America has a long time love affair with its pets.  Over 37% of the households in America own domestic dogs, resulting in over 72 million dogs in the country.

While many dog owners are very responsible and maintain a leash or fence for their animals, it is not true for all dogs.  Uncontrolled dogs are responsible for untold damage to landscaping, property, small pets and can be responsible for biting and injuring others. 

Dangers of Roaming Dogs

Roaming dogs may have more aggressive behaviors, are more likely to be hit by cars or injured by other animals.  Aggressive roaming dogs can be responsible for injuring or killing other pets or injuring people, especially children. 

Roaming dogs can also be injured by others.  Kids and adults have been known to kill or injure animals.  Roaming dogs may eat things that will create emergency conditions for them, such as toxic foods, chemicals or injuries from the containers or locations of the food . 

Home Remedies to Deter Dogs

Repel it

Common home remedies to keep dogs off specific areas include a variety of repellents designed keep them from the area. 

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper or chili powder will cause nasal irritation and will be strong to the dog’s sensitive sense of smell.  Dry powder can be added to small areas, like garden areas.  The power can be mixed with Vaseline to rub on items that you want to prevent the dog from chewing.  The pepper can also be added to water to create a solution you can spray over larger areas. 

Citrus

Add lemon and orange slices to your garden to keep dogs out.  The fruit will decompose and create fertilizer for the garden and the strong citrus smell will be too strong for the dog’s sensitive nose.  Add lemon juice to water to spray indoors to deter your dog from areas of the house. 

Vinegar

Vinegar also has a strong smell that will repel dogs, but can’t be used directly on garden plants or landscaping as it will kill the plants.

Coffee

Coffee grounds of any variety – including decaf will also act as a strong smelling repellent to deter dogs; the grounds will add nutrient value to the garden soil. 

Water

Dogs by nature won’t defecate or urinate where there is a source of water to drink.  Many home remedies suggest putting out bowls, jugs or pots of water around the edge of the area to deter dogs. 

Using the sprinkler at the visiting times for the roaming dogs will also deter dogs from soiling the area as they prefer not to urinate or defecate on wet grass. 

Your Dog

Make every effort to train, restrain or control your pet to keep it from becoming a neighborhood nuisance.  Training classes, leashing practices and fences are all excellent solutions. 

Animal Control

Many people will call animal control at the first sign of roaming dogs.  If there is no appeal the dog may be destroyed, so it is essential to train or constrain your animal in order to keep it safe, healthy and in your life for years to come. 

References:

American Veterinary Medicine Association online @  http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership.asp

The Veterinary Information Network:  Canine Behavior Series online @ http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2273&S=1&SourceID=47