Some people creating "digging boxes". Like a sand box for kids, could be sand or dirt or a mix. Start burying some things he likes in that designated spot to encourage him to dig there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Creating a digging spot for your dog.

I have taught my dog to not dig, and also that if I tell her to, it is Ok to dig at the entrance of a woodchuck hole... but i haven't taught her to dig on command anywhere I ask. I don't see why you couldn't if you come up with the right series of training steps. There was a show on Animal Planet based on the idea that a person could train their dog to do some very complicated behaviors by breaking it down into doable steps... I would try looking for a discussion board on dog training or some such and do some reading. Cheers!

Over the years I've trained 3 dogs not to dig and not to even walk in my vegetable beds, but I haven't thought of trying to teach them TO dig. I'm sure it's possible.

LOL. I have not taught this, but I have had the same thought.

One dog is obsessed with finding underground animals, so my yard ended up with trenches that followed the animal's tunnels. Those holes would have been perfect if only over 10 or so feet....sigh... :)

I taught my dogs not to dig just by saying 'leave it' and rewarding them when they did so, however one of them thinks it's just fine to eat my vegetables as long as he doesn't dig in the dirt, he seems to love swiss chard and strawberries.

I wondered the same thing. My dog "cultivated" a spot about 4x4 and I planted a few potatoes there. If I could train him to dig where I want, it would be a big help. He really goes to town when he digs. I call him the diggingest dog. I bet if he saw me digging with my hands he would copy me. I'll have to try it and see.

Does anyone else's dog go crazy when YOU are digging? My dog (who loves to dig and bury toys in my raised beds) freaks out when I am digging with a shovel or fork and turning up soil- she barks at the ground like she thinks a monster is going to emerge. Maybe she knows something I don't know....

LOVE these dog stories.
We once got our dog to help dig a tunnel under deep snow -- he even pushed the dug up snow out of the tunnel with his back feet to keep the tunnel clear. We did it by digging with our hands ourselves, and encouraging him verbally. So, I wonder if digging with your hands and telling him/her to join in would work?