What Can I Spray on My Yard to Keep Dogs From Digging?

Dogs dig for many reasons, including boredom, to find prey or food, to form a cool spot to sit in, or out of a nervous disorder, according to PetPlace.com. If your dog or a neighbor's dog has gotten into your yard and digs incessantly, spray a dog repellent in your yard to discourage this behavior.

  1. Spray Repellents

    • Pet supply stores carry liquid dog repellent sprays that are safe to spray in your yard to repel dogs and discourage digging. These sprays contain ingredients, such as plant oils, that smell unpleasant to dogs, keeping them and other animals such as cats or rabbits away from your yard. Always check that you can use these spray repellents safely around plants. Look for biodegradable sprays that dissolve safely in the greenery. Refresh the spray about once every 24 hours to keep the scent as a potent deterrent.

    Homemade Solutions

    • To stop dogs from digging in your yard, mix 3 teaspoons of hot pepper sauce with 1/2 cup of water. Combine 3 teaspoons of lemon-scented dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of vegetable oil, and add to the pepper mixture and mix with 1 quart of water to make a liquid pepper spray, according to the book "Month-By-Month Gardening in Idaho." Dogs dislike the strong smell of hot peppers, an ingredient found in some commercial dog repellent sprays. Hot peppers contain capsicum, which irritates the skin of your dog's nose, causing it to avoid the area. The pepper spray will not harm plants, but you may want to test it on a single plant first.

    Essential Oils

    • Strong essential oils smell unpleasant to dogs but pleasant to people, and you can use them safely around plants. Mix 40 drops of citrus oils such as lemon or orange with 2 teaspoons of witch hazel and combine it with 1 cup of water to make a homemade dog repellent spray and use it to repel dogs from areas of your yard. Clove or cinnamon oil also work well to repel dogs and you can combine them with the citrus oils. These oils will not harm plants and also act as natural bug repellents for flowers and shrubbery.

    Considerations

    • Do not rely solely on a deterrent spray to stop your dog from digging in your yard. Determine the cause of the digging first to change the behavior. A dog without shelter left in your yard in the hot sun may dig for a cool place to sit; provide your dog with an appropriate shelter, such as a small house and a kiddie pool to cool down in during the day. Spay or neuter your dog to prevent it from digging to escape and find a mate. Provide a physical barrier, such as a fence, to prevent stray dogs from entering your yard and digging.