Bushes to Repel Dogs
About 78 million dogs are kept as pets in the United States, According to the 2011-2012 American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey. Dogs are very clever at escaping restraints, and many owners never attempt to confine their animals, resulting in millions of dogs roaming freely. In the search for safe and effective ways of keeping dogs out of places we do not care for them to be, the idea of cultivating a hedge that will naturally repulse them is attractive. Unfortunately, dogs are not sufficiently repelled by bushes to make this a useful means of dog control.
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Calendula
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Calendula, also known as pot marigold, is often cited as a dog repellent. Calendula plants grow up to 28 inches in height and have golden, daisy flowers and hairy leaves. This is not the same as French marigold, the flower most people picture as a marigold. As an herb, calendula is primarily valued for its skin nourishing properties, and it is an ingredient in many dog creams and shampoos intended to treat rashes or as a flea repellent. It is hard to imagine that a plant so often applied to dogs will be particularly effective at warding them off.
Rue
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Rue is an evergreen shrub that produces yellow flowers and grows up to 2 feet in height. The entire plant has a pungent, unpleasant odor that has been used since ancient times to repel insects and, more recently, to repulse dogs and cats. However, like calendula, rue is more often used in dog treatments, such as flea collars, than it is used to repel dogs. Humans seem to find the odor of rue every bit as offensive as do animals, and the oil in rue leaves can cause a skin rash, so planting a rue hedge may end up making your yard as off limits to yourself as to unwanted dogs.
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Plant Oils
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According to the Environmental Protection Agency, plant oils from anise, bergamot, citronella, lemon grass, mustard and oranges can be safely employed to repel dogs. These oils are used in numerous products marketed for that purpose, but it is the concentration and combination of scents that make these products efficacious. Planting a few bergamot or mustard plants around the yard will not have the same effect.
Conclusion
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Dogs, like humans, have individual responses, and some may be more deterred by pungent plants than others. However, that is rather beside the point when considering bushes as a means of dog control. Even if all dogs were totally repulsed by rue, nothing short of planting one's entire yard in rue would be effective. Dogs can easily get over, around or through almost any bush, and if what lies on the other side is sufficiently tempting, they will not hesitate to do so.
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References
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