Help needed keeping the dog away from plants

swingaloo

Im tearing my hair out. Ive got a little cocker spaniel who Ive had for just over 12 months. He is just over 2 years old and I love him to bits.

But- Ive been planting bedding plants in pots. The little so and so is biting the heads off the plants. Ive not really got anywhere to put them out of reach. Ive got pots for all round my decking outside the conservatory and every time he goes out for a wee he heads for the pots again.

Im sure Im not the only one with this problem so I wondered if anyone had a solution. I didnt have the problem last year as we were getting ready to move house and I didnt do any planting but this year I want loads of colour and a Ive got a massive garden I was just going to do baskets and containers.

What can I do other than keep saying no and standing outside waiting when he goes to the loo?

elsien

Any idea why he's doing it? Does he like the taste, or is it a great game to get your attention?

sheramber

All you can do is put them out of reach either by raising them up, maybe on another pot turned upside down, or fencing them off.

Be aware that many plants are poisonous to to dogs.

One of my dogs used to bite the buds off my red carnations then spit them out. When she went passed they bobbed up and down so it was a game. She didn't do it with any other flowers.

krlyr

Two options - make it physically impossible, i.e. barriers (raise the pots, fence them off, fence off an area for him to toilet in, put a lead on him when he's outside, etc.) or train alternative behaviour. You can teach a dog to toilet in a certain space by constantly taking them there to wee and rewarding it - differentiating with a different surface or a physical sign (they do pheromone-treated posts for this purpose, for example)

tiz

Got a 7 month old cocker here All our pots are covered in upturned wire hanging baskets. You might need to use netting pegs (wire pins with a hook on the end) to pin them down. Larger tubs have wire lawn edging around the edge (just adds enough height to make it tough to reach). And we have a puppy pen along one border (she's a bit of a digger). If you get the green covered wire they blend well.

Training is probably a good idea too, but it's nice not to turn every wee into a steal the flowered/grab a mouth of mud game!