Lhasa Apso Digs Furiously at Sheets and Carpet

Question

Hello Dr. Jennen!
I have a 9 yr. old lhasa apso who is a very quiet, even tempered great little guy, except for one little annoying thing that he seems to do almost every day.

"Tim" can be asleep in a chair, or in the middle of the night on top of my bed, and suddenly he'll bounce up, jump down to the floor and start furiously digging at the carpet, almost as though he's got to get to the floor underneath the carpet. Or he'll jump up on the bed to take a nap or go to sleep and start furiously digging at the sheet. I use knit sheets so he's already ripped through a few of those.

When he's performing this little ritual it's as though he can't hear me. I have to clap my hands loudly or physically touch him to get his attention or get him to stop. By that time he's halfway thru to China and at least down 3 sheets deep.

Not only is it annoying, but destructful too. I'm curious as to why he behaves this way, and more so, any suggestions as to how I can get him to stop?

Otherwise he's a perfect companion and pet!

Thank you!
Patricia

Answer

I am very sorry for the trouble you are having with your Lhasa. My first pet was a Lhasa and I had her all the way through college and vet school. She was a great companion as well.

 Unfortunately, these little dogs were bred for protection and unless they have a job to do, sometimes they get bored, for lack of a better word. That is when obsessive-type behavior begins to manifest. You might try doing a search on the internet for "canine obsessive digging behavior." 
I was able to find several good articles about this type of behavior. There are a myriad of reasons, which will dictate what should be done to curb the behavior. If all else fails you may need to enlist the help of a behaviorist or trainer to evaluate the situation. These dogs are very smart and like to perform. I taught my Lhasa several tricks that she loved to do and this helped with her behavior problems, which included digging in the trash and running off occasionally.



Good luck!

Sara F. Jennen DVM