Help with dog attack...........PLEASE!

Hi Guys,

Is there anything I can put in or on my flower beds that will stop a rather exuberant Springer Spaniel from flattening all my plants? As fast as the plants are growing he is either sitting on them, standing on them or p**ing on them! Is there anything they HATE the smell of? Mind you, knowing Paddy, if other doga hate something........he's going to love it.

 

A friend used to have a very energetic springer called Ben who, I'm afraid, was never persuaded that wrecking the garden was a Bad Idea. Eventually the friend decided that, since it was the dog or the back yard, he would have to give up on gardening for a bit. On the upside, Ben's activities certainly produced a low maintenance outdoor space, since nothing much survived for very long.

I think springers just have boundless energy and get bored easily. The same garden-wrecking dog was once left alone in the house for a couple of hours and discovered a stash of home-made wine piled neatly on a rack on the landing. He entertained himself by selecting various bottles, rolling them down the stairs and drinking the contents of any which shattered. Fortunately he did himself no permanent harm, although he was a little hungover for a while.

 

We've got a golden retriever to whom the word 'No' is seen simply as a challenge, even when delivered in the sternest of tones. Forget all that 'you have to start when they're puppies' nonsense - this thing was 8 weeks old when she arrived and has been steadfast in her ability to be selectively deaf ever since. For 6 years she too rampaged around the garden, enjoying herself to the full with no regard for the plants, except as impromptu play equipment although we did (eventually) manage to confine her to a 'toilet area' which saved the lawn if nothing else. Then, one day, a small miracle happened, she suddenly stopped going anywhere near the flower beds - no chemicals, no 'special' plants, no fences or barriers, just a gravel path which she appears to view as the dog equivalent of hot coals! Of course, being a retriever, she is also inherently lazy and so far, even after 3 years, it doesn't appear to have occurred to her that she could actually jump over this man-made horror, so instead she sits forlornly on the lawn while we potter unhindered amongst the plants.

 

Poor thing indeed! She does have her uses though. For several years she's acted as my cousin's gun dog when he's pheasant shooting so when our new kitten 'escaped' (before the gravel path) we merely opened the back door and said 'find'. For several minutes she rootled around and, unable to find the hoped-for bird, eventually came back with the only thing she could see as a possible compromise - said kitten, which she dutifully brought back and dropped into my hands!

 

To get back on track - I have successfully used a product called Renardine to ward off the ravages of badgers and it also keeps cats off, so I imagine it would repel dogs too. It looks a bit like creosote and is available from stores like Countrywide. Soak thin strips of cloth (like old dusters) in it, and wind & tie each one round the end of a bit of cane or stick about 18" long, then plant it in the ground where you want to keep the animals off. How many sticks you use is up to you. I put them every 8 feet or so. Be warned - the stuff has a VERY strong smell for a while!! Best of luck.

 

Thank you all very much for your replies. I think the answer seems to be that I need to be VERY firm with him. Paddy was 8 on the 13th of March this year, but shows no signs of slowing down.

Thanks again everyone.

 

If the is a zoo near you, ask for some lion poo and bury it in the graden. Guaranteed to keep cats away and maybe also dogs as they sense that there is a dangerous animal around. This is 100% genuine. Google "Lion dung and garden."
We have used it as lion dung could be got by just walking into the bush with our eyes wide open and alert although it was more sensible to go to the nearest game park. :lollol:

 

I have to say, I don't have a dog, but my friend does and she would always bring it with her when she came to my house for a chat - and we'd sit there gossiping and all the while her dog would rampage round my garden! I didn't really feel I could say anything... at least, not try and discipline the dog myself. I got some smelly crystals which stopped him from running over my more delicate plants, and my friend didn't have to know anything about it! :D I got a couple of bottles as they're cheap which is a must for me at the mo... This is where I got them:

http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/cat-and-dog-repeller-get-off-crystals-p-1817.html

Good luck!

 

Thank you. Yet another helpful post.

 

very interesting reading this thread as i brought home a springer pup - Holly - 3 weeks ago.

I was a bit lazy with the training when my other dogs were young, fenced off part of the garden to keep them out when i wasn't there to keep an eye on them, let them run riot in the rest of it. Not an option this time, as i'd really love to be able to take Holly out and about with me when i'm working on other people's gardens, so have to teach her to behave well.