Your dog should be buried in something that is breathable and biodegradable like a towel, blanket, wooden, wicker or cardboard coffin. Avoid making a casket out of anything plastic or that is sealed in an air-tight way. Do not bury your dog in a plastic bag or anything else that is non-breathable and non-biodegradable.
Burying Your Dog's Body Before burial, remove the body from any non-biodegradable materials (such as plastic) before burial. The body can be placed in a wooden or cardboard casket if desired. The grave should be at least 3 feet deep. Choose a location that is not likely to erode or be accidentally dug up again.
How deep should the hole be? The rule of thumb is to have at least 3 feet of dirt covering the top of the body. For a large dog, a 4 foot deep hole should suffice. Too shallow a grave will allow animals to dig up the remains.
Backyard Burial Tip: When burying a pet, don't do so in a shallow grave. Be sure to have at least two feet of soil on top of the body. You want the grave deep enough so that other animals cannot smell the pet's scent. It is natural for other animals to dig into the grave if the scent is strong.
An adequate depth is three to five feet. This is deep enough to prevent other animals investigating the area. Sprinkle about 1 cup of lime powder (calcium hydroxide) at the bottom of the hole and about 1 cup on top. Lime can be purchased at most hardware or livestock feed stores.
Keep in mind that dog burials can get expensive because you need to pay for a dog casket, a burial service, and even the plot of land they are buried in. In fact, the average cost of burial for dogs in the US begins at $400 and goes up from there, depending on the size of the dog and type of casket.
While the average pet burial cost ranges between $1,500 and $2,000 across the United States (Source: Better Place Forests), this isn't a very good representation of how much basic pet burials cost because the numbers vary so much from region to region.
They usually occur at the interface between the organic litter and the mineral soil, about one to six inches deep, but can emerge to the surface or be more than a foot deep. Evidence that small animals have been digging in an area recently is often a good indication that truffles may be about.
The National Sherriff's Association recommends burial for all police dogs, even if they're cremated. This helps prevent the accidental or intentional desecration of the remains. If the department and the handler choose an intact burial (without cremation beforehand), they try to bury the remains as quickly as possible.
Burying deep enough – the optimal depth to bury a deceased pet is between 3 to 5 feet. This allows for microbes to reduce the body while being deep enough to prevent most wildlife from reaching it. Additional cover like stone slabs are always helpful.
The Pet Cemetery If you don't have a suitable location at home, or if you don't own or live in a home with a yard, you can bury your dog at a pet cemetery. Prices for a burial at a pet cemetery will vary, but you will have the peace of mind of knowing your dog's final resting place will be maintained in perpetuity.
Burying Your Dog's Body The body can be placed in a wooden or cardboard casket if desired. The grave should be at least 3 feet deep. Choose a location that is not likely to erode or be accidentally dug up again. You may wish to place a headstone or other marker at your pet's grave to memorialize your beloved pet.