If Dogs Are a Nuisance

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated July 26, 2008)

Is your lawn scattered with holes surrounded by small piles of dirt? Is your span of green lawn interrupted by sporadic circles of yellow or dead grass caused by animal urine? While mowing the lawn or during gardening, do you find offerings of dog poo, even though you don't own a dog? If so, then unruly neighborhood dogs are most likely the culprits. Short of installing a fence around the perimeter of your landscape, there are a few things that you can do if you find dogs to be a nuisance. Here are some tips to discover what you can do to keep dogs at bay:

  • If you use organic products to fertilize your lawn or garden, cover them with a spray of vinegar or other bitter compound. Because they retain food odors, organic fertilizers, such as bone or blood meal, tend to attract animals. Neutralize the natural food aromas with bitter and foul-scented organic products to keep dogs from digging in your garden.
  • To deter dogs from crossing your lawn to deposit a daily constitutional, purchase an environmentally-friendly dog deterrent spray from your local pet store. Spray the product on the perimeter of your lawn, and dogs will not enter your space.
  • Discourage dogs from digging your flower beds and vegetable garden by spreading ground chili peppers over those areas. Buy ground chili peppers from your grocery store, or buy whole, dry chili peppers and grind them yourself. Distribute the mixture over areas you want to protect. The capsicum in the peppers will make dogs turn away, leaving your lawn and gardens undisturbed.
  • If you've small plants that are constantly ruined by a male dog hiking his leg on them, protect them by surrounding them with small, wire fences. Not only will the dog not be able to get close enough to the plant, the small fence may add a decorative touch to your landscape.

If you notice that you have a wild dog problem in your neighborhood, and that they run in packs, then call your local animal control office. Abandoned dogs can cause problems, since they forage for food anywhere they can. They may overturn garbage cans looking for food, attack your children while they play in the yard, or chase your cat up a tree. It is advisable to call animal control in such instances, rather than taking matters into your own hands and shooting at nuisance dogs.

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

MORE FROM DORIS

Do Sewing Repairs When You Wash Your Clothes

It's inevitable that you get rips and tears in your clothes—there's just no way to avoid it. One way to lessen the ...

Discover More

Barbecue Chicken

Everyone has their own favorite type of barbecue chicken. The only problem is that after a while it seems like barbecued ...

Discover More

Cabbage Care

One of the most commonly chosen vegetables for home gardeners is the cabbage. Great as the main ingredient for coleslaw, ...

Discover More

Cover Your Entire Back Yard! Flowtron's lantern-style insect killer uses nontoxic ultraviolet light to eliminate mosquitoes, biting flies, and other insects over a 1/2-acre area. Hang it up, plug it in, and you are ready to go. Cleaner, safer, and longer-lasting than messy chemicals. Check out Flowtron BK-15D Electronic Insect Killer today!

More Pest Tips

Keeping Cats Out of Your Trash Cans

Cats that dig through trash are not only annoying, the trash they leave behind poses a health and safety hazard. While ...

Discover More

Gopher Control

Gophers are one of the more common types of pests that you can find across the country. As such, they can very easily ...

Discover More

Bat Removal

Bats can be carriers of disease. If bats are residing in your home, it is essential to evacuate them immediately.

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six minus 4?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)