So, I just got my backyard fenced in with a combination of 6' privacy fence and 5' high chain link. My little girl (15 months old) doesn't show signs of being desperate to escape yet but I'll still keep an eye on her while she's out there. Anywho, she is digging, not so much to escape and I don't really mind but this past weekend we got a lot of rain and once she goes out she can be hard to get back in. Also, it's not warm enough to dry the ground but not cold enough to freeze it yet. I'm toying with the idea of putting down woodchips, stone or something to make it a little dog friendlier. Can I get some recommendations?

Mine won't dig through wood mulch. I had a ton of flowerbeds in my backyard at my other house and they never dug in them because of the mulch. It's fairly easy to put down and leaves you the option of doing something else with the area later if you wish to. If you put down gravel and decide to sow grass or put in some flowerbeds later you will have a nightmare to deal with to convert it. Same with stone. Stone pavers move easy enough but a lot of expense involved. If you do mulch just make sure it's a thick layer. She may dig at it at first and you want to make sure it's thick enough she realizes it will be a lot of work to dig in this stuff.