How To Keep Dogs Out Of My Flower Beds

Dogs love to dig. Flower beds often have loose soil that is more enjoyable for a dog to play in, but unfortunately, the dog will also dig up your beautiful plants and flowers. You can work on training a dog to stay away from your flower bed, but until then, it's best to repel the dog so you do not lose any more flowers to digging.

Step 1

Pour the cup of ammonia over the stack of coffee filters. Just like humans, dogs do not like the strong odor that comes from ammonia.

Step 2

Separate the coffee filters into smaller stacks and set them on baking sheets.

Step 3

Place the baking sheets in the sun until they dry.

Step 4

Cut the coffee filters up into tiny little pieces and sprinkle them around the perimeter of your flower bed. The dog will smell the ammonia from far away and steer clear of the flower bed. The ammonia acts as an invisible fence.

Step 1

Pour the vinegar in a small bowl. Dogs can't stand the smell of vinegar because it is so strong and their sense of smell is so sensitive. It makes a great repellent.

Step 2

Set cotton balls in your bowl until all of the vinegar has been absorbed.

Step 3

Place the vinegar-doused cotton balls all over your flower bed. This will keep dogs from entering the area and digging.

A barrier to prevent the dog from reaching the garden is often an effective method of protecting flowers. Another option is to fence off a different portion of the yard away from the flower garden just for your dog. An invisible fence designed for use with dogs restricts your pet's access to the garden area without any visible barriers that affect the look of the yard. This option works best if you are usually in the yard with your dog so you can consistently redirect him when he nears the flower garden. Dogs respond differently to training methods, so training with techniques you already use is most effective. Textures and materials that are unappealing to the dog help deter him from entering the garden. If your dog digs in the garden, cover the soil with materials that discourage digging, such as mulch, decorative rocks or brick pavers.