Quick Answer: Most dogs dig under a fence out of boredom, anxiety, prey drive, or breed instinct (terriers and huskies are the worst offenders), and the fix that actually works is an L-footer — mesh or hardware cloth bent into an L-shape and buried 6-12 inches along the inside of the fence line, so the dog hits a horizontal barrier instead of open dirt. Pavers, large rocks, or chicken wire staked flat along the base work as cheaper stopgaps. A wireless or GPS fence adds a second layer by correcting the dog before it tests the boundary, but it won’t block a hole that already exists — pair a physical barrier with a GPS tracker on the collar so you know immediately if a determined digger still gets through.
A dog that digs under the fence isn’t being “bad” — it’s solving a problem you haven’t addressed yet. According to veterinary behaviorists, digging is one of the top five reported destructive behaviors in dogs, and fence-line digging specifically is almost always driven by one of four things: boredom, separation anxiety, chasing something on the other side, or plain instinct in breeds developed to dig. The physical fix below stops the immediate escape risk; matching it to the right cause stops the dog from just starting a new hole three feet down the fence line.
Fence-digging, by the numbers
- 6-12 inches: how deep an L-footer needs to be buried to stop most dogs — because the dog hits a horizontal barrier a few inches down rather than needing a barrier as deep as the dog can physically dig, per fence-installation industry guidance.
- 18-24+ inches: the depth needed for a straight-down vertical barrier instead, since without the L-shaped horizontal section a determined digger can just keep going deeper.
- ~10 million pets go missing in the U.S. every year, per American Humane — a fence escape is one of the most common ways it happens, which is why closing the specific hole matters even if you’re also working on the underlying behavior.
- Top 5: digging ranks among the most frequently reported destructive dog behaviors cited by veterinary behaviorists, alongside chewing and excessive barking — it’s common enough that most fenced yards will deal with it at some point.
Step 1: figure out why your dog is digging
The fix that sticks depends on the cause:
- Boredom or pent-up energy — often a young or high-energy breed with an under-exercised routine. Digging (and escaping) happens most when the dog is left alone for long stretches with nothing to do.
- Separation anxiety — digging concentrated right at the fence closest to the house, paired with other anxiety signs (pacing, destructive chewing indoors, barking when you leave).
- Prey drive or chasing — the dig spot lines up with wherever squirrels, rabbits, or the neighbor’s dog show up; the dog is trying to get to something, not just out.
- Breed instinct — terriers, Dachshunds, and other breeds developed to dig for burrowing prey will dig recreationally even with plenty of exercise and no anxiety at all.
| Fix | Best for | Cost | Effort | Stops digging that's already happening? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L-footer (buried mesh) | Any yard, most determined diggers | $$ | Medium (half-day project) | Yes |
| Pavers / large rocks along base | Shorter fence runs, quick fix | $ | Low | Yes |
| Chicken wire staked flat | Budget DIY, temporary | $ | Low | Mostly |
| Designated digging pit + redirection | Instinct/breed-driven digging | $ | Ongoing training | No — reduces new holes |
| Wireless/GPS fence + tracker | Preventing the next escape + fast recovery | $$ | Low (setup once) | No — layers on top of a physical fix |
The L-footer: the fix that actually holds up
Dig a shallow trench 6-12 inches deep along the inside base of the fence, then bend a length of galvanized welded-wire mesh or hardware cloth into an L-shape — one side runs up against the fence, the other extends 12-24 inches horizontally into the yard, buried flat. Backfill over it. When the dog starts digging at the fence line, its paws hit the horizontal mesh a few inches down instead of open dirt, and most dogs give up rather than try to dig around a barrier they can feel but not see the edge of. This is the method most fence installers and animal shelters recommend because it retrofits onto a fence you already have without replacing it, and because the horizontal design means you don’t need the multi-foot depth a straight-down barrier would require.
Cheaper stopgaps while you plan the L-footer: lay pavers, large landscaping rocks, or chicken wire flat along the base of known dig spots. These block the immediate hole but are easier for a persistent digger to work around than a properly installed L-footer, so treat them as a bridge, not a permanent fix.
When a physical barrier isn’t enough
A buried barrier stops digging at a specific spot, but it doesn’t address a dog determined to get out somewhere else along the fence line, and it does nothing if the “fence” is actually a wireless or invisible boundary rather than a physical barrier a dog can dig under in the first place. That’s where containment and tracking tools come in as a second layer, not a replacement:
PetSafe In-Ground Fence — pairs with a physical dig barrier
- Warns with a tone, then a mild correction, as the dog approaches the boundary — most dogs stop testing the edge entirely rather than digging at it.
- Works alongside a physical fence and an L-footer for double protection on high-value escape points.
- See our full invisible fence comparison for coverage and pricing by yard size.
Setting this up before the next escape is easier than dealing with a loose dog after the fact — try Amazon Prime free for 30 days and most fence and tracker hardware in this category ships in two days.
Even with a fixed fence line, a GPS tracker is the cheap insurance policy for the escape you didn’t plan for — a dig spot you missed, a gate left open, a storm that knocks a panel loose. Our best GPS dog tracker guide covers current picks, and if your dog already got loose once, how to find a lost dog walks through the search process step by step.
The bottom line
Match the fix to the cause: an L-footer buried 6-12 inches stops the physical digging almost every time, pavers or chicken wire buy you time while you install one, and a designated digging pit plus more exercise addresses boredom- or instinct-driven digging that a barrier alone won’t cure. Layer a wireless or invisible fence on top for boundary correction, and put a GPS tracker on the collar so a missed hole becomes a five-minute retrieval instead of a lost-dog emergency.