large dogs and container gardening(m0

14 years ago

I really need some ideas on this issue:

I have purchased 40-50 plants in the past few weeks,all going in containers.

It was a no-brainer to set them up right on the deck, where I could see them from my kitchen window,where I spend a great portion of my day.

Now that I've been dealing with two dogs (well behaved,but they've got those labrador tails,lol!) that are rambunctious and occasionally knock a container over or I catch them nibbling at leaves(though I think they are understanding there is no touching of my plants!). The dogs already have limited space due to a very small backyard and maybe I'm selfish sticking my 50 pots there??!

I am rethinking the whole thing now: moving my "garden" to the cement pad next to our garage, it would be perfect for peace and quiet, my own little space with my plants, much easier to clean up than the deck,but I'd have to make concerted effort to "see" them since they are out of sight from the whole house.

This is a first for me (dogs are just a year old) so if any of you have experience with this scenario, pls help me !!thanks! teeka

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Comments (5)

anita9
14 years ago
Since container gardens need a ton of water, you should put them where you will be able to see and tend to them as often and conveniently as possible.

Clump the containers together so they are difficult to knock down, and give the dogs a good long walk every morning so that they are too tired the rest of the day to mess with the garden. Avoid plants that are known to be highly toxic to dogs, just in case. Provide a designated spot to dig if they insist on digging. Lastly you may want to look into crate training as a good way to keep young dogs happy and out of trouble.
reg_pnw7
13 years ago
I deal with this all the time. Much easier to move the plants than to convince the dogs to leave them alone. Dogs can't control their tails or their exuberance, and teaching them not to chew your plants when you're gone much of the day is a many-year-long process. Meanwhile you lose plants.

Walking the dogs in the AM won't tire them out though. Running them might, but young labs have way more energy than you do and you won't be able to tire them out while keeping them on leash. They're hunting dogs, designed to run all day long through field and stream.

I've learned the hard way with the current two dogs that I have to keep potted plants where the dogs can't reach them (and I can't underestimate what they can reach) and I have to fence off breakable landscaping plants and the veggies and berries. Not their tails so much but the new 60lb pit bull likes to chew up plastic nursery containers, and the plants in them. I don't think she's ever had a yard before so even though she's a mature dog she's acting like a puppy in the yard. And she's getting at potted plants no previous dog ever got to, actually crawling under or climbing over things I was using as protection for the plants behind them. Every dog is different! The other dog once chewed a young rhodie right down to the ground. He wasn't eating it, just destroying it. Fortunately it has recovered but it's taken three years, and he didn't swallow it so didn't get sick. They also bulldoze right over shrubs while playing or chasing squirrels. I've put up chicken wire to keep them off the rhodies but sometimes they bulldoze over that too. I can't blame them, they're just being dogs, and there's a limit to what they can learn about respecting the garden.

For the dogs' sakes and your peace of mind I would just move the plants and make the effort to check on them. In the summer they'll need daily watering anyway.
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vegvitki
13 years ago
If you can afford enough of them, and if the Ã¦sthetics don't bother you, the myriad forms of baby barriers out there on the market can work wonders for keeping dogs out of areas. Craigslist and freecycle often have these items listed as toddlers grow up and folks want to get rid of these items.
teeka0801(7aNoVa)
Original Author
13 years ago
I have done a bit of each: moved some to another location where dogs don't have access(harder to water here, and only get to see it if I make an effort to walk out to the side of the house,but these are my faves!) and put a baby barrier along the ones on the deck, and I can still enjoy these when I look out the kitchen window.

It's hard to see a plant destroyed, wow, that was heartbreaking. They'll be really good for days, but just as I thought they had learned to stay away, my recently purchased cannas' leaves were torn off to bits(still have hope the plant will survive)...that's when the baby barriers went up and no problem since!

Appreciate your help on this one!
oregonwoodsmoke
13 years ago
2 easy solutions.

Put the plants up on something that gets them out of the dog's range. If it is a deck, a picnic table would work well.

I've got my pots set up on upside down matching pots. Otherwise my guys will jump up into the pots with the plants just to sniff around.

The other solution is to buy yourself some X-pen (exercise pen). It's lightweight, folding metal fence made for confining dogs at dog shows. Simply fence the plants with the x-pen and keep the dogs away from them.

X-pen is available in multiple dog supply catalogs. It is also available at Big R.

It is unrealistic to expect the dogs to leave the plants alone. They are bird dogs and there might be a bird in there.