Landscape gardens are truly an artistic creation, significantly boosting a property’s appeal, beauty, and value. It’s beneficial for our well-being, too, as it gives us a space breathe in fresh air when things inside the house get a little too busy.
As responsible homeowners, we invest in quality landscape maintenance services each time a new season arrives, especially fall, when fallen leaves litter our gardens. However, no matter how much we spend for upkeep, if we have naughty dogs who won’t stop chewing on our plants and digging up the soil, our landscapes will always be a mess!
Since locking up our fur babies isn’t an option (as it should be), how can we keep them from destroying our plants, then?
Understanding Our Dogs
Instead of punishing them, take time to understand why your dog is too fond of your garden plants. One of the main reasons for this behavior is the lack of training. They haven’t been trained on how to behave around plants, so they get very excited.
Your dog can still unlearn their bad behavior, even as an adult. Note that yelling or hitting them won’t solve the problem; it will only stress them, causing them to relieve their anxiety in a way that dogs are designed to do, which is to run away and destroy more things.
Below are the possible reasons for your dog’s destructive bouts:
- Separation anxiety. If they’re used to spending a lot of time with you, and you suddenly got too busy to pay attention to them, they’ll deal with your absence by wandering off to your garden and toying with the plants.
- Boredom. Like a lack of attention, boredom also results in destructive behavior.
- Digestive problem. A dog eating grass is usually experiencing stomach pains.
- Lack of vitamins. If not to treat a stomach ache, your dog could be making up for a nutrient deficiency that your plants can provide them with.
- Stress. When your dog sees change or hears a loud noise, they can get overwhelmed, causing them to release the stress by being hyperactive.
- Teething. Puppies always need something to chew on to ease the discomfort in their gums due to their emerging teeth.
How to Stop Them
If the reason for your dog’s misbehavior isn’t related to their health, solve the problem by making your plants inaccessible for them. You can totally do this without sacrificing your landscape’s beauty.
If only one, specific plant tends to be targeted by your dog, place a wire cloche or chicken wire over that plant to secure it. You can also use a garden fabric, using hoops to make it stand like a tent. However, this isn’t the most appealing, so consider fencing your entire plant beds, instead.
Metal garden fences work splendidly. They add visual interest and classic appeal to your garden, all while being functional, effectively deterring your dog or hyperactive and curious kids. If your aesthetic falls on the rustic side, use wood fences instead of metal. They’re weather-proof, so you don’t have to worry about rotting.
Recycled plastic can be repurposed as a garden fence, too. It mimics the look of wrought iron perfectly, and it’s easy to DIY. A vinyl fence kit is worth considering, too, being easy to DIY like recycled plastic, and fairly sturdy.
And of course, classic picket fences are always an option. They can be PVC-based, which is longer-lasting than wood.
By having any of those beautiful fences protecting your garden, your dog will soon learn that they’re being discouraged to ruin your plants. Try to pay more attention to them, and consider consulting a vet if their anxiety and other behavioral issues seem to be more serious.
