Digging is natural dog behavior and could be one of the most difficult to manage. Since it is embedded in their genetics since the beginning of time, it’s unfair to completely ask them to stop it. Especially with dog breeds like Shiba Inu.
Shiba Inus were originally bred to be hunting dogs, more specifically, small animals that can hide inside burrows or holes, like rabbits, rodents, and moles. In current times, though they are no longer train to hunt, Shiba Inus are still active diggers.
A Shiba Inu digging holes through the garden could be quite troublesome for owners. Don’t worry! You are not alone. A lot of gardens have been under the relentless digging paws of a Shiba Inu.
Shibas dig because it is hardwired hunting and denning instinct, and the realistic goal is to redirect it, not erase it. Almost all problem digging traces to one of a handful of causes: boredom and pent-up energy, cooling off in hot weather, chasing the scent of burrowing critters, trying to escape, or seeking attention. The fix is two-part: address the underlying cause (usually more exercise and enrichment) and give the dog a legal place to dig. Punishing a Shiba for digging rarely works, because you are fighting genetics. Channel the instinct into a sanctioned dig zone and drain the energy that fuels it, and your garden gets a break.
The short version, in four parts:
- Accept that digging is instinct. Redirect it rather than banning it.
- Fix the cause: usually boredom, energy, heat, or prey scent.
- Give a legal dig spot (a sandbox or a corner) and reward its use.
- Secure the fence line if digging is really an escape attempt.
Why Shiba Inus Dig? (+ what to do)
Boredom
Not just with Shiba Inu, dogs, in general, will retort to digging when they are bored, especially with no interesting toys in sight or when they are left alone for too long. To channel out their pent-up energy, digging seems like the best thing to do for them.
If you come home to scattered digging holes with no pattern or reason to it, your Shiba most likely dug because of boredom.
What to do:
When your Shiba Inu is bored, there could only be one thing to do: Spend time with them. This includes playing interesting and exciting games with them. If you are off to work and worried that your Shiba might ruin your yard with its digging, fill your yard with toys that will attract your Shiba Inu enough.
Aside from that, walk them at least twice a day. Sometimes when Shiba Inu resort to digging, it’s because they have some pent-up energy and they channel it through doing something productive. So help them burn off that energy by walking and exercise.
High Prey drive
Shiba Inus has a high prey drive. If your garden or yard is often a place for smaller animals like rodents, expect digging holes made by your Shiba. This dog breed’s prey instinct will automatically tell them to chase and dig into whatever hiding place these animals might hide into.
You’ll notice prey-induced digging when you see hold near the trees or by the shrubs.
What to do:
One way to do this is to control the rodents in your garden. You can call in the help of pest control services to do the work for you. You can also try it on your own, though it is not recommended, especially if you plan to use poison or any toxic substances. You might accidentally poison your dog too.
Too hot or too cold
Shiba Inus stand in the middle ground when it comes to temperature. They have enough fur to cover them from the heat but not enough to shield them from extremely cold weather.
A hole can provide a Shiba Inu the right amount of cool during the warm summer season or the right amount of heat during the colder season.
You’ll know if they are digging holes for this reason when afterward, you see them lying in the holes they’ve made.
What to do:
If your dog is digging for this reason, one way you can avoid this is to provide what your Shiba Inu need. If they are digging holes looking for someplace cool, give it to them by making sure they are well-shaded with plenty of water. The same goes during the winter, give them a shelter where it is warm and cozy and they don’t have to think of digging holes to den.
To escape
Shiba Inus are great escape artists. It could be to visit a dog friend a few houses down, or maybe just a stroll for a new adventure. They are very independent dogs and sometimes don’t need you to walk them. Literally, they’ll walk off on their own, without asking for permission from you.
This could be a reason for digging, especially when they’ve realized that there’s a loophole in your fence and that digging underneath leads to freedom outside.
What to do:
If your Shiba is trying to escape because it is bored, entertain them with toys and play with them. As mentioned, fill your yard with toys interesting enough to occupy them and forget the world outside. Aside from that, you can also try to bury your fence deeper so they won’t be able to dig through and create space underneath.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is also a common case for Shiba Inus to dig. This is a natural behavior and part of their instinct. Usually, they’ll dig a burrow next to some thick bush to protect their puppies from others and hide them from predators.
If you have a female Shiba Inu then you might consider this as a cause for their digging.
Just let them dig
It’s nature’s calling, it’s their instinct, it’s embedded in them. These alone make it very difficult to ultimately stop digging. If your Shiba Inu makes it a point that nothing can stop them from digging, just let them dig.
You can provide a specific digging zone for them and teach them that digging is only acceptable if within this part. Bury some treats or their favorite toy in that spot, this will more likely encourage them more to dig through that spot only.
The six reasons Shibas dig
Digging is a symptom, and the fix depends entirely on the cause. Work out which of these six is driving your dog and the solution usually follows.
- Instinct. Shibas were bred to hunt small burrowing animals, so digging is baked into the breed. Some digging is simply a Shiba being a Shiba. You will manage and redirect this rather than eliminate it, and a designated dig spot is your best friend.
- Boredom and energy. This is the biggest fixable cause. An under-exercised, understimulated Shiba digs to entertain himself. More physical exercise, sniffing walks, and mental work often shrinks the digging dramatically because the dog no longer needs a project.
- Temperature. Dogs dig cool pits to lie in when it is hot and sometimes dig for warmth in the cold. A Shiba excavating a shady hollow in summer is regulating his temperature. The answer is shade, water, and bringing the dog inside during heat, not correction.
- Prey scent. If your yard has moles, gophers, or rodents, a Shiba's nose will find them and his paws will follow. This digging is targeted and determined. Removing the critters (humanely) and blocking access to their runs is the real fix.
- Escape. Some digging happens along the fence line because the dog is trying to get out, often driven by boredom, prey drive, or wanting to roam. This one is a safety issue, since Shibas are flight risks, and it means securing the perimeter.
- Attention or stress. A dog who learns that digging brings you running, even to scold, may dig for the reaction, and an anxious dog may dig as a stress outlet. Read the context to tell these apart from the others.
Consider a Shiba we knew who destroyed one specific flowerbed over and over. The owner assumed boredom and added walks, but the digging continued because the real cause was a gopher tunnel under that bed. Once the yard was cleared of the burrowing pests, the digging stopped almost overnight. Naming the cause is more than half the work. Because boredom digging and pent-up energy are so linked, how to handle a high-energy Shiba Inu is a natural companion read, and if you are still weighing whether the breed's drive suits you, our honest take on whether a Shiba Inu is right for you is worth a look.
What we have seen across 250+ placements
Since 2019 we have placed more than 250 Shibas, and digging complaints almost always turn out to be an outlet problem in disguise. The owners who "solve" digging rarely stop the dog from digging at all, they give the instinct somewhere acceptable to go and take the pressure off by meeting the dog's needs. A sandbox or a designated corner, seeded with a buried toy, works far better than any amount of filling holes and scolding.
The mistake we see most is treating digging as defiance and escalating corrections. Punishing a Shiba after the fact does nothing except teach him to dig when you are not watching, and it can add anxiety that makes things worse. This breed does not respond well to heavy-handed correction in general, and digging is a classic example of a behavior you manage with prevention and redirection, not punishment.
The one version of digging we treat as urgent is escape digging along the fence. A Shiba that gets under the fence and out is a Shiba at real risk, given the breed's prey drive and poor recall. That needs immediate management: buried barriers, a secured perimeter, and supervision, not just enrichment. If digging is paired with other anxious or destructive behaviors and enrichment is not helping, it is worth looping in a certified trainer or, for the anxiety angle, a veterinary behaviorist. Our breed-specific 1-on-1 training can help you build the outlets and management that make digging a non-issue.
Common followup questions
How do I stop my Shiba digging under the fence?
Treat it as an escape and safety issue first. Bury hardware cloth or an L-footer along the fence base, lay pavers or rocks at the dig points, and never leave the dog unsupervised in the yard until it is secure. Then address the why, usually boredom or roaming drive, with more exercise and enrichment. A Shiba that gets out is in genuine danger, so secure the perimeter promptly.
Should I give my Shiba a designated digging spot?
Yes, it is one of the best tools there is. Set up a sandbox or a marked corner, bury toys or treats in it, and reward your dog for digging there. Gently interrupt digging elsewhere and redirect to the legal spot. You are working with the instinct instead of against it, which is far more successful than trying to ban digging outright.
Why does my Shiba dig at the carpet or couch indoors?
Indoor digging is usually about comfort (nesting a spot to lie in), leftover instinct, boredom, or occasionally stress. Give the dog a proper bed he can arrange, make sure he is getting enough exercise and mental work, and provide chews and puzzle toys. If it looks anxious or compulsive rather than casual nesting, that is worth a professional conversation.
What to read next
Since most digging is really an energy and boredom problem, how to handle a high-energy Shiba Inu and mental stimulation for your Shiba Inu tackle the root cause. If your dog digs cooling pits in summer, protecting your Shiba in the summer helps, and when you want a management plan, our 1-on-1 training programs are built for the breed.
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