Homemade Dog Repellent for the Yard and Garden

They're considered to be man's best friend, but maybe slightly less so when they run uninvited all over lawns and throughout gardens, tearing up plants, dropping "products," and burning out shrubs with their urine. Even then, if you're like most dog lovers, you'll be inclined to seek humane ways to keep them away, and it's good to know that there are homemade dog repellent options for your yard and garden that may do the trick.

Burning from an occasional gift of dog feces or urine in your garden or on your lawn usually resolves itself easily, but frequent visits can result in damage that ruins plants and shrubs or requires grass reseeding. A dog's stool can be picked up, but sprayed urine can't, and females are the worst culprits. Unlike male dogs that hike their legs and mark multiple spots, females simply squat and release large volumes of concentrated urine at once. Flowers and vegetable garden plants can not only be urine-burned but dug up and trampled by dogs.

There is no repellent, homemade or commercial, that works all the time on every dog. Those that work best repel through taste, particularly hot or bitter. Substances formulated to repel by odor can actually compel dogs to mark the spot with urine, but they can still be worth a try. Keep in mind that some things used as dog repellents, such as coffee grounds, detergents, and mothballs, can cause serious harm, and pepper and garlic mixtures, when overly applied, can also be harmful to dogs. Coffee grounds can lead to death for small dogs.

Most of these repellents are easily whipped up and are inexpensive, and you may have to try more than one before seeing whether any of them make a difference. You can experiment, though, knowing that if you don't overdo it, they're safe for the canine visitors and for your own pets.

• Cayenne powder contains capsaicin, which can irritate the sensitive skin around a dog's nose in addition to the eyes and genitals. Make a low-concentrate spray with 1 part cayenne powder to 10 parts water to spray on and around plants. Just don't overdo it. You can also mix common chili pepper powder, chopped onions, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of dishwashing soap into 1 quart of warm water. Strain the mixture after 24 hours, pour it into a spray bottle, and use where needed.
  
  
• Citronella oil acts as a powerful repellent, but it can be poisonous to pets. If you use it, mix it with 10 parts water and use it very sparingly.
  
  
• Like ammonia, vinegar is very effective as a repellent. Soak cotton balls and place them where needed. For an additional boost, add some lime juice. You can also mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to use as a spray. Just remember not to spray vinegar on your plants or grass.

• Ammonia is extremely offensive to dogs. Place ammonia-soaked cotton balls in the area you wish to protect. Do not pour ammonia on the ground around plants.
  
  
• Rubbing alcohol is also effective when cotton balls are soaked with it and placed where needed.

• Citrus smells are disliked by many dogs, so try cutting up lemons, limes, and oranges and placing the pieces along with the peels around your gardens.

If your situation is such that homemade repellents are unsuccessful, don't give up. There are other things to consider.

Posting a sign near your property about dog-leash laws or a sign simply indicating that dogs aren't welcome may help if the interlopers aren't strays but neighbors' pets. If you're comfortable talking with neighbors about their dogs, you may want to approach them about the damage being done. Some people may be uninformed about laws, unaware that damage can occur or has occurred, or even surprised that others consider roaming dogs a problem at all. An important point to make is that dog roundworms found in the animal's stool can cause very serious health issues for children with unwashed hands who unwittingly ingest it.

When the dog problem is extreme, keep in mind that having a fence around your property may be the answer. Installing a fence can be expensive, but if your property isn't fenced or if a compromised existing fence isn't keeping out the dogs, keep this in mind as an option.

If you're dealing with damage done by your own pet, consider training your dog to do his business at a designated spot. If the dog is also tearing up your garden, it may be time to find ways to resolve his boredom issues or to schedule obedience training.