How to keep my dog out of the garden?

Question

I recently planted my garden (so excited I actually have a yard to plant one in this year) and I've already got stuff growing (I'm in the south, it's warming up!) and I've got a small, 1 foot fence blocking it off from the dogs hoping that would keep my younger and bigger dog out of the garden. It's not however, she has jumped in there, dug a hole, destroyed my green beans that were doing so good, nearly destroyed my sunflowers by covering them with dirt, and killed a big pumpkin I had started nicely. And she also pooped in there. 
How can I keep her out there? I thought about chicken wire but will that work? A bigger fence? Fence off the area? I'm about to expand it too, I need more room for the pumpkins. 

I have the garden in my backyard since it's where I get the most sunshine and I have a huge backyard for the dogs.

Christine · Accepted Answer

Chicken wire  might help.  A floppy fence might deter them from climbing it.  If it's 3-4 feet high, wihtout a well-defined top rail, it wil be harder for them to jump in, and maybe discourage them.  Try driving a few metal T posts and 4' chicken wire, loosely tide on.  You may also need rocks, or lay some chicken wire on the ground, to prevent them digging in.  You may have to put chicken wire over the top of your garden if they persist in jumping the wire.

Of course, making their own garden might keep them satisfied.  Doesn't have to be in the sunshine.  In fact, they probably would like to make beds for themselves in the cool soil when it's hot.  So give them their own tempting play/dig area and see what happens.

steve h · Answer

Just sprinkle some cayenne pepper around the edge of your garden and your dog and other critters will stay away. It won't bother birds or insects. Some critters,like woodchucks,will dig under a fence to get to your garden and cayenne is a lot cheaper then a fence.You will need to sprinkle some more after it rains,but I bet your dog will learn after a couple of sniffs to never go there again.

Stephanie · Answer

You need a fence your dogs cannot penetrate. Taller, chicken wire, whatever. If they can get in there and they are not trained to stay away, they will get in there and wreck havoc. 

If you have time to train the dog, even better. My dog is trained to 'leave it.' It keeps him out of the bin, away from food I've dropped, away from books, shoes, anything I don't want him to have. 'Leave it' was the very first thing I taught him as a puppy. I have taken him to the garden beds I dug and pointed and said 'leave it,' repeatedly. I have done this quite a few times to reinforce. I caught him standing in my bed, just looking up at the window at me, and I went out and told him 'leave it' again and again. 

He're a link to the video I used to teach my dog 'leave it': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNAOe1djDyc

This is just a good thing to teach your dog in general. BUT if you can't teach the dog, you need to create a fence that can't be crossed. Good luck!

myfavouritelucy · Answer

How often do you exercise these dogs? A dog who has plenty of opportunity to run around and get rid of excess energy doesn't do stuff like this.

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How to keep my dog out of the garden?

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