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Author Topic: Garden - out of control!  (Read 8101 times)

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Offline Mary

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Garden - out of control!
« on: February 10, 2003, 01:27:30 PM »
Anyone any tips on getting Lottie under control in the garden?

She runs riot out there but much as I love her to let off a bit of steam and have a good run around, I really want her to understand the boundaries ???

She tramples over everything, pulls at nearly every plant, pulls at and eats the grass (whilst almost choking trying to swallow it with mud on ::)) all this as well as her fettish for plant labels :o

I've tried ignoring her......no good.  I clap my hands for her to get off the borders........ignores me.  If I try to get hold of her.......that's a game and I end up running round in circles to no avail >:(  I've coaxed her with treats and praise which works but then she's straight off again :-

She often seems to have a dry cough which I'm wondering if it's to do with what she eats out there ???

Any tips/advice would be gratefully received ;)                    
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Offline Jo W

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2003, 01:32:53 PM »
I've heard of using water pistols to get cats off surfaces...  it modifies their behaviour without any interaction from you -so it should work whether you're present or not (or so they say)  :)

How about taking her out there on a long lead, so that you can get her off the garden bed.

Or, as is the case at my house - give up gardening  ;D ;D                    
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Offline Mary

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2003, 01:41:25 PM »
Quote from: Jo W on February 10, 2003, 01:32:53 PM

Or, as is the case at my house - give up gardening  ;D ;D



 :'( :'( :'(But it's my hobbie :'( :'(

Yeah, I've thought of the lead but that's regressing really and she likes to spend alot of time out there :-

Water pistol sounds interesting.......mind you, she's thick skinned and I've got a feeling that would be thought of as a game by her too ::)                    
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Offline Anita

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2003, 01:46:49 PM »
Phoebe loves our garden and its my hobby too Mary. We have only been in the house 12 months and the garden is very plain at the moment. We do intend to do a lot to it.

We are lucky that its a blank canvas as the landscaper is sorting out an area for Phoebe. Nice large area with paving and gravel with two large raised flower beds to keep me happy. High trelis fencing so she can see us but not get into the rest.

Wonder whether this is an option for you but maybe not if the garden is small (or like me - you don't really want to give much to the dog) :(

We do have lots of space so it makes it easier to scarific a bit for Phoebe.                    
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Offline Jo W

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2003, 01:56:46 PM »
Quote
Quote from: mary on February 10, 2003, 01:41:25 PM
:'( :'( :'(But it's my hobbie :'( :'(


Yes - the dogs can't take over everything can they!  

I don't have a very large garden and to be honest, the dogs only really go out there when I do, although Amber does like to sunbathe and Billy likes to sniff the evening air.

I'm not particularly 'garden-proud' but understand that lots of people are - like my parents.  Last year dad had spent ages laying some turf and a couple of hours later I wandered down their garden and found my rottie and their terrier busy digging it all up :o :o!!   I was horrified and couldn't believe it... my mum and I spent ages trying to tread it back down so that he wouldn't notice....  This was about two weeks after they'd flattened a young shrub he'd planted!!                    
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Offline Mary

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2003, 02:13:52 PM »
Well, we forego a fair bit for Lottie but I am ADAMANT that the garden revolves around ME not her >:( ::)

The garden stays as it is and I have to get that through to her.......somehow ;D  ???

Can I just say how lovely it is when she just lays down on the lawn and sniffs the air ;)                    
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Offline Anita

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2003, 02:16:51 PM »
Is that before or after she has dug up the latest plant you've bought ;D

Lottie will just have to learn the garden is yours :) Maybe the water pistol is the only way :o                    
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Offline Pammy

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2003, 02:19:15 PM »
Mary - I'd be inclined to use the long line on her. It will mean that you'll have to go out with her everytime to teach Lottie where she can and can't go. Each time she goes near a bed etc you don't want step on the lead and tell her no. Lots of praise when she's on the bits she can go on.

Personally - I think it's a losing battle. It's a bit like having a lawn and kids and a football and telling them they can't go on it. Dog's can't tell the difference between what is a flower bed and what's not so it will take lots of very hard dedicated training.

The other thing is not to admit defeat but to admit that you'll have to work with the garden and Lottie together. Perhaps fence of an area from the door where she can go unrestricted and only take her on the other bits with you and on a line.

My boys plough around the whole garden and until I find another house that gives me an alternative for them - I'll give them free run.                    
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Offline FionaM

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2003, 03:28:16 PM »
Don't know if this will help or not but I've heard that making the dog a sandpit can help with dogs that demolish a garden. I think the theory is that you bury interesting things in the sandpit and the dog learns that sandpit-digging is more fun than digging up plants etc.

I live in a flat so I don't have a problem with Poppy gardening but when I go to my Mum's house the only place in the garden that Poppy will go to the toilet is right in the middle of my Mum's strawberry patch  :P :-[ My Mum says she's moving the strawberrys next year but I think this summer there might be some strawberrys going free....  ;D                    
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Offline Mary

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2003, 05:35:22 PM »
Quote from: Fiona on February 10, 2003, 03:28:16 PM
Don't know if this will help or not but I've heard that making the dog a sandpit can help with dogs that demolish a garden. I think the theory is that you bury interesting things in the sandpit and the dog learns that sandpit-digging is more fun than digging up plants etc.


Mmmmm........not quite so sure about this one :-  Think I might have to try the long lead approach ::)                    
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Offline Jen

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2003, 07:32:46 PM »
I read this link with interest as only this morning me and my hubby were looking in horror at our, once beautifully landscaped(yep we actually PAID to have it done!), garden.  The shrubs and plants around the edges are chewed and squoshed - there are holes all over the dirt - no more bark in our boarders - I've picked most of this up from our house! - the lawn.....mmm the lawn actually looks more like a football pitch after a wet game...and yep you guessed it - there are a few attempts at holes in that too!
We know that we are to blame really as Monty, now with dog flap, pops in and out as & when he pleases - and he tends to be out quite a lot!
Alas - it seems that there's not much we can do about it.  Maybe it won't be as bad in the summer when we're all out more - so he can be told more?  At this rate though, I don't think we'll have any nice flowers to enjoy any more ???                    
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Offline Mary

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2003, 08:32:20 PM »
Quote from: Jen on February 10, 2003, 07:32:46 PM
Maybe it won't be as bad in the summer when we're all out more - so he can be told more?  At this rate though, I don't think we'll have any nice flowers to enjoy any more ???

This is my only hope Jen ::)  The only flowers out in my garden at the moment are a couple of pansies and the actual flower heads lay at my backdoor as I type >:(  Goodness knows what she'll think of the daffodils ::)

I did a bit of gardening a couple of weeks back.  It was nice to be out there with her but she reeked havoc yet again ::)  Anything I cut back or pulled up, she ran off with >:(                    
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Offline Pammy

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2003, 08:59:16 PM »
Mary = do watch the daffs - Jasper and Buddy destroy them but they are poisonous to dogs:(                    
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Offline carol

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #13 on: February 10, 2003, 09:15:13 PM »
Mary, like you and everyone else I too have found this same problem with Flynn-and he's only 10 weeks!  I was quite shocked that he didn't seem to know where the grass ended and flowerbeds began ???
I've had enough of that, and am going to put a small fence around my flower beds, small enough so that I can still reach to put plants in but hopefully big enough so that Flynn will be unable to just run straight onto the bed.  Not sure whether that will work, but as I only have a small garden I can't really divide it up for him.  I've also decided, enough with the grass (or rather very small football pitch) and am going to pave it.  

I've also found it impossible to do any gardening when Flynn's around, we had the most hilarious game with the sweeping the other day ;D and now if I have any plants to put in, Flynn stays inside, that way I can relax :)

Hope you find a good solution, if you do, let me know, save me all that paving ;)

Carol                    
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Offline Inca

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Garden - out of control!
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2003, 10:17:04 PM »
Same problem with Inca...... out doing some pruning this morning and as soon as I made a neat pile Inca decided to drag it round the garden. Same problem with the borders as well. He thinks he has to bring flowers, twigs etc. as a gift every time he goes out, and ohhhh! the bark chippings are just absolutely his favourite thing. As we have an allottment and grow all our own veg so We need to sort this little problem as soon as poss as we spend most of the summer up at the lottie. That's when we aren't out on the motorbike. If any one comes up with a fool proof solution we would love to hear it as we envisage a very lean crop otherwise. :) :)                    
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