Dog Proof/Friendly Garden - Plant advice

lindseykim13

whats wrong with some people you can't just take a dog back because it digs the garden up (not aimed at op) i have a springer spaniel and she takes great joy in digging up every new fruit plant, strawberries, lettuces anything she fancies in my veg plot in the garden.
It's taken me 2years to work the dog and the garden out, she's a rescue dog too.
Net everything until it is big enough ie tree size! Cover everything and if needs be you could fence off part of the garden and have an enclosed area for your plants.
Dogs are animals and they will dig and they wil chew and drive you to the brink of doggy murder, but you have to live with the fact that the dog won't change so you need to adapt your garden to dog proof. I use simple pea netting and canes and small poly tunnels.
Have you thought of having raised beds high enough from the dog?

tylersbabe

lindseykim13 wrote: »

whats wrong with some people you can't just take a dog back because it digs the garden up (not aimed at op) i have a springer spaniel and she takes great joy in digging up every new fruit plant, strawberries, lettuces anything she fancies in my veg plot in the garden.
It's taken me 2years to work the dog and the garden out, she's a rescue dog too.
Net everything until it is big enough ie tree size! Cover everything and if needs be you could fence off part of the garden and have an enclosed area for your plants.
Dogs are animals and they will dig and they wil chew and drive you to the brink of doggy murder, but you have to live with the fact that the dog won't change so you need to adapt your garden to dog proof. I use simple pea netting and canes and small poly tunnels.
Have you thought of having raised beds high enough from the dog?

Hi from a lurker and dog lover

Just wanted to second above post my dog loved eating the plants in my garden and very little stopped him :eek:.
Eventually I decided that he was more important then the garden and gave in,what he did not eat he walked over :mad: (think labrador sized garden destroyer).
I ended up planting loads of bulbs and most of these lived through being dug up, and lots of pretty hanging baskets to take eye away from ground level :rotfl:.

Strange that when they are gone what you miss most is the more anoying and destructive things they did, so my moto would be adapt the garden and love the dog

Sagz_2

Davesnave wrote: »

Unfortunately, rescue dogs are often like this as a result of the treatment they've received.

I'd have to strongly disagree with this I'm afraid, ANY dog can be like this.

I've finally found the solution to keeping my garden lovely and the dogs happy 3 years ago. I moved house! The dogs have the back yard and I have a lovely big front garden where my flowers and shrugs can grow in peace.

I've come to the conclusion that dogs and gardens really don't mix. Sorry I can't be of more help OP.

idlikemymoneybackplease

Half fill a plastic bottle with stones, every time the dog eats or digs up the plants shake it loudly next to her. Yes it takes time but she should get it in the end. Failing this fence off a seperate area for her.

Davesnave

Norbertsmum wrote: »

I'd have to strongly disagree with this I'm afraid, ANY dog can be like this.

I've finally found the solution to keeping my garden lovely and the dogs happy 3 years ago. I moved house! The dogs have the back yard and I have a lovely big front garden where my flowers and shrugs can grow in peace.

I've come to the conclusion that dogs and gardens really don't mix. Sorry I can't be of more help OP.

No, not any dog; none of mine were, but I take your point that rescue dogs are not necessarily destructive, nor exclusively so. There are plenty of people out there who are not as smart as their dogs, so in that case the dog rules. It's much the same with kids; hence feral children.

However, in the case of a rescue dog, you may have to 'unprogramme' it, just like foster parents may have the same unenviable task with someone else's teenager. Good luck to both I say - you are nobler than me.

As I pointed out, in the case of dogs, reprogramming may not work. Then, noble person or not, you have to think what to do! I don't want to put the OP on a guilt trip if she fails, and I don't think anyone else should either.

lindseykim13

Davesnave wrote: »

No, not any dog; none of mine were, but I take your point that rescue dogs are not necessarily destructive, nor exclusively so. There are plenty of people out there who are not as smart as their dogs, so in that case the dog rules. It's much the same with kids; hence feral children.

However, in the case of a rescue dog, you may have to 'unprogramme' it, just like foster parents may have the same unenviable task with someone else's teenager. Good luck to both I say - you are nobler than me.

As I pointed out, in the case of dogs, reprogramming may not work. Then, noble person or not, you have to think what to do! I don't want to put the OP on a guilt trip if she fails, and I don't think anyone else should either.

no but what your saying isn't very helpfull either 'your dogs are perfect and if the ops isn't then she should give up and take it back to the rescue centre' to me your setting the op up as a failure, they never said anything about the dog going! and why should the dog change if you get a dog you make changes to accomodate them, ANY dog can be a pain in the !!!! May i ask what breed your perfect dogs are/where then? Very hard to teach an old dog new tricks as they say.
As for children and foster parents really is no comparison.

Davesnave

Calm down lindseykim13! Norbert'smum took exception to my stating that rescue dogs are often psychologically damaged, and asserted that ANY (her shout, not mine) dog could be like the OP's. I simply said my three weren't. I don't remember claiming perfection on their behalf.

And no, I'm not going into their breed - it's irrelevant. Though some breeds are more highly strung, the issue here is a dog with a destructive tendency that may or may not be curable. The dog's behaviour is possibly rooted in a troubled past, or it may just be like that, but either way it isn't the OP's fault. I didn't 'tell the OP to take it back,' because she may be able to live with or solve the garden problem, but I did suggest that if the issue is wider than that she shouldn't beat herself up over being defeated.

You can think there is no comparison between bringing up animals and children if you like, but I've noticed so many similarities it seems blatantly obvious. I did practice on the animals before I had a go at the kids though.

foreign_correspondent

hmm I wonder why he is doing this? I have never had a dog that has bothered any of my plants at all (and mine have always been rescue dogs so I am not sure the two issues are necessarilly inter-related!) - apart from eating the odd blade of grass!

Does he do it in other open spaces - like at the park or out on walks?
How long does he spend in the garden at a time?
Does he attack all plants indiscriminately or does he have some favourite types?

idlikemymoneybackplease

My dog also murders all plants it can get its teeth around. She is not a rescue and is 9 months old. Some you consider safe and a week later she has got them. As a breed they are known for this. My solution has been to fence of a area for her with no plants, and use a shaker bottle when she is in the other end of the garden. Please be carefully with bulbs as may can be poisonous to dogs daffs Lily's etc.

Davesnave

Please be careful with bulbs as may can be poisonous to dogs daffs Lily's etc

.

Good point; one aconitum would solve the problem at a stroke! It is not an old wives tale that dogs digging these up and chewing them have died in a matter of minutes.