A method for digging out a motor vehicle at a standstill, in which the driver predefines a startup direction for the motor vehicle with the aid of an operating element; in which a reciprocating motion of the motor vehicle is generated with the aid of chronologically consecutive drive force pulses which are independent of the driver and have a first intensity; in which the spatial amplitude of the reciprocating motion is ascertained and compared to a predefined threshold value; and when the spatial amplitude of the reciprocating motion of the motor vehicle exceeds the threshold value, a startup movement of the motor vehicle is subsequently generated in the predefined startup direction using at least one drive force pulse which is directed in the predefined startup direction and which has a second intensity, which is greater than the first intensity.