OT - how do you stop a dog digging up a flowerbed

Submitted: Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:01
ThreadID: 44230 Views:3466 Replies:21 FollowUps:38
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A woman down the road from us allows her dog to dig up our flower beds when she takes it for a walk, the council don't want to know so I need to do something. I asked the owner to stop her dog and if I put her answer on here the post would get deleted.

Is there any humane way to persuade a dog not to dig up our garden, please don't suggest poison or anything like that as its not the dog's fault and the owner couldn't care less.

Any ideas? Sorry for the off topic post but I reckon a few on here will have some good ideas.
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Reply By: Member - Col G (WA) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:06

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:06
There are several ways, one is to bury a balloon so the dog pops it when he digs, one I have used is to sprinkle pepper on the ground, no doubt you will hear of others as well.
AnswerID: 232921

Follow Up By: Member - Russell H (WA) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:09

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:09
Electric fence. They're cheap, effective and after just a couple of zaps you won't even need to leave it switched on - the dog won't come within cooeee of it.
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Follow Up By: Member - Julie P (VIC) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 18:22

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 18:22
Pepper is good - but cayenne pepper is better - one touch of this on the dogs nether regions cures it pretty quickly - have tried it with a dog who used to use the garden next to our front door at work as a loo - he remembered always the pain of cayenne pepper -
jules
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Follow Up By: hiab - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 00:57

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 00:57
shoot it
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Reply By: RupertDog - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:10

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:10
Dustin

Couple of options that may are may not work - give 'em a try and see what works. These have been collected over a number of gardens, and dogs.

1. Bury dog poo where it digs - apparently doesn't liek the smell.
2. Bury an inflated balloon where it digs - when it digs, the balloon bursts, and scares the dog.
3. Spread chilli powder thru the garden - doesn't like the smell or taste or burning sensation.
4. Buy one of various dog of sprays for the garden - Dog Off, Dog Gone, or similar - haven't used so don't know if it works.

Could also dig up the neighbours flowers and ask her how she likes it - bit childish but would make you feel better !

RD
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Follow Up By: Dustin - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:27

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:27
Thanks, i didn't know there were sprays available. I'll have a look for these.

I had considered pepper or chilli powder but wanted to see if others had used it.

I've decieded not to dig up her flowers because that will lower me to her level and she wins that way. But in the future there will be an opportunity, there always is.

Thanks for your suggestions.
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Reply By: Notso - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:29

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:29
Combine the balloon with some chilli powder. Insert the chilli powder in the balloon before you inflate it.

AnswerID: 232928

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:07

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:07
How would you like to have chilli powder in your eyes matey ?
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Follow Up By: Notso - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 18:46

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 18:46
I imagine it would be nearly as bad as having your garden dug up by some marauding pooch, or even something like stepping in it's barkers egg??
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Reply By: V8Diesel - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:43

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:43
Sprinkle some of my wife's cooking around?

Dig up her garden bed, then take a quivering, vein popping, sphincter straining dump on her front lawn when she starts shooing you off. Feel free to lick your nurries afterwards to obtain the full effect.
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Follow Up By: Mr Fawlty - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:57

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:57
Hear Hear!!! the olny way to stop this happening is to train the owner!
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Reply By: Hairy - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:43

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:43
Zap the owner with a cattle prod everytime the dog digs, she'll soon stop the dog!
AnswerID: 232931

Reply By: Robin - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:50

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:50
Hi Dustin

Know the problem well

We found an effective solution is to buy light garden type wire mesh and lay it under the ground about an inch where the dog is likely to dig.

They really hate digging into this with there paws - you put it under some dirt so the dog cannot see in advance where it is and learns to just stay away.

Robin Miller

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Reply By: Member - John L G - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:56

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 12:56
Sounds like a job for Willem:-)))
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Follow Up By: V8Diesel - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:07

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:07
.177 air rifle loaded with spit balls in the rump? If that doesn't work, try aiming at the dog.
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Follow Up By: Willem - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:23

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:23
I think I'll stay out of this discussion.

I recall some moggie lovers getting hot under the collar the last time I said something about tresspassing animals....lol
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Follow Up By: V8Diesel - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:35

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:35
Nah Willem, go for it. It's only a dog this time.;-)

Love the ol' 55 in the pic too. Are there any left in Australia? Never see them around any more. Toyota pioneered the detachable hardtop with those Cruisers. Just drive past the beach and wait a year.
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Follow Up By: Willem - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:55

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:55
LOL V8

That ol' 55 had more bog in it than a room full of plaster. Still, it was a good truck, but by 550,000km it had come to the end of its life, the last 250,000km being very hard k's with me behind the wheel. I saw one in town the other day. Tourists passing through and towing a van. Mine had Pwsteer and a 205lt fuel tank. That would give you 800km or thereabouts. On the CSR I averaged 3.8km/lt(10mpg)...lol

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Follow Up By: V8Diesel - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 18:41

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 18:41
10mpg....."luxury!" Ahh it's good to see when Toyota are on to a good thing they stick to it. My petrol 100 series exhibits similar drinking behaviour when given a jolly good flogging. (must admit it only hits every third corrugation though) My old V8 60 series got 250km's to a tank.

Mind you, I've poured a few jerry cans into the old 2A Landrovers from time to time. For a 2.25litre 4 cyl they certainly aren't shy of a tipple when it comes to the good stuff.

Fossil fuel. My drug of choice.
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Reply By: Gramps (NSW) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:07

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:07
Chuck rocks at the bitch. Be careful not to hit the dog though, RSPCA and all that :))))
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Reply By: MartyB - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:11

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:11
I have used cayenne pepper to deter my dogs & it works well.
All else fails leave some laxettes for the dog to eat, she will get rid of the dog. (only joking about the laxettes).
from Marty.
AnswerID: 232939

Reply By: V8Diesel - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:16

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:16
Get a lightbulb form a torch.
Solder one length of insulated wire to the end and one to the side.
Insert into the balloon.
Fill the balloon with a nice oxy-acetylene mix and chilli powder and crushed up sparklers.
Tie balloon off tightly.
Bury ballon.
Run the wires into the front room of your house.
Get a comfy chair, a 12V battery and a bottle of tequila.
Arrange the curtains just enough so you have a clear field of view.
Put on Bill Murray from Caddyshack military fatigues outfit.
Wait.
Fall alseep.
Snore.
Wake up the next day.
Dig it up to have a look.
Accidentally pop balloon.
Run blindly screaming to the tap to rinse eyes.
Trip over rake.
Go to hospital.
AnswerID: 232941

Follow Up By: On Patrol (Aust.) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:44

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:44
Sounds like a plan!!!!!!

Or you could also us citronella spray, dogs detest that too. Cheap and easy does it every time.

Colin.
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Follow Up By: V8Diesel - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:47

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:47
Ohhh, forgot to mention carefully crushing the glass off the bulb to expose the element.

And as for the citronella.....pffftttttttttttt!

Bah humbug - far too simple!
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Follow Up By: Member -Signman - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:54

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:54
You bugger V8...I just spat coffee all over the keyboard reading your 'solution' ..good a good chuckle over that one!!!!
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Follow Up By: Scoey (QLD) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:16

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:16
I was going to get a citronella collar to stop my dog from barking then I came home one day and she'd eating the citronella BBQ candle off the back table. Don't think the collar was going to deter her much! :-S haha!

Cheers
Scoey!
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Follow Up By: Member - Matt Mu (Perth-WA) - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 12:46

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 12:46
I got tears in my eyes... I can even see Bill Murry sitting there!! ROFL

Goodone V8!!
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Reply By: Member - Rod M (NSW) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:39

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:39
Dustin, lay some chook mesh out over the garden bed, plants will still grow through no worries & you can still plant through the gaps, it stops rabbits flat so it will stop dogs ;-))
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Reply By: Member No 1- Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:59

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 13:59
"A woman down the road from us allows her dog to dig up our flower beds"?
its not your dog...shoot it!...i would let it have it
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Follow Up By: furph - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:13

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:13
Good onyer No.1
All that rubbish but you had the answer.
Its like when a dog gets into our back yard, our dog on a rope cleans the intruder up, then I get the blame.
If you aint got a gun, then bloody whack it behind the ears. Same effect.
You have to ask yourself, whose flower garden is it?
furph (and yes, with a dog we appreciate too)
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:17

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:17
He did mention a HUMANE solution
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Follow Up By: Member No 1- Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:06

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 16:06
i wasnt thinking of that way Bonz ..but yes your right of course
i'd be furious if it were my garden so you know what i'd want to do.....KABOOOM!
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Follow Up By: Red Frog - Vic - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:09

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:09
thats funny, I was gonna say shoot it this arvo but contained myself, some dogs do a good job but most of them are better shot in the burbs.
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Follow Up By: Red Frog - Vic - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:14

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:14
especially the attack dogs, you know the ones that have a go at you from behind a fence while you walk along the footpath.
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Follow Up By: Nick R - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:16

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:16
Shooting is an humane method of animal destruction, isn't shooting in an urban area frowned upon??? If not I might take the 12 guage up to the father in law's place on the gold coast, he gets deer on the lawn from the neighbouring bush......

Had a dog disturbing my cows last week, a carefully placed .22 shot a few feet away and I haven't seen it since.
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Follow Up By: Stu-k - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:22

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:22
Snail pellets i hear are to go and I don't mean for snails
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Follow Up By: Red Frog - Vic - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:27

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:27
poison is probably a hit harsh and better given to the owner of the dog.

Vension sounds good to me, yum
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Follow Up By: Member - Pesty (SA) - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 03:47

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 03:47
Yes I thought of mentioning a lead tablet too, but waited till someone else said it first, LOL, and taking to the owner with about 1 metre of 3x2 would help too.

Cheers Pesty
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Follow Up By: Member No 1- Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 07:19

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 07:19
but as Nick R says...one is not allowed to discharge a firearm in a built up area.
so the dog lives!
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 07:37

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 07:37
But she doesnt deserve to live, not the puppy, the owner
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Follow Up By: Member No 1- Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 07:59

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 07:59
ditto... a good kick where it hurts may fix the problem
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Reply By: chumpion - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:10

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:10
A perfectly legal option is to catch the dog, and call the pound. It'll cost her to get it out, but you're well within your rights to do it.

I also think you are allowed to return to the owner anything the dog leaves on your property. Best to return it either by registered mail, or via high velocity.

Now if you wanted to get childish, catch said dog, shave the back half, coat liberally with vaseline, paint the front half pink, superglue a clown hat on it's head, and call the RSPCA.

But that would be childish......
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:18

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:18
No 1 or No 2 cut? And what shade of pink?
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Follow Up By: chumpion - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:21

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:21
Back to bare skin (what do you think the vaseline is for if not for moisturiser?)

And the brightest pink you can find.
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:24

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:24
lol not for moisturiser hahaha
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Follow Up By: chumpion - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:31

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:31
Oh you dirty man!
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:40

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:40
hahah I was laughing NOT VOTING and I was quoting you hehehehe
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Reply By: Member - Ian H (NSW) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:12

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:12
A mouse or rat trap depending on the size of the dog. Yes it does work without causing damage to the dog but it won't dig there again. Other ideas are good too especially the one from V8diesel.
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Reply By: Dustin - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:25

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:25
Thanks for all the great ideas and classic responses.

You have all cheered up my morning :-)
AnswerID: 232953

Reply By: Stu-k - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:32

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:32
As you said...its not the dogs fault,so its the owner your after. when she is not home break in and fill her sugar bowl with crushed glass.
Good chance she wont be walking the dog again for some time and the dog is unhurt!
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Follow Up By: Mr Fawlty - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 17:06

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 17:06
Not crushed glass but either fruit saline or epsom salts, both go well in sugar, the effect of the fruit saline hitting hot liquid ie tea or coffee is spectacular while the epsom salts keeps deliquent dog owner otherwise engaged and dogg misses out on walk...
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Reply By: awill4x4 - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:48

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 14:48
We had similar problems from some tenants of a rented house around the corner where their tomcat would come around and spray around the front door and stink it out to high heaven.
My wife caught it put it in a cat cage and left it at the local animal shelter, problem solved.
Another neighbour along the street would always let their dog crap on our front yard, we never made a fuss or bother about it and simply gathered it up for a couple of weeks along with all our dogs droppings as well and one evening left a large supermarket bag full all along their pathway to the front door.
Funny thing is the neighbour started to carry doggy poo bags after that lol.
Regards Andrew.
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Follow Up By: HowdyDoody - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 13:06

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 13:06
My g'father did a similar thing. Collected it all for a couple of weeks then deposited it unbagged into owner's letterbox. Never saw a mark on the lawn again.
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Reply By: robak (QLD) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:29

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 15:29
From what i recall, you can actually hold the dog hostage if any damage has been done by the dog, and you return the dog when the damage has been paid for.
You can keep it up to three days I think, as long as you look after it. Best to check the local regs before you do this tough.

R.
AnswerID: 232967

Reply By: Member - Steve T (NT) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:26

Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:26
Hey Guys

I had this problem over a 6 year period, I finally found out who it was, now you might think this took a while, but it only happened when there were no cars in the driveway.

Now what made me more bleep off, was that my toddler son used to play in the front yard all the time.

Any way one day i caught the dog, so I went out side only to find the owner waiting behind the fence next door until it finished.

Well I started to scream at this woman, I went off big time, slowly but surely all the neighbours came out to see what was going on.

I let everyone in the street know, what this woman was letting her dog do in my front yard.

The best part was this was a small street, everyone new everyone and this woman lived around the corner, as she put her dog back on the lead and tried to get home I was still letting her have it as when back to her house.

I never had a problem with dogs in my front yard again.

Cheers Steve.
AnswerID: 233011

Follow Up By: Member - John A (SA) - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 16:55

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 16:55
Get a 1.2m length of black 3/4 or 1 inch poly pipe.
Flog the ground with it when the dog & or owner is present; it makes a good noise & looks intimidating.
If the dog or owner happen to get into the way; no severe damage will be done!

Alternatively, make shanghai's for your kids (or yourself) & have a bit of fun & target practice!
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Reply By: Member - Doug T (W.A) - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 01:06

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 01:06
gift by Daughter

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Follow Up By: V8Diesel - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 11:00

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 11:00
Corker!:-))))))))
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Reply By: Bilbo - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 23:21

Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 23:21
I once had a mate that, like me, was a shift worker. The dog next door to him used to bark all day long when the owners were out at work. Kept him awake after night shift.

So one day he digs a big hole in his beaut back lawn, buys a lemon tree and a klio of liver.

He cuts the liver up into little bits and lays a trail from the next door back gate, into his backyard,,,,,,,,,,,,

Where he's waiting with a big ball pein hammer,,,,,,,

Whallop,,,,,,,,,,,straight between the eyes. Dog's dead immediately, Dogs in hole, Lemon tree on top of dog,

3 years later best lemons in town. He gave most of 'em tp his next door neighbour!

True story,

Bilbo
AnswerID: 233248

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