[Siouxfly]

I decided to build raised beds mainly to keep the dogs (I've got two) off the plants but after building my first two I'm finding that one of my dogs likes jumping in and out of them, making a mess and it would kill any little plants had I actually managed to plant any yet.
Anyway I want the beds easily accessible and can't fence the area off yet so does anyone have any cheap but effective ways to keep dogs off planting areas?
Please, she keeps digging huge holes and flinging all the compost out the beds.
I was thinking of just using canes and string ie. one cane in each corner with a couple of rows of string wrapped right around, do you think that might help?

[tosca100]

I'm interested in this one too! Puppy Bella is just the same, and she brings in anything she finds....stones, left in beetroot, carrots etc. Tried fencing the borders and veg patch off with mesh, which worked for a awhile, but not now she's grown. Trouble is I'm not too mobile and find climbing over difficult.

caught in the act!

[rock_chick]

I'm interested too - I have the same issue with 2 of my 3 dogs. I've fenced off my veg area, but now they dig in all of my flower borders. Although now pup is bigger, she can now jump both the fence and gate, and treats it as a game. Can't help, I suppose, with the chickens being housed in the veg area. It's driving me nuts! I am constantly back-filling holes, making good any plants that have been dug up/ chewed/ thrown around/ brought into the house.

[Jamie Butterworth]

You could try a tempory fence until you get a new one, just drop 3 or 4 pieces of wood, sort of 2 by 2 size. Then just attach mesh or what they use on chicken runs on it. Just aslong as it keeps the dogs off. Also Ive heared that dogs dont like the smell of manure, maybe add that to some of the beds. Hope this helped, Ill post some pics of the one I made either later today or tomorow.

[tosca100]

Don't know where the idea that dogs don't like the smell of manure comes from!!!!!!! All the dogs I have had think it's the best thing in the world! YUM YUM YUM

And anyway, the plot is too close to the house for smelly stuff.

[familypatch]

We have two border terriers and have made sure we keep them on a long lead whilst at the allotment.
We would be so embarrassed if they went onto anyone elses plot and the Pup (8 month) was digging while we were digging.. ..The elder likes the smell of the fish and bones too much so we realised not to let them off..

I would be gutted if the little beggars dug it all up after the hard work we have put in.

[bailey]

could you maybe put a fence around the area? I know you said you need it easily accessable but i mean maybe the fence a metre away from the edge of the beds maybe? maybe put a gate in so you don,t have to climb over?

[tosca100]

could you maybe put a fence around the area? I know you said you need it easily accessable but i mean maybe the fence a metre away from the edge of the beds maybe? maybe put a gate in so you don,t have to climb over?

Hmmmm, not sure the neighbour would like a new fence in his garden.

Seriously though, we are waiting for the council to sort planning permission for the new allotment site and only have a small plot in the garden. Can't afford to lose any light in it as it is bordered by a wall on one side and garage on the other. I'll just have to live with it I suppose.

Anyone want a puppy?

[Siouxfly]

I am going to fence the veg. garden off eventually but at the moment there's the remains of a huge rotting shed & some tree stumps to be disposed of as well as having to move loads of top soil into the area so I don't want a fence in the way just now. So yes the area will be fenced in later so the dogs will have to dig elsewhere then, oh my poor shrubs and flowers will probably all be massacred.
I think I will throw up a temporary one as suggested I've got some spare plastic wire stuff that will do. I would have preferred letting the dogs have the run of the whole garden except the chickens area but it's not looking likely now. 

[gypsy]

Can you not train the dogs to behave, it is time consuming but worth it. My daughters dog comes to my allotment and knows only to walk on the paths and is no trouble.

[Goosegirl]

Of my 5 cats, the 4 kittens love to dig holes in the raised beds, so I am planning to attach a length of cane or wood at each corner of some clematis netting and knock them into the ground so the netting covers the bed but doesn't touch the soil. Dogs are heavier than cats though..!

[tosca100]

Can you not train the dogs to behave, it is time consuming but worth it. My daughters dog comes to my allotment and knows only to walk on the paths and is no trouble.

It will come in time. The labrador, Bonnie, is an absolute angel, but she is 7yo. Bella is 7 months lab/terrier cross, very strong willed but getting there. But we have a small garden which was packed with once lovely shrubs....now sadly over"pruned" by puppy. The only alternative is to keep her on the concrete drive, but that is where my taters, toms, garlic and blueberries live in pots!Can't win, just have to have a moan every so often.

Are you sure no-one wants a puppy?

[Trillium]

My last dog, a bearded collie/terrier mix (primarily long haired collie) absolutely loved finding a huge pile of fresh cow poo and rolling in it. She made sure she got every last bit thoroughly packed into her fur and then proudly trotted home  hoping we'd also adore the new 'perfume' and streaky green/brown coating   Lost track of how many times we all had to gang up for an emergency scrub down because she was so big and furry and stinky. It was as much fun as washing off skunk stink  It's simply in a dog's nature to love truly stinky stuff so I was glad when we finally said no to the farmer boarding his cows in our field.

As for keeping dogs off flower beds, over here we can buy special repellents for dogs and cats. Oddly, the items resemble lengths of dog poo which are hung on shrubs or sticks every so many feet apart but the animals find the smell of them truly repellent. Ironic when you think about it. Are there any such products in the UK? We get them anywhere garden chemicals are sold.

[Zeb]

The things you have to do to keep your mutts off the garden..
I got some roofing lathes and knocked up a few 8ft frames then stapled chicken wire to them..

now my mutt can only wreck the grass (and she's succeeding  big time)

[tosca100]

Yep, the lawn's gone too! Old lab goes where you tell her but pup still wees little and very often so no grass!