Steve McQueen the West Highland White Terrier.

Hello, I am new to gardening but I have got the bug right now!
I moved into my house in October, part of the draw was the large garden it was a mud patch full of rubbish and rubble but I began to work at Easter and it has come on so far now and I cant spend a day without going outside! I have landscaped it, put in a flower bed with a nice dry stone wall, fenced it with gates and just laid a lawn â?? still lots to do.
I have a West Highland White Terrier who is itching to get out in the garden from her current territory (yard). I want to let the dogs in the garden when we eat our tea outside or have a bbq, it would seem wrong to have to leave them locked away in the yard.
I noticed however in the yard that sometimes she goes to the bottom of the fence, scratches the concrete then walks off. I always wondered why but now I have a lovely piquet fence and a lush lawn under it I can see what she is doing.
I know the minute she gets in the garden she will scratch every surface near the fence, as soon as she realises its soft she wont stop digging until she is through!
Next door have guinea pigs and its in her breed (and nature) to want to get at them.
Is there anything I can do to stop her from a) getting out? and b) ruining the lawn trying?
I thought about stapling chicken wire to the bottom rail on the fence and pegging it into the ground but even if it keeps her in she will still probably ruin the lawn trying.
Am I best to just give up and realise that nice gardens and dogs donâ??t mix! I also have a poodle who will just happily sunbathe!

 

You could try a spray collar. Every time she goes to the fence and begins to dig you would press the button, first she'd get a warning (bleep); if she ignored that you'd press the second button, she would get a spray of water under pressure (doesn't hurt at all it just distracts them); if she ignored that - i doubt she would, then you give another button a press and she would get a longer jet. They are not cheap but I've always had one for my dogs, to break them of bad habits IT IS NOT AN ELECTRIC SHOCK COLLAR.

http://www.doggiesolutions.co.uk/masterplus-pro-remote-spray-dog-training-collar-278-0.html

The other thing that comes to mind is fox proof wire. We put that under our chicken house. As you know foxes are brilliant diggers. So this would prevent her from being able to dig.

I hope some of this helps.

 

I would train her with a super soaker and the words NO.

 

Hi tcg, Poodle & a Westie, eh? Lovely! What size poodle? With regards to your problem could you not perhaps leave a little bit of the garden, where this happens, as concrete (making the top look nice of course)? You could keep pots & containers on it so you don't lose any flowering space. It would mean you wouldn't have to worry about your Westie 'breaking through'.

Animals & gardens - ummm. I think you have to realise it's not necessarily going to always look like a bowling green but to me there's nothing nicer than seeing my Joyce lying out on the grass in the sun! You can easily train them to do their business in one part - our Joyce uses the side bit of lawn:hehe: Mind you she still manages to 'walk' over my flowers in the pots:D

Can you show us any photo's?

cheers