Any pretty solutions to keep my dog out of my backyard garden?
by
Elissa C
+36
Bailey is a male dog, and urinates on my plants. I know I can buy low fencing at Home Depot. I am looking for alternatives.
31 answers
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4' high bamboo sticks are low cost - line them around the beds 4' apart then string twine between them. If the dog is stubborn tie plastic orange ribbon in the middle of the twine. Lead him along the line and tell him 'no'! I've trained many of my dogs using this method as I'm a horticulturist and do not allow them in the flower beds. However I also have a 'no leg lifter' rule :-) lol Scold, reward, treats! Good luck. Once the dog is trained remove the temporary barrier.
Gwendolyn_Lea
on Jul 05, 2015
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Not for this year, but next year consider a "straw bail garden" It's exactly what it sounds like - the plants are grown in/on top of bales of straw. Not only will it be above dog level, but it is also much easier to maintain and harvest since it is higher.
Beverly Dennis-Jeffas
on Jul 05, 2015
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I just saw something on yard crashers today. Take a hot pepper, slice it, put it in water and spray it around plants. Dogs hate it...so do bugs.
Lisamstratton
on Jul 05, 2015
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Disposable plastic forks stuck in ground by their handles with tines up,will keep all animals out of any space. They come in many colors.
Lynn D.
on Jul 05, 2015
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There is also some spray that you can buy to keep cats and dogs out.
Carolyn Faye Blizzard Lanier
on Jul 05, 2015
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I recently read to use pinecones as mulch. You can probably talk most home owners out of them by offering to rake them. Haven't tried it but can't imagine a dog wanting to walk on those.
Lindcurt
on Jul 05, 2015
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I have a friend who swears by the pine cones. I have two small dogs and I simply hammered in garden stakes so that about three inches stuck out between the plants and parts of the beds they frequented most. It works. In areas they wanted to dig, I placed gutter screen under the mulch. That worked too. Good luck. I know it's hard but we love our fur kids more than the plants.
Sally
on Jul 05, 2015
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You might try putting lava rocks down like mulch in your garden bed. It's rough on the paws and they don't like walking on it, cats don't like digging in it either, but it won't injure them.
Mary Tonningsen
on Jul 06, 2015
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The expensive brand name dog and cat spray did absolutely nothing to repell the cats on my deck. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!
Judy Mitchell
on Jul 06, 2015
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Sometimes cayenne pepper works.
Dee Lowe
on Jul 06, 2015
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Keeping dogs out of your yard is a challenging task. One product that you should stay away from is a fence. Get a free estimate and quote for fence installation by La Habra Fence Company.
La Habra Fence Company
on Jul 06, 2015
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we have alot of luck with the cotton ball soaked in stinky perfume or after shave the dogs stiff and leave
Donna Hagen
on Jul 06, 2015
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I buy a can of cheap pepper and sprinkle over my garbage bags and around flower area where I notice cats are digging in flower pots and now notice my creeping flocks are turning yellow along the outer edges where dogs are urinating so will start sprinkling pepper there too. It works, and usually the bad experience the animal has will keep them from coming back. Remember to sprinkle pepper again after a rain. Animals always sniff before doing their deed. It doesn't take much so sprinkle lightly.
Sue Sanders
on Jul 06, 2015
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OK, I know this sounds gross but I scoop up the dogs fresh poop and put it in the area that I don't want them to be. This works great for me and they don't dig or lay in my flower beds anymore.
Susan Kedigh
on Jul 06, 2015
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Or....have a container garden....solves all problems. Water troughs for feeding animals work awesome....bit pricey to get them to start but they don't lose their value. Check want ads to see people are searching for used ones....lots of pictures on Pinterest. They can be moved...there is a drain at the bottom end so no need to poke holes in them.... you can grow anything in them....no bending over to garden...no dogs...no cats...use a good potting compost/soil for no weeds...no slugs...++++ they look awesome
Ingrid
on Jul 06, 2015
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Sounds silly but I put plastic forks all over the bed sticking up and it stopped them because they step on the forks. Once it is established that it hurts to walk there, they go elsewhere. Cheap also.
Debbie Clay
on Jul 06, 2015
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Instead of the forks use pine cones, they don't feel good to walk on. You can also put them in your flower pots if you have a sneaky cat that uses them instead of a litter box.
Skrizzo
on Jul 06, 2015
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I love the idea of pine cones...should work for cats too. In the dog area I use large clay containers to plant. The animal troughs look awesome but my yard isn't big enough for that.
MaryAnn B
on Jul 06, 2015
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I recently discovered a product call Ctitter Ridder. It's powder that gets sprinkled around an area to keep animals out of an area. Works on cats, raccoons, coyotes and other critters. It really works well. Put on the perimeter a foot or so further out than the garden, so he won't even get near to it.
Diamondvalleygirl
on Jul 06, 2015
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I put up green plastic mesh fencing, @ 2' high. Wove rebar through it in several places and stuck into the ground. When the plants come up, they completely blend in or cover it. Cheap and easy, and looks good.
Dottie Unruh
on Jul 06, 2015
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Bullet! ...lol...I have threated mine with one for 8 years now. lol
Renata
on Jul 06, 2015
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Hot wire.....he'll only pee on it once.........
Judy
on Jul 08, 2015
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Hi, I liked your article.Bailey is like your family member,so dont hurt him.Actually I love pets.In my opinion you should put a chain link fence around your yard that not only enhance the beauty of your yard but also deter your garden from dog and cats.Thanks for nice sharing.
Elizabeth Sagarminaga
on Jul 09, 2015
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@Elissa C - I just had a thought! Finally! How about a motion sensor sprinkler? It would come on when Bailey steps in to that area, squirt him a bit, he'll leave and the sprinkler goes off. I won't hurt him and he'll probably learn pretty quickly to stay away (or not, who knows with a dog?) But anyway, that way you won't need a fence, or sharp forks, or cayenne pepper, etc. Just a short burst of water. I saw this idea on 'My Cat from Hell' - they used it to keep stray cats out of someone's back yard... it worked! :) Good luck!
Mary Tonningsen
on Jul 10, 2015
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Try putting a 4x4 pee post a distance away. Scoop up some mud that has been peed on and put it around the post for his scent will be there. He is bonding with u, telling u this is also his garden. Give him his own space. Brother did this, thought he was nuts, but it worked great. Worth a try. U might have to put up a temporary fence around garden till he gets the idea. Hope this helps
Anne fenske
on Jul 10, 2015
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I was being a bit....um....facetious earlier when I suggested hot-wire but not entirely. We have 3 large dogs, whom we love dearly but it can be a problem keeping them out of garden & flower beds. I have discovered this: If they have EVER been stung by an electric fence (& living in the country they probably have) I can just shove stakes in the ground around wherever I want to keep them away from & wrap twine or string from stake to stake, about a foot or so off the ground, to surround the area. They will not go NEAR it. It isn't a pretty solution for, say a show garden but it has worked just dandy for me for years.
Judy
on Jul 11, 2015
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As a young city child I remember being accidentally introduced to an electric fence on a visit to a lovely farm. I grabbed the wire to help stop my fall down a hill... it didn't hurt me badly, but I've never been tempted to touch it again. Like your dogs, I have a healthy respect for that wire! LOL! I agree, it's like a sting and just may be an effective tool to train a dog to avoid certain areas. I tried the "pee stick method" and my dog immediately noticed the stick, grabbed it, yanked it out of the soil and took it to the flower bed. Sigh.
Koilaf
on Jul 13, 2015
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My dog trainer suggested I gather up my dogs poop, put it in the hole he keeps digging at which is a fig tree and he will stop by the smell. I thought this sounded crazy but it has worked.
Alix Bothwell
on Jul 15, 2015
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My solution to neighbor dogs and cats using my yard as a bathroom is a pepper shaker. I sprinkle (again after a rain) low plants for dogs and my flower pots on porch for cats. It seems to be working. Anytime you see a plant turning yellow in a low area you can bet a dog has been there as its yellow only in a certain area. As for the flower pots I see where a cat has been digging.
Sue Sanders
on Jul 15, 2015
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I'm making a fence with PVC pipe, wire + blue beer bottles. Someone promised me a stucco garden wall + only put int the posts, so I have 3 sides of posts around my garden area. I'm going to cut the PVC pipe, salvaged hopefully, wedge it between the posts + glue it with silicone glue. First I will drill holes in the top + lower PVC pipes to thread the wires. When I thread the wire through the top PVC pipe, I will tie a knot then add a washer + glue. Next I will thread the wire through a bottle ( that had been drilled with a diamond bit, washed in a dish pan or disposable metal cooking pan to remove glass dust after drilling {dump water in garden, so glass dust doesn't ruin water system}) + add rubber washer just larger than bottle opening. Since my fence is not going to be very tall, I might only be using 2-3 beer bottles per wire, I will thread wire through bottom PVC pipe + again thread it through a washer + tie knot + glue. My dog is older + this type of fencing is part of my whimsical garden. It is merely a deterrent for him. Should we get a puppy in the near future, I would add chicken wire on the inside to prevent a smaller, younger inquisitive dog to get inside garden area. Right now I just want my older dog to get stopped by a "fence." For the 4th side, I will have to buy or find salvaged materials to make a fence.
Doreen Murphy-Lee
on Jul 20, 2015
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The electric fence idea is very effective!! We had a Samoyed that kept digging under the gate. My husband buried cement blocks so that she couldn't dig, so she stuck her head under the gate and lifted it a little so that she was able to get her head through but not the rest of her. So she was stuck! She couldn't go back or on through as she thought. Fortunately, our neighbors heard her cries of distress and knowing that it was unusual they came to check and rescued her. As a result, my husband put a wire around the yard, moistened the ground after installation and then we let her out. It completely stopped her from digging and she never got stuck under the gate again! She was on persistent dog until then!
Carey
on Sep 13, 2016
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