing the 'Leave It' cue at a distance of five feet from garden borders during five-minute daily sessions. Reward your dog with a jackpot of diced chicken from your opposite hand the second their heavy head turns away from the dirt patch. Follow this immediately by sending them to an elevated outdoor cooling cot using a firm 'Place' cue, reinforcing them for resting on the raised bed rather than on the lawn. If your St. Bernard lunges forward or ignores the verbal cue, increase your working distance to ten feet to keep them beneath their arousal threshold.
Step 6: Offer High-Value Cooling and Chewing Alternatives
Set up a large shaded zone complete with frozen lick mats, oversized ice blocks containing broth, and a heavy-duty dog cooling mat to remove their physiological need to dig cooling pits. Spend ten minutes each afternoon guiding your St. Bernard to settle in this shaded relaxation area before they even begin pacing the yard. Layering physical cooling with mental enrichment satisfies their watchful, easygoing nature without requiring strenuous physical exertion. If your dog abandons the cool zone to dig, calmly walk over, clip on their leash without speaking, and escort them inside the house for a twenty-minute reset.
For the St. Bernard
Pro tips
- Because St. Bernards drool heavily when working for food, use moist, intensely aromatic rewards like dried tripe or liver cubes that cut through excess saliva and maintain their focus outdoors.
- Install an elevated mesh cooling bed near your designated digging pit so your dog has a ready-made, breathable resting spot that keeps them off the hot ground without needing to excavate.
- Remain exceptionally patient during training, as this slow-maturing giant breed processes cues at a deliberate pace and responds far better to steady, calm consistency than rapid repetitions.
Owners ask
Frequently asked questions
Why does my St. Bernard only dig large holes during summer afternoons?
St. Bernards possess heavy, insulating coats that make warm weather challenging, driving them to scrape away topsoil to expose damp, chilled earth underneath to rest their bodies. If you provide an elevated cot under full shade, a shallow splash pool, or bring them into an air-conditioned room during peak heat, this specific cooling behavior will dramatically drop.
Will filling old holes with their feces or citrus peels stop a St. Bernard from digging?
Using deterrents like feces or citrus peels rarely stops a determined giant breed; most St. Bernards simply move their digging site two feet to the left and create a new crater. Furthermore, aversives do not address the underlying cause—such as boredom or overheating—and can cause stress, leading to other unwanted behaviors.
Can I use a child's plastic clamshell sandbox for my adult St. Bernard?
Standard children's sandboxes are typically too small and brittle for a full-grown St. Bernard, who can easily crack thin plastic under their significant weight. It is far better to build a ground-level timber frame measuring at least six by six feet, which allows your giant dog to comfortably step in, dig, and recline without restriction.
How do I stop my adolescent St. Bernard from digging out of sheer boredom?
Young St. Bernards mature slowly and often dig to burn mild frustration when left outside alone without purpose. Increase their mental engagement by replacing isolated yard time with interactive puzzle toys, short scent-work games, and supervised outdoor training sessions.
Spotted a mistake or something out of date? Email us — we review every report, fix the guide and update its date. Our guides are general education, not a substitute for a certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist.
