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How To Keep Dogs Out Of The Garden – 14 Strategies That Work!

Many of our dogs love to dig and rip up plants, which can be pretty bothersome for gardeners. This is especially true if your dog rips up one of the plants you have been working hard on.

Luckily, there are many different ways to keep dogs out of the garden. All you will need to do is pick the most convenient method!

In this article, we will be listing all of how gardeners can keep dogs out of their gardens. In addition to this, we will also be providing gardeners with some additional things to consider about keeping dogs out of the garden. 

How To Keep Dogs Out Of The Garden 

There are many different ways to keep your dog out of the garden. The first option is to set up a barrier around it, which is often pretty effective at keeping dogs out. When this is not possible, there are many other ways to keep your pet away. Using repellent and deterrent methods is also often pretty effective at keeping dogs away from an area. Here are all of the ways to keep dogs out of the garden. 

1. Put A Fence Around Your Garden

The most obvious way to keep dogs out of the garden is to put a fence around it. For many dogs, this is an effective way of keeping them out. If your dog has tried to dig under the fence, then putting rocks or meshing around the perimeter will make digging uncomfortable for them. Most of the time, this is enough of a deterrent to stop the digging and keep the dog away from the fence altogether. 

2. Provide Your Dog With A Safe Outdoor Space

It is recommended that gardeners provide their dogs with a safe outdoor space that is away from their garden. This will give the dog other things to do when they are outside. A little shaded patch with some toys will often be a fun distraction to dogs working in their gardens. Some people even provide their dogs with their digging pit as well. 

3. Have Large Hedges Around Your Garden 

If putting a fence around your garden is not your style, then placing hedges around the perimeter of your garden will work as well. Using hedges that a dog cannot easily get through would work best, and you may also need to place rocks around the perimeter as well.

This will prevent the dog from digging around the hedges, giving them a path into the garden. 

4. Use Strong Scents As A Dog Repellent 

A dog’s strongest sense is its sense of smell. As a result, placing some strong scents around your garden can be a good way to keep them out. What’s good about this is that the smells considered bad to dogs often smell great to us humans. Things like dried orange peels and strong-smelling spices are all-natural, safe, and pleasant dog repellents that are also often effective. Plus, it is a pretty easy deterrent for most gardeners to try. 

5. Use Bitter Apple And Other Strong Tastes As A Dog Repellent 

If your dog is a chewer and garden plant eater, you may want to place other kinds of deterrents around. Edible deterrents are safe and often effective ways to keep your dogs from chewing on and eating things in your garden. Bitter apple is a deterrent that is often used both inside and outdoors, and it is available in most pet stores.

 Using a blend of oil and red pepper flakes is another effective, homemade edible deterrent for dogs. It is important to remember that when using these edible deterrents, you will likely need to replace them every few days. This is because these edible deterrents tend to wear off over time. Additionally, you will also need to replace these edible deterrents every time that it rains, as they will likely be washed away. 

6. Teach Your Dog The Leave It Cue 

Of course, training your dog can also be helpful when it comes to keeping them out of your garden. Teaching the leave-it cue can help you to manage your dog when you are outside together. It also often gets your dog to walk away from your garden when you tell them to. 

When teaching the leave, it cue it is recommended that you start off small and then apply this skill to your garden once the command is learned. Otherwise, the dog will not know what the leave it cue means, and they will ignore the command. 

7. Monitor Your Dog At All Times When Near Your Garden 

It is recommended that you never leave your dog unattended when they have access to your garden. Many dogs will try to get into gardens when their owner is not around, even if you have deterrents in place. If you plan to leave your dog unattended outside, then having a fenced-in area or an outdoor kennel will keep both your dog and your garden safe and secure. 

8. Have Motion Activated Sprinklers 

Motion activated sprinklers work as a deterrent in that it makes some dogs feel very uncomfortable. Sprinklers can even startle some dogs. Over time your dog will associate walking toward your garden with getting splashed with water. This will deter dogs from even walking in the direction of your garden if they find the experience of being splashed with water to be unpleasant. 

This is a good option for a deterrent because it is not as potentially damaging to dogs as an automated alarm is. Similarly, sprinklers tend to be less annoying to neighbors than motion sensor lights and alarms as well. You may want to keep these sprinklers away from plants that cannot handle a lot of watering. 

9. Use An Invisible Fence 

An invisible fence works by having an electronic collar on your dog that activates whenever they cross the invisible fence line. Although many people place this invisible fence around the perimeter of their property to keep their dogs at home, you can also place it around the perimeter of your garden. 

An invisible fence will be an effective way to keep your dog out of your garden. However, this method should be used cautiously, and it is not recommended for overly skittish or anxious dogs. It can also be one of our list’s more expensive deterrent methods. 

10. Have A Motion Activated Alarm System

A motion activated alarm system can also be an effective way to keep your dog away from your garden. Motion activated alarm systems work by setting off a loud sound whenever the sensor detects motion. This means that every time a dog walks toward the garden with a motion-activated alarm system, a loud sound will occur. This loud sound startles the dog, which over time deters them from even walking towards your garden. 

However, there are a few negative aspects to using a motion activated alarm system as a deterrent to your dog. The first is that the noise can be pretty loud and bothersome. This can become annoying pretty quickly for both you and your neighbors.

Additionally, the sound from alarm systems can really frighten a dog. This can lead to them becoming frightened of even going in your backyard, and this problem can be difficult to undo once it has occurred. 

11. Have Motion Activated Lights

Motion activated lights can be a good way to keep your dog out of your garden at night. Although there are fewer negative aspects to using this deterrent method than motion activated alarm systems, they also tend to be less effective when keeping your dog out of your garden. 

This is because motion activated lights only tend to deter dogs from entering your garden when it is dark. Sometimes lights do not work as a deterrent to dogs either. Although this method is occasionally an effective way to keep dogs out of the garden, this method seems to be more effective at keeping wild animals out of the garden than it is for dogs. 

12. Plant in Planters 

Planting in planters is a good way to have your plants out of reach from your dog. There are many different types of planters available, from small pots for small plants to large raised planters for larger ones. This can be a good option for those who cannot place a fence around their garden and want to block their dog’s access to their plants. 

13. Create A Walking Path For Your Dog 

Sometimes dogs will walk through the garden simply because it is the only way to get outside, and when this is the case, they can sometimes become interested in the garden. Having a walking path for your dog away from your plants can help avoid this problem. 

14. Keep Delicate Plants Out Of Their Reach 

Dogs can quickly damage very delicate plants like flowers and leafy plants. It is best to keep these delicate plants out of your dog’s reach whenever possible. You can do this by planting these plants at the back of your garden or by planting these plants in planters. When using these planters, it is best to place these out of your dog’s reach. 

Can Dogs Damage Gardens?

Yes, dogs can damage gardens, and they frequently do when left unattended around plants. Dogs will often dig in gardens, which can damage the roots of plants. Additionally, some dogs may also try to eat the plants you are growing.

This could potentially kill our plants, but it can also be potentially dangerous to our dogs. No one likes coming home to find their gardens full of holes, or worse, half of their plants eaten by their pets. 

Things To Consider

Some other things that gardeners may want to consider about keeping dogs out of the garden. The first thing that you should consider is that you should use automated devices like sprinklers and alarms cautiously when using them as a deterrent for your dog. The second is to remember that some plants can also be toxic to our pets. Here are some additional things to consider when keeping dogs out of the garden. 

Be Cautious When Using Automated Devices As A Deterrent 

Using automated devices like motion activated sprinklers, lights, and alarms can have some negative consequences on a dog’s behavior in some cases. This is because using scare tactics to keep your dog out of your garden can frighten a dog so much that they are afraid to go anywhere in your yard, not just the garden. Occasionally invisible fences can have this effect on a dog as well. 

As a result, you should use these methods cautiously when using them as a deterrent to keep dogs out of your garden. It is also not a very good idea to use these methods for dogs that are particularly anxious, easily scared, or skittish. Luckily, there are other deterrent methods that we have mentioned in this article that will not have this effect on anxious or skittish dogs. 

Remember That Some Plants Can Be Poisonous To Dogs

There is more than one reason why gardeners should keep their dogs out of their gardens. Of course, dogs can damage gardens. However, plants commonly planted in gardens could potentially harm dogs as well.

This is because some plants are toxic to dogs when eaten. Many flowers and herbs are on the list of plants you should keep away from your plants. Additionally, grapes, onions, and garlic are also poisonous to dogs. 

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