Making Your Mulch Dog Repellent

Mulch in a garden.
What You'll Need
Cayenne pepper
Vinegar
Lemons
Ammonia
Water
Cotton Balls
What You'll Need
Cayenne pepper
Vinegar
Lemons
Ammonia
Water
Cotton Balls

After adding mulch to a garden, the last thing you want to have happen is for a dog to come along and dig it up. If a pooch digs through this mulch or spreads it randomly around your yard, it simply will not be effective any longer. So what can you do to prevent such a yard disaster? Well, the key is in knowing what repels dogs. But as all dogs are different, what’s effective with one canine may not be successful with another. Therefore, let’s take a look at a few methods for keeping dogs out of your garden mulch. There are a few different methods you can try.

1. Cayenne Pepper Mix

Once you’ve figured out the problem areas — the places where dogs return to again and again — try applying a cayenne pepper mix. Combine cayenne pepper and water in a spray bottle. The ratio for this repellent is 1 part cayenne pepper to 10 parts water. Be careful not to overdo the pepper portion, as this may make it unhealthy for dogs. Once you’ve created your mix, spray it on and around the problem area in a fine mist. Be sure to soak the troublesome spot completely.

2. Vinegar

If the cayenne pepper and water solution doesn’t do the trick, try a vinegar and water mixture. To do this, mix in 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water. Spray it over the problem region with a misty spray, and completely saturate the mulch.

3. Citrus

If dogs are undeterred by both cayenne pepper and vinegar, you might want to try citrus. Chop up a couple of lemons into wedges, then squeeze the juice over the mulch and let it soak in for a few minutes. Next, spread a few lemon wedges around your garden.

4. Ammonia

Lastly, you can drench cotton balls with ammonia and put them in and around the mulch area. Use ammonia sparingly, however, because it is a toxic chemical, which might injure a dog.

Of course, there are also over-the-counter repellents that can be purchased at drugstores and pet shops, if these aforementioned natural remedies don’t solve the problem. But you should always try these homemade fixes first. Not only are they natural, but they’re also less expensive than having to spend money on something you might already have in your kitchen cabinet or refrigerator at home.