When starting up a new garden, one common concern from pet owners is how to keep dogs from tearing up the garden. In this tip, we’ll introduce you to a few strategies on how you can keep your dogs out of your precious veggie bed.
1. Create a Physical Barrier
The easiest way to ensure the dogs don’t go digging through the garden is to keep them out of the garden area. This can be done by with simple portable fencing and/or building raised beds. The exact height of the fence and bed will vary based on how big the dog is and how aggressive they are in wanting to get into the garden. For raised beds, we recommend having a minimum of 16″ height to deter your dogs,with taller beds providing additional protection..
2. Give Them Another Place To Dig And Play
Many dogs like to dig, especially when there is the tantalizing smell of freshly worked soil. So instead of fighting them, give them their own spot to dig in a cool, shady place away from your garden. A sandbox also works well and gives dogs something interesting to play with. Encourage them to play there and they’ll be much less inclined to go digging through your precious garden.
2. What If They Get In And Pee On My Plants?
In general, dog urine this isn’t the worst thing that can happen to your garden since urine provides the soil with extra nitrogen. However, if the dog is peeing in the same spot every time, the area can get burned due to excess nitrogen. Water the spot immediately after you seeing the dog pee to dilute the urine and encourage the dog to pee in another spot in the future.
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