keeping dogs out of garden (how?)

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how can i keepthe neighbors dogs out of the garden? i heard if you dump moth balls by the sweet corn the raccoons won't bother it ! but what about those dogs? the neighbors are decent people they know i worked hard in the garden but their dogs do need their excercise. anything i can do short of a fence? thanks!

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), June 21, 2001

Answers

How about one little strand of hot wire?

-- Cindy in KY (solid_rock_ranch@yahoo.com), June 21, 2001.

I've heard that coffee grounds discourage dogs and cats, though I've never tried it. Try some coffee cans with plastic lids or plastic containers with an old rag stuffed inside, soak the rag with a dose of ammonia. Put a bunch of holes in the lid, then put the cans/containers in the ground so that the lid is level with the ground. Sometimes this can be very effective, animals don't like the pungent ammonia scent.

-- Chelsea (rmbehr@istar.ca), June 21, 2001.

Their dogs need exercise? Have they ever heard of taking their dogs for a walk on a leash? It is an awful shame that the work you have done in your garden is destroyed by others inconsideration. I have seen in catalogs a motion sensor that hooks up to a water hose that will blast them with a squirt of water if they come too close, hot wire is also a good choice. Sorry, but regardless of how decent people are I don't believe they should allow their dogs to be on others property - we own 5 dogs and I expect them to stay within my property and if they go out in public am pick up after them so that others can enjoy themself also.

-- Leslie Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), June 21, 2001.

I agree totally with Leslie! Unless your garden is on thier property THEY need to build a fence or a kennel and YOU need to get a pellet gun or whatever you feel comfortable with to zap those dogs. Do those dogs just run all over your place? Do or would, you let your dogs do that? I get a bit upset at the "dogs should run free thing", so I'll try and control myself. :-) I was going through this with a very "nice", 90 lb Lab of some "nice" neighbors. We DO have a fence( I sure don't let my dog run loose!) that cost a bundle cause we fenced our 2/ 1/2 acres, but this dog is so strong he bends our chainlink gates and squeezes through, or did. After warning the neighbors and giving the dog one free pass(he killed one of my ducks), I finally shot him. I hope these views might give you some basis for feeling you are right about protecting your property and taking the appropriate action. Maybe just a good talk with the neighbors and letting them know you are sympathetic but will not allow this anymore? Plus the fencing ideas already mentioned by others?

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), June 21, 2001.

There are NO "decent people" who let their dogs run free and unsupervised. There are NO "decent people" who let their dogs run unsupervised on other people's property. I respect good working dogs, but even those can do a lot of damage if they get out and start acting as their nature dictates outside the boundaries where they have been been taught to behave themselves. Pets have their place too - they are in one sense "working animals" too. However, people who will not control their animals ought to have "one chance" (with warning to them, and the authorities - anyone can have accidents), then next time their animals threaten damage outside their grounds they need to be controlled permanently. Legally, if they do enough damage, "one chance" isn't necessary - I'm damn sure not going to give a Rottweiler or a Pit Bull Terrier a second chance at a child or an elderly person - they might have learnt from missing the first time.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), June 22, 2001.


If their dogs run in your garden, leave a nice rolling area full of fresh manure in one corner. Or allow them access to your compost pile. I can just about guarantee that your neighbors will soon find reasons to keep their dogs more contained! I have some very nice people living in my neighborhood who sometimes have difficulty seeing beyond their own small world. If you make their world uncomfortable, they alter it. Both of those solutions should make life less comfortable for the owners only...the dogs will love it!

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), June 23, 2001.

Unless you put up a fence of some kind or get the dogs owners to put one up you aren't going to keep the dogs out. If you live out in the country most people don't keep their dogs penned up. It sounds like you live in a town or city. I mean around here which is out, way out, in the country the dogs all run lose but I haven't heard of anyone having a problem with their garden. Well good luck.

-- Wynema (nemad_72039@yahoo.com), June 23, 2001.

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