Small dog I had raised to excavate (3,2)
I believe the answer is:
dig up
'excavate' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'small dog i had raised' is the wordplay.
'small dog' becomes 'pug' (I've seen this in another clue).
'i had' becomes 'i'd' (contraction).
'raised' is a reversal indicator (going up in a down clue).
'pug'+'id'='pugid'
'pugid' backwards is 'DIG UP'.
'to' is the link.
(Other definitions for dig up that I've seen before include "Unearth" , "Uncover (something hidden)" , "Exhume" , "Excavate - discover" , "Disinter" .)