How to stop digging?

[monochroma]

Danny has a new habit and it's driving dad to distraction.

When in play - no other time - he gets so excited he stops dead where he is (normally he runs from one end of the garden to the other) and starts to dig. While he does stop when he's told, in a matter of seconds he can make quite the hole. My lawn looks a bit like the somme and while I don't really care, the father isn't impressed at all.

So short from stopping his playtime, which I don't want to do, I'm at an utter loss in how to stop him. Would squirting him with water help? But then he plays with the hose so I don't think that'd work, especially when he's in his playful frame of mind.

He gets three 40min (brisk) walks daily but no offlead running as he's recall is iffy and he has a very strong prey drive (lots and lots of cats around here).

Suggestions?

 

[Brownmare]

Dash does exactly the same thing - especially in newly planted borders or tubs I try and wear him out with agility training (well it works for the one day a week we do it lol) or mad zooming sessions in the fields playing tag with Oscar

If you fancy it you are very welcome to bring him over here for some zoom time, we have a couple of secure fields / paddocks and we're not a million miles away from you

 

[soloabe]

Do you ever have him on a long line?

I would have him on a long line in the garden and when he does it give a firm "ah ah" And a check on the long line then remove him from the game for a while.
You have to be consistent with this kind of thing. Every single time until its cracked.