How to Keep Dogs Out of Your Yard

If there are dogs in your neighborhood that like to come into your yard regularly, you are probably wondering how to keep those uninvited guests away.

Keep on reading to find out some great ways to keep dogs out of your yard. You will no longer have to worry about them coming along and leaving messes, tearing up your lawn, or acting aggressively on your property. 

Keeping Dogs Out of Your Yard

Keeping dogs out of your yard can be a time-consuming undertaking. You may have tried things in the past that did not work, so you feel discouraged.

However, the below methods will serve you well should you decide to use them. You will be able to keep dogs out of your yard with ease. Just remember to go with whatever works best for you and your yard. The following tips can keep dogs out of your yard for good.

• Putting up a fence
• Using dog repellent
• Setting up an ultrasonic dog deterrent
• Planting dog repellent plants
• Setting traps

Any expenses you pay upfront can save you in the long run since you will not have to worry about lawn damages or bodily injuries.

Build a Fence around Your Yard

One of the first and most practical solutions to keeping dogs out of your yard is putting a fence up. The cost of putting a fence up depends on different materials you choose. This can be a great idea for reasons other than just keeping dogs out of your yard. However, only some people will be able to put fences up where they live.

The problems that can come with putting up a fence are varied, so keep these in mind before setting your mind to using a fence. The biggest issue with setting up a fence is that fences can be expensive, depending on the material you use.

Building a fence is also a very time-consuming task, especially if you have a large yard that you need to surround. It also has to be kept in mind that a fence is a permanent structure unless you want to spend even more time taking it all down again. 

The last thing you should keep in mind when considering a fence to keep dogs out of your yard is whether or not you are allowed to build one in the first place. If you live in the city, check with your city council. If you live in a neighborhood with a Homeowner’s Association, check with them to see if you can build a fence on your property.

Use a Dog Repellent

Another option for keeping dogs away is using dog repellent. You can make your own homemade dog repellent to save money and a trip to the store. Homemade repellent can be hit or miss as far as efficacy, though. 

Some of the best homemade dog repellents contain:

• Vinegar 
• Citrus Peels

Vinegar is one of the best ingredients for homemade repellents. This is the case for many animals and pests, including dogs. Spray vinegar around the perimeter of your yard. Dogs dislike the smell of vinegar, so they should steer clear from your yard once you apply this repellent.

Placing citrus peels around your yard can also work well as a dog repellent. Dogs dislike citrus and will typically stay away from the smell. If you find that dogs continue to return to your yard even with the citrus peels, the citrus smell may not be powerful enough to deter them. 

Store-Bought Dog Repellent

If you find that the homemade options do not work, you can always fall back on store-bought dog repellents. These are designed specifically to keep dogs out of your yard, so they may work better than homemade versions. 

You can find dog repellents in different forms, but the most common is a spray. Spray the perimeter of your yard, and dogs should stay away. You can purchase this repellent at pet stores, farm supply stores, and online. This spray is affordable and easy to use, so you do not have to commit to a large purchase or a lot of work.

Use an Ultrasonic Dog Deterrent 

Another potential solution for keeping dogs out of your yard is purchasing and placing ultrasonic dog deterrents. These are neither time-consuming nor extremely expensive to put up, but their efficiency is still unclear. This is a flexible option since you can pick them up and move them around like lawn ornaments. 

The ultrasonic deterrent works by using motion sensors that trigger a series of sonic and ultrasonic sounds. These sounds are intended to annoy the dog entering your yard and keep the dog from wanting to return to your yard. 

However, since these are still fairly new to the market, they are a bit controversial. When people hear “ultrasonic,” they remember that dogs are known to hear those high-pitched, high-frequency sounds. It is unclear if these deterrents actually work as intended, though. Try these out, but keep your receipt. 

Plant Dog-Repelling Plants

This is another time-consuming solution, but it is an excellent way to keep dogs away while expanding your gardening skills. You can find these plants in many yards already, so there is no downside to planting these around your yard. Dogs are averse to the following plants. Plant these in your yard, and the dogs will stay out. 

• Lavender
• White citronella
• Plectranthus caninus

Lavender repels dogs due to its potent smell. However, to humans, lavender is beautiful and smells great. It is a great plant to have in your yard. Citronella repels not only dogs but mosquitos and other bugs as well. Plectranthus caninus repels animals through its strong smell that, luckily, humans cannot even detect. Plus, it is pretty!

Not only will planting these plants help keep the dogs off your yard, but they can really spruce up the look of your yard as well. Many of the plants that are used to oppose dogs are flowers that you will find in most yards already. 

Place Traps inside Your Yard

If other methods have failed, you can set up traps as a last resort. You will get better results if you go with a pre-made trap rather than trying to create a homemade trap yourself. Make sure you use humane traps, which are available on Amazon. Animal rescues and animal shelters may be able to help with this as well. 

Set up multiple traps to get better results, especially if multiple dogs come around your yard. Dogs often move in packs, especially strays. Set up two or three traps for good measure. Even if there is only one dog that constantly comes into your yard, multiple traps give you a better chance of catching it. 

Place some type of bait in your traps, typically some time of meat, that will be sure to lure over the dog that keeps entering your yard. Once the dog is caught, you can either have an animal handler take the dog away, or if the dog belongs to a neighbor, have them get their dog. 

If the dog belongs to a neighbor, you will want to speak to your neighbor about keeping their dog off your yard. It can be a difficult conversation to have at times, but it will be needed if you want to keep the dog off your yard permanently. This is in the best interest of the dog as well. Roaming unchecked is unsafe for any dog.

In can get really hot throughout the year, so if you don’t mind dogs in your backyard, or have dogs of your own, be sure to look into finding some shade to keep these four legged friends cool, especially during the summer time.

Dogs may not be the only thing you want to keep out of your backyard. Find out how to keep deer from eating your plants, such as hydrangeas.