How to Keep a Dog From Pooping in Your Yard
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We love our dogs so much they can do no wrong. We have accepted the responsibility to care for them, the responsibility which domestication asks of us. This involves cleaning up their mess and training them to defecate in suitable areas. It's the same responsibility guardians of other dogs have taken upon themselves when they adopt their own pet. When a dog from another family comes into our yard and poops, it's not the dog's fault. They are doing something which comes naturally to them. Unfortunately, we can't always make our neighbors or strangers be better pet owners. But we can find ideas on how to keep a dog from pooping in your yard.
AnimalWised looks into some of the most effective and safe ways to stop dogs from pooping in our yard. We want to ensure we have a dirt free garden, but the last thing we would want to happen is for a dog to come to harm.
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Practical ways to stop a dog pooping in your yard
Since we want to ensure the safety of the dog while keeping them off of our property, we can look to some practical ways which will keep them away. You also want to have a garden which is still yours and has the appearance you want. We have these natural tips to help keep dogs away so that the dog can be safe, we don't have any unwanted damage to our plants and we can still enjoy spending time in our yard without feeling closed in.
1. Prevent physical access to your property
One of the first steps we can take is to secure the area around your yard, garden or property is to set up a physical barrier. You can do this in different ways and what you choose will depend on what you are comfortable with both practically and aesthetically.
You can put up a fence around the perimeter of your property. The taller the fence, the bigger the dog you will be able to prevent from entering. However, if you want to have light enter into your property, a tall wooden fence might not be ideal. You could have a chain-link fence if you wish, but this is not always the best looking, even if it is one of the most practical.
One of the most aesthetically pleasing ways to keep dogs off your yard is to plant shrubbery which will work to protect the plants and objects in your garden which are a little less sturdy. However, these can take time to grow to the size you want and many will be easy enough for smaller dogs to get under.
2. Sanitize the surroundings of your home
It is very important to ensure you keep a clean home. Not simply for aesthetic reasons, but it can also help to deter dogs from coming onto your property. If you have your own dog, one of the most important things to do is to keep them from urinating and defecating in the yard. This is because the smell will attract dogs who would otherwise have no desire to enter your property. Clean the areas with enzymatic products to eliminate odors.
Some people will think that they should use very harsh chemicals to wash the ground and eliminate waste. However, this has many negatives. It can harm the ecosystem that is your garden, especially if the chemicals get into plant beds or the roots of trees. Using enzymatic products in combination with natural products like lemon, vinegar and baking soda will provide adequate cleaning power. Also, harsh chemicals can hurt any animals if they do make it on to your property.
Do commercial repellents work?
There are many different commercial dog and cat repellents on the market. Most claim to work by putting on top of excrement left by the animal and are used for one's own dog. The idea is that when a dog defecates or urinates somewhere they shouldn't, you can put the repellent on top of where the deposit was. When the dog returns, they will not want to use the same place thanks to the deterrent.
Some of the repellents come in powder form. Others are in pellets or liquids. How they work is that they contain synthetic odors which are designed to repel the dog. The brands available to you will depend on your location, but most pet stores will carry some sort of dog repellent.
There are unfortunately a few other problems with these products. The first is that they are difficult to implement if you are wanting to keep a dog off your yard. You might have to put this product all around the perimeter of your property. This means a lot of product has to be used.
Secondly, the chemicals in the repellent are often not very good for your organic material. They can lead to damaged plants and some may even be dangerous for an animal to be near.
Finally, one of the biggest problems with commercial animal repellents is that they often don't work. The active agents in the products can't be too strong otherwise they wouldn't be allowed in gardens, but this renders them basically ineffective. Also, if you live somewhere with a lot of wet weather, then the repellent is often washed away before it can be at all effective.
Natural repellents to keep dogs away from your yard
If you are tired of the neighbor's dog entering your yard, causing damage and leaving their mess, you might want to try a natural repellent. They won't contain the harsh chemicals such as ammonia which can cause damage to your garden and they are generally just as effective. These non-toxic alternatives can help to keep your property free of mess.
The fragrance of citrus, especially lemon scent, is one of the smells dogs cannot stand. It is a natural repellent, but it is often a nice refreshing smell for us, even if dogs cannot stand it. To make an economical natural dog repellent, you can:
- Bring 1 liter of water to the boil.
- When it is just starting to reach boiling point ad 1 cup of citrus peel (1 or 2 large lemons may be enough).
- Let the preparation boil for about 20 mins over a low heat.
- Turn off the heat and cover with a clean cloth. Let the peel steep in the water until it becomes concentrated.
- Let the reparation cool and remove the lemon peel. Pour it into a spray bottle.
- If you want to make it more intense you can add the juice of one lemon once the preparation has cooled to room temperature.
- Spray around the outside of your yard regularly as a natural repellent.
Unfortunately, this natural spray is not always effective. It can still be washed away by rain and some dogs may not even worry about the smell and enter your property anyway. However, it will not provide any harsh chemicals nor affect the organic plant life in your garden.
What else can you do?
To try to keep dogs away from your yard, you should consider what you are willing to tolerate or how bad the problem is. If you are sick of dogs coming in and damaging your property, whether your lawn, plants or anything else you keep in your yard, a fence might be the best bet. It will depend on your resources and the outlay of your property, but it's effective and safe for the dog.
If your problem is with a particular dog, then you can speak to the dog owner. Dogs in residential areas shouldn't be running around unattended for the safety of both the animal and other residents. You should speak to the dog owner in a calm and approachable manner. Explain in a non-confrontational way the problem and they may be willing to find solution which keeps the dog away from your yard.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Keep a Dog From Pooping in Your Yard, we recommend you visit our Behavioral problems category.
