Dog Repellent Home Remedy - Homemade and Effective
Keeping stray dogs off your lawns and away from your yard is a necessity to avoid have to deal with the dog 's dog waste disposal, but the goods news is that there are many dog repellent home remedies that are safe and effective.
There are various options available from ultrasonic devices that make loud noises that cannot be heard by humans but are excruciatingly loud for dogs.
Other devices use motion detector linked to water sprays to scare the dog off.
There are also a wide range of smell-based methods focusing on odors that dogs do not like and other physical methods that make an area unattractive for dogs.
This article reviews the range of home remedy methods that are available to help you choose the methods that will work for your situation and type of dog.
Unfortunately the is is no magic dog repellent and you may have to choose a variety of method to find one that works.
What Do Dogs Hate, and Will Keep Them Away?
Dogs are creatures of habit and if you can break their toilet habits they may stay away. So basically the way to repel dogs from an area is to make it unpleasant for them.
Dogs don't like:
- Being sprayed with water or having sprinklers turned on them. Dogs also do not like doing their business on wet ground.
- Loud bangs and noises. Dogs can hear ultrasonic frequencies that cannot be detected by humans and so devices that create loud noises in this frequency will not disturb you or your neighbors. Sensitivity varies between species and this method does not work with all dogs
- Dogs have a well developed sense of smell and they dislike smells from citrus, mustard oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, citronella oil, lemon grass oil, capsaicin pepper, ammonia, vinegar, moth balls, lavender oil, alcohol, pipe tobacco, coffee grounds and cayenne pepper. Care is need with some of these to stop them washing away. Also some are toxic and you will need to take precautions not to harm the dog or children that may use the area.
Ultrasonic Dog Repellents
There are a range of electronic devices that emit ultrasonic sounds that dogs and cats find offensive but cannot be heard by humans.
Most are triggered by motion detectors targeted on the are you want to protect.
Effectiveness varies with the breed of dog and some individual dogs appear to get used to the sound. However they are worth a try. You can make your own device using various kits.
Water Spray and Sprinkler Devices
There are a range of water spray devices that are triggered by motion detectors that set off sprinklers or direct sprays to the area. Dogs hate this and will often stay away.
Dog Repellent Remedies based on Odors - Powders, Sprays and Granules
One problem with the various smelly products that dogs hate is that you have to reapply them after rain and very frequently to keep them effective as their odor diminishes over time.
The other problem is that some of these chemicals are toxic and you don't want to harm the dogs or children that may use the area. Likewise you do not want to spray these chemicals and oil extracts directly onto plants as they may kill them.
Some of these work well with some breeds and individual dogs and so you may have to try a range of options to find the one that works in your situation.
Examples of chemicals, herbs and essential oils that dogs hate are:
Citrus - Both dogs and cats dislike the smell of citrus, land many people spread orange, lemon or grapefruit peels around the garden as dog repellents. Others dot whole fruits around or slices of fruit ,around the area as they tend to last longer. Planting dwarf citrus trees in the garden or having a row of citrus bushes in pots can also be effective. To keep dogs off of your outdoor or indoor furniture, put a glass of lemon juice on a table or on the arm of the chair. Also you can spray your furniture with lemon or orange scented air freshener, upholstery cleaner or polish.
Cayenne Peppers - Although not toxic to dogs cayenne peppers may irritate the dog's eyes, throat and nose, and may harm children who frequent the area. You can add a mixture of black table pepper and cayenne pepper to small containers with holes drilled in the sides and distribute these around your flowerbeds. This also stops the pepper being washed away in rain or when watering the area. Or sprinkle a mixture of freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper throughout your garden. You can also make a spray using cayenne pepper and use it on paths, vegetation and the arms and legs of furniture. This means that the pepper is not present in sufficient quantities to be harmful, but the odor will still be sensed by the dogs.
Vinegar - Dogs strongly hate the smell of vinegar, but be careful as it can harm plants and stain chairs and tables. Ad a few drops to cotton balls and distribute these around the garden or soak biodegradable coffee filters in white vinegar and allow them to dry. These filters can then be cut into strips and spread through the garden and on furniture to act as a repellent.
Ammonia - is the most effective dog repellents. Rub you floors and furniture with ammonia-based cleaning solutions. For the garden, use the same method mentioned above for vinegar. Placing small containers with holes in the lid containing ammonia around the garden also works and lasts longer. Do not pour or spray ammonia directly onto your lawn or flowers, because it will kill them.
Rubbing Alcohol and Methylated Spirits - Rubbing alcohol is another strong smelling chemical that can be used in a similar way to ammonia and vinegar. Soak cotton balls in rubbing alcohol and place them around the area you want to keep the dogs out of.
Citronella - Dogs hate citronella and it is a common ingredient in many commercial dog repellents. Place a few citronella insect repellent burners (without lighting them) around the area or soak cotton balls with citronella and dot around the garden.
Coffee Ground - Dogs and Cats hate coffee grounds and so spread your left-over grounds around the garden beds.
Partially Filled Bottles of Water placed on the Lawn - This is a weird one that is very popular in Australia. Its probably a myth. It is based on the idea that does won't do their business in an area where there is fresh water. Results have shown that this is a myth, but many people still say it works
Add blood and Bone or other strongly smelling fertilisers to your garden beds -Sometimes dogs keep away when changes are made and then they change their habits. Its hard to know what works but the change itself is what matters.
Change your watering times to the time when you see the dog visiting the garden or lawn - Dogs don't like wet soil or lawns and so this will often break habits.
