Love the raised bed idea—I've seen that work pretty well too. My neighbor ended up planting a separate little patch of dog-friendly plants and grasses away from her main garden, basically giving her dog its own digging zone. Surprisingly, it worked out pretty well, and now the pup mostly sticks to its designated spot. Curious if anyone's tried something similar...or would that just encourage more digging habits elsewhere?
"My neighbor ended up planting a separate little patch of dog-friendly plants and grasses away from her main garden"
That's actually a pretty smart approach. Dogs naturally love having their own space, and giving them a designated digging area can channel that energy positively. My sister did something similar, and her dog quickly learned to stick to his spot—didn't encourage more digging elsewhere at all. Worth a shot, I'd say.
Did your sister's dog really stick to just that one spot, though? I tried something similar last summer—set up a little corner with some hardy grasses and dog-friendly plants—but my pup still occasionally wandered back to my tomatoes. Maybe I didn't make it enticing enough? Or maybe my dog's just stubborn (wouldn't surprise me...).
Anyway, I'm curious if there's a trick to making the designated area more appealing. Did your sister use treats or toys to encourage the dog to stay there, or was it just natural curiosity that did the trick? I'm all for practical solutions, especially if they don't cost a fortune. Gardening supplies add up fast enough without having to replace dug-up plants every weekend.
I wonder if the breed or personality of the dog makes a difference here? My lab mix pretty much laughs at any "designated areas" I set up and still heads straight for my lettuce patch every chance she gets. I've tried toys, treats, even putting her favorite blanket down in the spot I wanted her to stay in...but nope, she prefers trampling my veggies instead (maybe they're comfier?).
Did your sister's dog naturally prefer hanging out in one place, or was it more about the plants she chose? I'm starting to think my dog just enjoys seeing me sigh dramatically every morning when I find another plant casualty. Or are there specific plants dogs just can't resist? Would love to figure this out before spring planting season hits my wallet again...
My border collie mix used to do the exact same thing—she completely ignored every fancy "dog-friendly" nook I created and went straight for my zucchini plants. Honestly, I think some dogs just have a secret mission to sabotage our gardening budgets. The only thing that finally worked (and saved my wallet) was planting rosemary and lavender around the edges. Apparently, dogs aren't big fans of strong-smelling herbs...or maybe she just got bored with my veggies when she couldn't watch me panic anymore. Worth a shot though, right?
