Marianne Binetti, a master gardener, offers advice on how to prevent your pets from becoming garden pests.
- Put some short pegs into the ground all over the flower bed to prevent dogs from lying down there.
- Set some thorny branches in the ground at regular intervals to deter pets from entering newly mulched or seeded areas or soft soil.
- To shield entire beds, construct a chicken-wire barrier. Place a number of large pegs along the bed’s edge to prevent it from being an eyesore. Wrap an end stake with a roll of chicken wire. When not in use, roll the wire up to conceal it. When in use, unroll the wire and lean it up against the other stakes.
- To prevent cats from entering a garden bed, use strong-smelling herbs like rosemary and sage.
- A perennial plant called Coleus canina was created with a strong scent that repels cats. Plant it where you want your cat to stay away from going—under birdfeeders, for example.
- To keep cats out, sprinkle coffee grounds on top of beds.
- Plant a brick in the ground to prevent cats from digging in areas of bare soil (such as edges where it is too thin to plant seeds, for example). They will seek out a different location to dig if they run into it.
- Create a dog-specific play area in an empty area of the yard to prevent dogs from digging in the garden. Make a deep, wide pit, then fill it with sand. Your dog can have his own sandbox if you add some toys.
- Here’s a gardening suggestion for protecting your pets from fleas: use cedar chips for paths and in beds.
How can dog digging in flowerbeds be prevented?
Everyone wants their furry children to have fun playing outside, but we don’t want to sacrifice our precious vegetable garden and lovely flowerbeds in the process.
By using these tips to constructively discourage your dog’s digging tendency, you can safeguard your landscaping from their inquisitiveness.
The last thing you want is to discover your labor of love torn to bits after spending countless hours tilling, mulching, and sowing your garden. Cover the ground surrounding the plants in your garden with bark chips, gravel, or pavers to alter the texture of the soil and make digging through it less enticing.
Set up a designated digging area to divert your dog’s behavior to a more suitable area of the yard so that your plants and the garden are safe. In the yard, make a sizable, shallow pit, and fill it with sand. By hiding your dog’s favorite chews and toys in the digging area for them to find, you can make it more appealing.
Dogs enjoy sifting over recently tilled soil. Use garden fencing to enclose a spot where your dog frequently digs. A small barricade may be sufficient to deter your dogs. A wire mesh fence secured to steel poles and buried up to a foot underground would be a straightforward option.
To keep dogs away from the flowerbeds, scatter red pepper flakes or mustard powder around them. While your plants’ growth won’t be hampered by this, your pet’s desire to dig up that area will be diminished.
Spray plants with astringent apple bitter or white vinegar to deter dogs from eating your vegetable garden. As an alternative, you can use marigolds to screen your garden from dogs as well as other pests like aphids, squash bugs, and Mexican bean beetles.
As spring approaches, now is the ideal time to try out these simple strategies to stop your dog from digging so that your entire family may enjoy the backyard together.
Can dogs be kept out of flower beds with moth balls?
Consider utilizing containers if you’re planting flowers that are prone to pests. Dogs frequently don’t bother container plants. Although it might not be the precise appearance you were hoping for, this is a simple solution to protect your flowers.
Raised beds are another solid choice, although some dogs may also terrorize them. However, your dog might not. It’s one of those things you have to research.
Train Your Canine
Additionally, you can teach your dog to avoid your flowerbeds. There are several options for doing this. All of them are effective, however combining more than one approach may yield the best results. You’re making sure of everything in this manner.
Teaching your dog not to cross a boundary includes boundary training. Although it might look complicated, this command is frequently quite simple.
You need to train your dog to touch a flag for this. Here is a short, detailed explanation:
- Teach your dog how to aim. You’ll require a flag or some cloth. When your dog shows any interest in the flag, reward them. The goal is to eventually get your dog to touch the flag to receive the reward.
- Move the Flag Away More. The flag needs to be attached to something next. Ask your dog to go after the flag so they can touch it and then return to you. Respect them. Once your dog is fairly adept at the distance, increase it.
- Around your flowerbed, place the flags. Put your dog on a leash and go outside. Your dog should instinctively touch the flag and come back to you for the treat if they are aware of what is happening. When they come back, only treat them. Moving away from the flowers is something you should emphasize.
- Add a few diversion. As a lure, scatter some of your dog’s favorite items across the flowerbed. When they come back to you without entering, reward them.
- Allow your dog to run free. Finally, you may let your dog go without a leash as long as you keep an eye on him. When your dog targets a flag and comes back to you, reward him.
- Take the Flags down. You can take down the flags if your dog has been doing this for roughly six months. Your dog has figured out that it’s best to stay away from the flowers. Your dog should keep in mind to leave that part of your yard even if there aren’t any flags there.
Leave it is a great all-purpose command that you may use to instruct your puppy to leave everything alone, including your flowerbed.
- Make Your Dog Afraid of Food. Teaching your dog to ignore food is the first thing you should do. You accomplish this by holding food in your closed fist. Your face should be rather near to your dog’s as you kneel in front of them. Treat them whenever they turn their attention from the meal to your face. As they get it, progressively increase the difficulty by rising up and removing your hand from your face.
- Open your hand while you practice. The next step is to exercise with an open hand. Keep your hand open and place the treat between your two fingers. The same procedures can be repeated to gradually make it harder.
- Place food on the ground. Finally, you’re going to advise your dog to leave the food that you dropped on the ground on purpose. The first few times, they’ll undoubtedly go after it, so we advise crouching and slowly setting the food on the ground. If they attempt to take it, cover it with your hand and give them another instruction. Treat them when they stare at your face. You want to gradually improve your ability to drop food in front of them and command them to ignore it.
As soon as your pet understands this command, you can use it for items other than food. For instance, you could ask them to refrain from chewing on your flowers, other people, and inappropriate objects.
Ensure Your Dog Has a Place to Play
Playing helps your dog burn off excess energy. If you take a lot of these precautions, your dog may still play in your flowers if they aren’t getting enough exercise elsewhere. It’s crucial to set up a space for your dog to exercise and to furnish them with enjoyable toys. If not, they might look for their toys, which might turn out to be your flowers.
Even if your dog has room to run around outside, you might want to take them for daily walks. When left to their own devices, not all dogs will exercise properly. Additionally, you don’t want your dog to decide that running through your shrubs is a lot of fun. Instead, try to exercise your dog enough to make them feel too worn out to bother your shrubs in the first place.
Use a Commercial Dog Repellent
Commercial dog deterrents are available; however, they smell terrible and deter dogs. These are a simple way to keep your dog out of your flower bed, but they might not be effective until combined with additional techniques.
Never spritz the repellent onto your dog directly. There are no solutions since dogs frequently struggle to link their behaviours to the spraying. The dog will instead learn to stay away from you or dig in the flowers when you aren’t around.
Will Mothballs Keep Dogs Out of Flower Beds?
They can. However, there is nothing stopping your dog from eating mothballs if you simply dump them into your flower bed. Mothballs are hazardous to dogs if swallowed. In order to prevent your dog from entering the flower bed, we do not advise applying mothballs. The danger is simply not worth it.
What can I saturate mulch with to deter dogs?
There are a few things you can do to prevent freshly put mulch from being picked up and transported into the house. When trying to stop your dog from rolling in mulch, start with the simplest approach and work your way up if necessary.
Spray It With Citrus
According to experts, dogs don’t appreciate the scent of citrus. Applying a citrus fragrance is one of the simplest, most cost-effective, and practical ways to prevent your dog from digging in and rolling in mulch. Spray pure lemon juice or another citrus extract on top of and inside the mulch after diluting it with water.
Use Cayenne Pepper
A cayenne pepper and water mixture is another solution that will stop your dog from rolling in the flowerbeds. To 10 parts water, add 1 part cayenne pepper. Be careful not to use too much cayenne; the solution should be a deterrent, not possibly hazardous. Make the mixture, then spray a fine mist of it all over the place. Give a particularly problematic area a deeper soak if necessary.
Add Vinegar
Although vinegar has a stronger smell than cayenne, both have a powerful taste. In order to make a spray, simply combine one part vinegar with five parts water if the citrus and cayenne fail to repel your dog. It doesn’t matter what kind of vinegar you use, however you might want to stay away from anything too pricey. Make sure to pay close attention to trouble spots because the spray will soak into the mulch.
Try Ammonia, If You Can Stomach It
This dilution requires caution, and it should only be used as a last option. Make cotton wool balls out of ammonia that has been considerably diluted, then soak them in it before scattering them across the garden’s prized flowerbeds and other locations.
Place Posts in the Beds
Wood stakes should be cut to lengths of 6 inches each, and the top inch should protrude 1 foot or so from the ground in the flower bed. Since the foliage and even the mulch itself should cover this small piece of wood, it shouldn’t detract from the appearance of the bed. It won’t be comfy for your dog to lie on, though, and it might even prevent them from crossing.
Add Paths
It’s possible that your dog is only attempting to move from one section of the garden to another, and the mulched flower beds serve as its sole route. If so, you might want to add some straightforward yet efficient pathways. The dog will value your efforts, and you will value the absence of mulchy pawprints inside the home.
Add Wire
Just below the mulch’s surface, you can add wire mesh such as chicken wire or a net. The wire should be buried about 1 inch below the surface. The wire should stop your dog from strolling over the area, while plants can still grow through the openings.
Create a Fence Barrier
Alternately, you can use the wire as a fence by standing it vertically. In reality, any fence would work. The complexity of the fence will, of course, depend on the kind of dog you have and how determined they are to get the mulch, but even a simple wooden fence may be sufficient to guard your beds.
Dog Training
Even though it’s doubtful, if your dog is willing to learn and you have the patience and time, you might be able to get them to quit stepping on the mulch when they come inside from the garden. Use constructive criticism by telling them to stop mulching, then rewarding them when they comply. Similar to this, praise your dog when they skirt the mulched area or entirely avoid it, and ignore them when they step on it. They can take some time to break this habit, but some dogs pick it very fast.
What odor makes dogs avoid digging?
Have you ever noticed how your dog digs his hole while sniffing the ground? This behavior will be used against your furry earth-mover.
Yes, you can stop your dog’s digging in its tracks by attempting to impair its excellent sense of smell. All you require is a repulsive fragrance.
Wherever your dog is digging, sprinkling a small amount of powdered powder will help. Your dog will entirely avoid the location after taking a smell.
This red pepper will aggravate your dog’s nostrils when breathed. Your dog will most likely snort, shake his head, or even run after you when it’s successful.
Most dogs don’t find digging to be worth the discomfort, but don’t worry, it’s only short-lived and harmless.
The best part is that you probably already have a bottle of red cayenne pepper in your pantry. particularly if you enjoy hot cuisine as much as I do!
The modest jar in your cupboard might not be enough, though, if your dog is a dig-o-holic. This is why I advise purchasing in bulk—6 lbs. should be more than enough for most yards.
