How to Keep Your Dog Out of The Garden

As an animal lover, you dig your dog, but you don’t want your dog digging in your carefully planted, lovingly tended garden. And though you may sit your animal down and have a nice one-on-one chat about how your garden is not their personal sandbox, or “dumping” ground, and that you don’t, in fact, need their help “watering” the plants, you’ll turn your back and find them right back at it, re-landscaping your garden and having a good time of it.

So, how do you keep your dog out of the garden?

First, understand that some dogs and cats are simply hard-wired to dig. It’s not intentional “bad behavior,” it’s instinctual. (Okay, and it might be kind of fun, too.) Try the following solutions on how to keep your dog out of the garden, and maintain your sanity—and your plants—in the process!

Fencing
The most obvious route to go is to install some kind of protective barrier to keep your dog out of the garden. Chicken wire is cheap and works great to help prevent unwanted visitors—including wildlife—from digging up your plants and treating your garden like an all-you-can-eat buffet. It’s functional, but not exactly pretty. If you’re looking for something more aesthetically pleasing, you can easily install a fence around the perimeter of your garden bed. Most home and garden centers have fencing panels that snap together to fit the size of your garden, including lightweight, inexpensive vinyl picket fences or sturdy, decorative steel “no dig” fences.

Sticks & Stones
Try lining your garden or flowerbed with pointy twigs or rocks to keep your dog out of the garden. You wouldn’t want to step on pointy twigs or rocks in your bare feet, and neither will your dog! The goal isn’t to hurt your dog, of course, just to keep them out, so choose twigs and rocks that are sharp enough to deter your pet from entering, but not sharp enough to actually hurt their pads. They only have to step on them one time to learn not to try again.

Red Pepper Flakes
Dogs aren’t fans of spicy stuff, and with their keen sense of smell they won’t want to hang out in a “spicy” garden. Take a trip to the bulk food aisle of your local grocery and buy a bag of red pepper flakes to distribute around your garden. The red pepper flakes won’t harm your plants, and they will work to keep your “nosey” pet out.

Sandbox
Through positive reinforcement, you can encourage your dog to dig in an approved area such as a sandbox. Bury dog toys and treats in the sandbox and praise your dog when he or she uncovers the treasures. If you still catch your furry friend in the act of digging where he shouldn’t, keep your dog out of the garden by spraying them with a spray bottle or hose, and then gently guide them over to their sandbox. Cue the praise the instant they start digging so that they’ll know that spot is digging-approved. Over time, and with consistent action, they’ll know the garden is off limits and that the sandbox is just for them.