How To Keep Your Dog From Ruining Your Garden

Australians love being in nature, whether to go hiking, camping, kayaking, surfing or just hit the beach with friends. When not in the great outdoors, many love having gardens so they can spend as much time as possible immersed in nature. 

For some, a beautifully kept garden can be a huge deterrent when considering getting a new puppy. There are numerous reasons why it can seem scary to introduce a puppy to a garden, and these are important things to consider before getting one. 

Digging: Dogs love to dig and this can be a major problem for gardeners, as it can disrupt the soil structure, damage plants and even expose roots and underground services like pipes.

Fertiliser/Mulch ingestion: Dogs may try to eat fertilisers or mulch that you have put in your garden, which can be dangerous for them if they consume too much.

Pest control issues: If you use chemicals to control pests in your garden, such as spray pesticides or baits, your dog may ingest them and become ill as a result.

Lawn Damage: Dogs running around on the lawn can create bald patches due to over-compaction of the soil or cause mud patches due to their constantly going back to the same area of grass when playing.

More weeds: If you don't keep an eye on your dog when he is in the garden, he may bring weeds from elsewhere into your garden which could spread and become hard to remove without using chemicals.

Toxic plants: There are many common garden plants that can be extremely toxic to dogs when ingested. A few are staples in most gardens such as tulips, daffodils, and chrysanthemum.

Having a puppy doesn’t necessarily mean losing your impeccable garden though. Here, we’ve gathered some expert tips on keeping a dog from destroying your garden. 

1. Create a designated area for your dog: Designating a specific area of your garden that is off-limits to your dog can help him understand where he can and cannot go in the yard. Make sure this area is far away from any of your plants so that he won’t be tempted to dig them up. You can fence this designated area off so that your dog can be free to roam and play. 

2. Use deterrents: Deterrents such as pepper or vinegar sprays and motion activated sprinklers can help keep your pup away from certain areas of the garden. These are safe, humane ways to train your pup to stay away from certain areas without having to resort to harsh punishments. Certain plants such as lavender, rosemary, marigold, chili pepper, and curry also act as deterrents to dogs because they don’t like the smell. You can plant them around areas that you’d like your dog to avoid.

3. Provide alternate digging spots: If you know that your dog loves digging, providing an alternate spot for him to dig in the garden may work better than trying to keep him away entirely. This will satisfy his natural urge to dig while also keeping him out of other parts of the garden that you don’t want destroyed.

4. Add a soil cover: You can add gravel, pebbles, or bark chips over fresh soil to make it less appealing for dogs to dig in.

5. Keep an eye on him: Finally, keep an eye on your pup when he is outside to make sure he isn’t getting into any mischief in the garden. If you catch him in the act, calmly but firmly redirect his attention elsewhere with a toy or treat and praise him when he follows directions. 

If your dog is particularly unruly, you may want to look into obedience training to make sure he listens to your commands. After all, it’s not just for the sake of your garden, but for his own safety also.

 

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