Pests aren’t the primary danger to flower beds; even pet dogs can be!
Everyone knows I love my dogs dearly. However, they can be a little too curious and naughty at times, especially when exploring my beautiful garden. Unfortunately, their unquenchable curiosity leads them to repeatedly dig up my flower beds - something I needed to stop at the earliest.
So, I did what any 21st-century woman would do - I went on the internet for answers! Luckily, I found several other pet owners and their beautiful flower beds suffering the same fate as mine. And they provided me with a bunch of tips that would help keep my dogs away from the flower beds.
Hi! I’m Stacy, and today I will tell you the tips and tricks I used to keep my curious dogs out of the flower beds. Hopefully, these tips will help you do the same. Since dogs are very intelligent, they will soon understand that their presence near the flower beds is unwanted.
So without further delay, let’s begin!
How To Keep Dogs Out Of Flower Beds
Why Do Dogs Dig Flower Beds?
If there are over a dozen articles and blogs on the topic online, you can be sure that the problem is not isolated to your pets. In reality, dogs (and cats) are equally curious to explore new smells, sounds, and sights. Moreover, you may think that only puppies go through the “digging up everything” phase, but you would be wrong.
Several larger breeds continue their “digging phase” even after they turn into adult dogs.
So, you may be wondering why dogs dig up flower beds. This is a good question, and finding the answer may help you address the issue without experimenting with several tips and tricks.
The most common reasons why your dog may be digging up the flower beds are:
- Out of boredom
- To find insects and pests
- They may be feeling hot and looking for a cool place to lie down
- They are curious about a new scent emanating from the flower bed
Ways To Keep Dogs Out Of Flower Beds
Now that you are aware of some of the most common reasons for dogs digging up flower beds, let us move on to the next section. Here, I will answer your queries on how to keep dogs out of flower beds with some excellent tips and tricks.
1. Build A Fence
One of the easiest and most obvious ways to keep dogs out of your beautiful flower beds is to build a fence. If you are looking for a quick and easy solution, consider adding chicken wire around the perimeter of the flower bed.
Of course, keep in mind that this fence is not aesthetically pleasing and could play a significant role in ruining the general aesthetics of your garden. That being said, chicken wires are extremely flexible and can be cut and bent easily. Moreover, they are super effective in keeping the dogs out.
Alternatively, you could build a decorative fence that does the job of keeping the dogs out while adding aesthetic value to the garden. You can use wood, steel, or mesh to do this. Of course, there is another solution - adding a barrier of prickly flowers or bushes.
Flowers like Holly and Rose blend beautifully into any garden. However, the last thing dogs like is to be pricked by their thorns. These flowers can form an excellent natural barrier to your flower beds.
- Rustproof & Durable: Make your outdoor space a charming oasis with our garden fencing. The garden border fence features an arched design and is coated with black rust-resistant material to ensure durability and making it able to withstand outdoor conditions such as exposure to sun and wind. Plus, decorative fences is easy to maintain, so you can spend less time worrying about upkeep and more time enjoying your garden.
- Sturdy & Easy to Install: Our yard fence features a unique snap circle design that eliminates the need for digging. Each fence panel board is designed with snap circles that can overlap each other. Simply overlap snap circles, insert the metal posts, and hammer them into the soil with a small hammer to secure them in place. Enjoy a beautiful and functional sturdy small garden fence without the hassle of traditional installation methods.
- Customizable Size: Our garden fence border comes with 26 panels, each fence panel 13" wide by 17" high, with a clearance of 1.7", for a total length of 26 ft. The metal fence is also equipped with 27 sturdy 17" metal stakes to securely anchor it to the ground , the maximum depth for inserting into the soil is 7 inches. The fence panels are flexible and can be easily extended and customized to fit your specific landscaping needs.
- 【VERSATILE USE】: This no dig garden fence is ideal for framing around flower beds, plant beds, lawns, etc., protecting them from a variety of small to medium creatures (rabbits, chipmunks, marmots). Can also be used as a supplement to existing fences to prevent pets from digging under the fence (dogs, rabbits), Protection of extension fence.
- 【HARD AND RUST-PROOF】: The garden fencing is welded with galvanized steel, which is strong and durable and not easy to bend. The surface is painted to prevent rust. Can work in all kinds of bad weather.
- 【SIZE DESIGN】: Each piece of garden fence barrier is 13" long and 15" high, with 1.5" fence post clearance, 10 pieces in total, with a total length of about 10 feet. It can effectively prevent small animals from digging pass the fence to enter and leave the garden.
2. Use Distracting Scents
Keep in mind that your dog’s nose is over 1,000 times stronger than a human’s. As such, any smell is magnified as their noses are hyper-sensitive.
You can use this to your advantage by placing specific scents around the flower beds, which most dogs will find unpleasant. Bear in mind that the smells should not be toxic or harmful to the dogs, your plants and flowers, or anyone else around you.
Some of the most common distracting scents are -
- Coffee grounds
- Vinegar (do not spray this directly on plants and flowers)
- Chili pepper
- Lemongrass oil
- Citrus fruits
3. Install A Sprinkler System
Install a well-timed and well-placed sprinkler system in the garden to keep the dogs away from your flower beds. Large dog breeds will likely end up enjoying the sprinkler more than digging through mud and grass, which can turn out to be a welcome distraction and protect your flower beds.
Moreover, most dogs will find the addition of a sprinkler system more interesting, and it could become a place for them to cool off.
4. Distract Them With Their Favorite Toys
You might be surprised to see how easy it is to distract a dog with its favorite toys. Keep a dedicated “play area” in the garden where your dog can access all their favorite playthings.
Furthermore, consider adding a little peanut butter (unsalted) inside a chew toy. This will keep them engaged for hours and prevent them from digging up the beautiful flower beds.
5. Create A Garden Moat
This next idea is similar to creating a fence or a barrier. However, I found the makeshift garden moat to be a more aesthetic solution to wire fences.
For my garden, I opted for a makeshift moat made of pinecones. Not only does this add aesthetic value to my yard, but my dogs hate the texture under their sensitive paws and have effectively stayed away from the flower beds ever since.
Final Words
My top recommendation would be to train your dogs to stay out of the flower beds. However, this is a long-term solution and will not protect your flower beds in the meantime.
These five solutions have worked excellently for my garden (and several other dog owners I met online). Of course, there are a dozen other methods you could use, depending on what your dog responds to best.
If you have any other ideas or tips, please comment below and share them with your fellow readers and me. Let me know how these tips worked in protecting your beautiful flower beds.
Stay tuned for more. Until next time!