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| I posted last fall about my new house and reducing my roses from over 200 to less than one quarter that number, some of you may remember. I've been hard at work since the holidays, sketching beds, scratching out, re-drawing and changing around the list of keep vs. give away, but it has slowly dawned on me that I have a difficult issue to consider: 2 dogs that love to prune. With my new house, I brought along a Labradoodle rescue I had only had a few short months. He is now 14 months old and 62 pounds of unending bounding energy. I adopted another rescue after I had moved here, a terrier mix female who is now 8 months old and about 30 pounds. She is a digging machine (with her terrier heritage, that is no surprise to me) and has encouraged the labradoodle into "seeing what's down there" next to the foundation, under the spruce trees and right out in the middle of the lawn. No real harm there other than a pair of dirty mutts; I just fill the holes in and we're OK for a while until she gets the urge to dig again somewhere else. What *has* surprised me is the amount of chewing these two have done all over the yard. Several small shrubs (I don't even know yet what they are) have been chewed to the snow line - as has the one Knock Out rose the former owners planted in the bed by the back patio. They, or at least the terrier, snip off pieces of spruce trees - even blue spruce, seemingly not minding the sharp needles in her puppy mouth. And mind you, this is with all kinds of toys to play with and chew on, both indoors and out. Today, I left them outside in the sunshine and relative warmth (30 degrees) while I ran the vaccuum around the house. They chewed off all the lower branches of an ornamental crab tree! Granted, I intended to remove that young tree anyway in spring - but the point is that I am inside dreaming lovely dreams and they are outside deconstructing the whole yard. I hate to fence them out, but I'm now thinking I will HAVE to sacrifice the lovely flow of curving bed lines for more angular beds that can be surrounded by wire fencing, just to let the roses have a few years to settle in and grow in safety - and the dogs a few years to hopefully outgrow this penchant....they COULD outgrow it, couldn't they?? Or am I doomed? Anyone with experience, please let me know how you handled young rowdy animals in your rose garden! I am not new to owning dogs, but it has been a long, long time since I adopted young ones. I guess I've forgotten how they can be - yikes! Well, I love them anyway...so if you know of a type of garden fence that looks fairly good, please describe it or show me a picture. That would really helpful. Thanks, Anne |
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| Dogs can be so...doggy! I only have experience with one dog, a standard poodle who is now three. We got him when he was 11 months old and he does chew less but he still likes to chew on toys and sticks. As for digging he never was much of a digger anyway unless I used blood meal for fertilizer. I don't use that anymore because it made him crazy. I have noticed at our informal dog park that dogs are quite variable in their desire to chew and dig and eat mud and grass--some love to others not so much. I do know that you have two very active dogs descended from very active breeds which might make gardening a challenge even after they are adults. Can you build a nice kennel in your backyard? Do you have a park nearby in which to throw the Chuck It five million times? Do you have someone at home that can play a vigorous game of tug (I find this exhausting and ask my husband or son to play this)? I am trying to think of energy releases. Training is really difficult to do if they really want to chew on something. I tried to train my dog to leave this one particular stuffed toy of my daughters but he loved it for some reason. He is a remarkably undestructive dog but this stuffed owl he LOVED and he would not be denied it. Good luck! They are beautiful dogs. And, I am sure that when they are not digging and chewing in your garden give you countless hours of joy. Anne |
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- Posted by floridarosez9 10 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 10, 13 at 13:22
| When I would literally cry over the damage to my flower beds done by my outside dogs, my Nana would always tell me dogs and flowers don't mix. We now keep our only dog, a dobie, inside, and she goes out only when we are out with her. We take her on two three-mile runs a day with our four wheeler and she is too worn out to think about chewing or digging. I see you have snow, but could you put them on a treadmill? Most dogs get into trouble because they have undrained energy and/or they're bored, but some of it is in their breeding, I'm sure. Good luck with them and your roses. |
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- Posted by jacqueline3 9CA (My Page) on Sun, Feb 10, 13 at 13:54
| Many breeds of dogs are over-active, chewing, digging, etc. as puppies and young dogs, and then settle down. I would guess there is hope for the labradoodle - labradors are famous for being calm adults and crazy when young. The terrier mix, as you said, has digging in her genes, so that may be different. My DH once took a set of red & black outdoor wires that had been controlling the electricity to the irrigation to a hardware store to get replacements, as a one year old lab had eaten them. He didn't remark on that, just asked the man if he had replacements for the wires. The man took one look at them and said "black, or yellow?". When my DH indicated that the wires were black and red, the man said "No, I meant the lab?"! Jackie |
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| I have two terriers that are four and six. I don't have digging issues with them and they have mellowed quite a bit over the years. There is also the question of what kind of terrier is in the mix. Some breeds within terriers will be more ground focused. One of mine is a chewer and can be distracted by chew toys which I leave all around the back yard. She'd rather have her chewies than sticks any day. Maybe a more attractive alternative would work. |
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| How about building a long kennel down one side and along the back of the lot and then focusing your gardening along a strip (as deep as you'd like) on the other side--with some green grass in the center. Or dog kennels down both sides and across the back, with a BIG square or round garden in the center -- minimal or no grass--just a walking path around the perimeter of your centered garden, and perhaps a winding path through the centered garden, depending on how large the garden is. I mean, who needs grass? I was trying to think of designs that give you and the dogs maximum space to run around and to grow roses. Modification of the second choice above. Large garden in the center (square or circular--with winding path if large enough). Ring the centered garden with a plain ol' workaday chicken wire type fence snuggly wrapped around its outside perimeter. The simple chickenwire fence would be obscured when the plants filled out. A simple "gate" at the front and/or back of the centered garden, for easy access. Then all the space around the outside of the garden would be free space for the dogs to run around the entire perimeter of the yard. If the outer perimeter of the centered garden was planted with taller roses, you could create a kind of "secret garden" in the center--and if there is enough space in the center, even include a couple chairs and a table--for when you wanted to hide from the world. If you wanted more of a "decorator" effect--say for winter time visuals--you could invest more money into buying the synthetic "wooden picket fence" that are readily available nowadays and encircle the centered garden with that. Well, that's all I can think of for solutions at the moment. Do let us know how you decide to handle this situation--this new "challenge"! LOL Kate |
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| When BECKET first came to us, he dug. Now, no more. His sisters still dig,but Tika's slowing down. Katie's still going strong, and has the gophers to prove it but I bet in a year or so she'll outgrow it. Truth is, I'd rather have 3 happy, healthy Dalmatian dogs than a perfect garden. But I was 'doggy' long before I was 'rosey.'. :-) How about picket fencing? Jeri |
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- Posted by annececilia z4b/N.Michigan (My Page) on Sun, Feb 10, 13 at 14:27
| No, Anne, it's just me. I am their sole means of excercise and entertainment, except for each other (unless the grand kids are visiting, that is.) And usually, if I am busy they will chase each other and wrestle all over the yard or house. They do like me to be out there with them, though. In the case of the crabapple tree, I thought they would be happy for just a little while by themselves...and you see what happened. Ha ha on me! Jackie, you made me laugh out loud! Well, my only previous lab was adopted at the sedate age of 6, so I've never experienced young lab exuberance before. More chew toys! Yes, Zaphod42 - and they already comprise a large share of my weekly budget. But they do tend to lose them in the snow outdoors this time of year. Just like kids, they don't put their toys away. ;-) Kate - you really have me thinking now! What a great idea!!! I could incorporate the center garden with the covered patio, leaving the dogs an exit from the either side of the patio, and only ME to go into the fenced center garden. That way they can run the yard perimeter, which they love to do, and not hurt a thing. YES! Back to the drawing board I go!
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- Posted by annececilia z4b/N.Michigan (My Page) on Sun, Feb 10, 13 at 14:33
| Jeri, you posted while I was typing my response (above.) Oh, definitely, the dogs' happiness in the yard is just as important to me as my garden. Overall, they probably spend far more hours there than I. I think a picket fence around a center garden as Kate suggested just may be the right ticket. I'll let you all know how it looks on paper. Thanks! :-) |
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| Sounds pretty neat, actually! Jeri |
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| That sounds like a great plan and I'm looking forward to seeing photos of it! |
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| Pretty and practical. |
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| Hot sauce, sprayed on branches above the snowline might be a teaching moment. It wouldn't be lethal, but they can taste hot. COuld the previous owners have given them sticks instead of bones to chew on? (A friend loved to watch her beagle play with its sock toy until she realized that her socks had a limited life span. Dog and sock toy won that one because habits, once established are hard to break.) |
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| Oh boy! Try having 15 rescues and all my roses! I work with a no-kill shelter and have adopted more than a few of their "hard to adopt" dogs (large black dogs, old dogs, special needs dogs) and really mine don't bother the roses as much as most people would think. My main problem is the 4 large dogs trampling my roses that are still small, and my cocker spaniel who has a rose addiction eating the blooms...but rarely, do they actually "prune" my rsoes. I think my biggest ally is my invisible fence. I have a four foot chainlink fence around my 1 acre yard, and in addition to that, I also have an invisible fence attached to the chain link (no digging since I just zip-tied the wire around the top rail). I have the invisible fence set to the highest level which prohibits my dogs from going within 5 feet of the fence. The bonus: most of my roses are around the fence, so the dogs can't really get that close to them either. Only the 4 young large dogs and the cocker wear the collars, since they are the only nosey ones :) Another option without doing the whole invisible fence thing is a device made by PetSafe called "Pawz Away Outdoor Pet Barrier." Its a radiotransmitter that works like the invisible fence, but there's no wiring. It looks like a rock so it blends in with your gardens, and has a 16 foot wide barrier. So, basically you put in it in the middle of the area you don't want them to enter, and if they get to close it beeps and then zaps them. Its really not mean, since it usually only takes one or two zaps until they figure out what happens when their collar beeps and they don't turn around and go the other direction. Tammy Here's the link, but price around because you can find them cheaper online by proce shopping. You an also buy additional collars and rock transmitters. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Pawz Away Outdoor Barrier
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| There are two toy fox terrors here, with one old, nearly blind chihuahua. None of them are diggers, nor do they chew on anything other than their toys and chew sticks. The terror ARE great hunters, obsessively so, but they don't dig and they don't chew just to chew. Lula DOES like eating bamboo leaves, but that's fine with me. There is a hundred year supply out there! Kim |
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- Posted by annececilia z4b/N.Michigan (My Page) on Mon, Feb 11, 13 at 6:09
| Ann, I like the hot sauce idea. Even if I only use it on the poor crab apple tree, it might curtail their browsing somewhat. I think I'll give it a try as it's something I can do right now, this winter, without letting their bad habit get more firmly established. Tammy, thanks for that idea - I never realized that putting the invisible fence along a chainlink fence would keep them a safe distance from it. That could be very useful along the east side of my yard where I had hoped to establish a long bed of roses and sun loving perennials as it's the only side with no trees to over shade it. The radius transmitter could work as well if my new plan for a center of the yard garden proves to be too expensive to fence in with white vinyl pickets. Thank you for sharing those very good ideas. Roseseek, sounds like you have 3 very good garden buddies. :-) I'm just guessing it's terrier in my Belle, but who knows? I'm not sure what breeds went into creating this little pixie girl with her dainty paws, wild wiry hair and overshot lower jaw. She is so ugly she is cute - and she absolutely loves everyone she meets. |
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| I'm in the same boat as you, Annececilia. We just adopted, in early October, 2 Australian Cattle Dog mix puppies of 5 months old. That puts them roughly at 10 months old now. They have both been digging and chewing a lot. They have attacked both of our Blackberry Bushes and one of my Hydrangeas and a new (still in the pot) Rainier Cherry tree. Despite that, I went ahead and planted four roses in my backyard recently. Amazingly, they have left them alone. But perhaps it is not so amazing. After all, roses do come ARMED. The Blackberries they ate are a thornless variety. So maybe there is hope for your roses if you've got pretty thorny varieties picked out. Good Luck. Annabeth |
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| Garden buddies? Oh, no! That could get them DIRTY! Heaven forbid! No, these go out to hunt and do their business, otherwise it's either too hot, too cold, too something, so they are much happier pushing you to settle into the sofa so they can steal your body heat. Kim |
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| Your pups are cute! Now they have a good home and can be happy. Maybe too happy? A good long walk every (every) morning, or a trip to the dog park for a big romp, something to throttle back the energy level, seems to work best. Then they are half asleep and satisfied to lounge around the rest of the day. Our puppies ate the baseboard in the kitchen, the face plates on the electrical plugs, many rolls of toilet paper and paper towels, an entire pie off the counter, a palm tree. All of which they pooped out and then re-ate. Several times. All because I was protecting the garden from them....
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This post was edited by hoovb on Mon, Feb 11, 13 at 14:55
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| Cute babies, Hoovb! We've been involved with "dogsport" for decades, and we've learned a few things along the way. Young dogs, not yet possessed of house manners, will repose in a dog crate when we're not home. (This isn't much of a hardship. We're home, more of the time than not.) Dogs acquire those house manners at different ages. Our current three rescued long-coat Dalmatians arrived at different times, 6 mo. to a year apart. The youngest is 2 1/2, and ALL are now trustworthy in the house. (Food, of course, is always put away.) The only crating, now, is the two girls at night. (3 big dogs in the bed is too much.) I figure, sometime in the coming year, Katie will begin to lose interest in gophers, and we'll have a lawn again. Jeri |
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| Don't you LOVE that "Who? ME!" look, Hoov? LOL! Kim |
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- Posted by annececilia z4b/N.Michigan (My Page) on Mon, Feb 11, 13 at 18:19
| Annabeth - if it were only that easy, but I don't believe thorns will avert Miss Belle. She chewed down the Knock out with no problem and she chews old blue spruce branches that I can't even bear to hold in my bare hands! Ouch! I hope your pups continue to leave your roses alone. Good dogs! Roseseek, I know just the sort of dog you have. My late Giant Schnauzer was the same way, only she had the size and muscle to try to herd me indoors when she had had enough of the outside world. ;-) Hoovb, I've lived through some awful indoor destruction by puppies and young dogs. I think the most insulting was the Bouvier I had back in the 70's who ate the dog training book from the coffee table. So much for "Walkees!" (I just love your two dogs, BTW and could see myself forgiving them almost anything, even that kitchen molding.) Jeri, your long haired Dalmatians are beautiful - elegant dogs. I wish I was home with my dogs more than not, but someone has to work to buy the dog food here. ;-) All the same, even if I were at home as on the weekends, I could not stand to spend hours outdoors. No, 20 minutes or so of winter weather at a time is plenty for me, thank you. Meanwhile Forrest, the Labradoodle seems NEVER to get cold! |
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| Yeah, but our guys mostly want to be where we are. :-) In these pix, they're out because I'm out. Jeri |
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- Posted by Kippy-the-Hippy 10 Sunset 24 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 11, 13 at 21:16
| Those pictures make me thankful my dog is under 10 pounds. (of course this added a whole new problem with our fencing designed to hold a 30lb cocker or 40 lb mutt in sigh) |
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