How to Keep Dogs Out of Your Yard

It happened again. Rover next door happened to visit your yard leaving behind unmistakable traces of his presence. What to do? Your neighbor poses a deaf ear to your requests of keeping his dog under control, your cat is terrified of heading out  for his evening stroll, your flower bed is stepped all over and your lawn is starting to become yellow from Rover's frequent territorial marking.  You ultimately seem stuck in an annoying situation where Rover is the ultimate winner, should you just give up and get used to the idea of having this four legged guest become the king of your yard?

The answer is no. There are many solutions you may resort to in order to claim your yard and enjoy it too. The secret is to turn your yard into an unpleasant place to be and if you are consistent and persistent enough, you will soon break Rover's cycle of visiting and re-visiting it after some time. Following are some humane and effective ways to keep your neighbor's dog out of your yard.

• One Last Talk to Your Neighbor

Let your neighbor know that since he has been deaf to all your requests you now must step up in order to get your rights back. Often, this acts as a wake up call for any dog owner if they care for their dog. Tell him or her that you will take care of this in a legal manner and that you know that he or she is at a loss. This last talk just lets your neighbor know that you mean business and may ultimately help solve the issue before having to resort to other measures.

• Check Your Local Ordinances

If your neighbor cared less about last night's talk, then it is time to check your local ordinances. Most towns have leash laws that need to be respected or serious fines may follow. Dogs roaming free in neighborhoods put at risk drivers, people and other pets. Wandering dogs therefore may cause severe legal implications to their owners if legal ordinances are in place. Do some research and report the owner or make a copy of the law and mail it to him.

• Wet Your Lawn

If you do not want to go th legal route or if they are no traces of legal implications for free roaming dogs, then you may want to resort to some strategies to outsmart the dog. If Rover is left out each day at a certain time, turn on the sprinkler an hour prior. Most dogs do not like to walk on a wet lawn and hate to do business in it, when there are drier options around the neighborhood.

• Invest in a Scarecrow

No, you do not need to adopt a scarecrow to guard your property. A scarecrow is a water sprinkler device that is activated upon detecting motion. Rover will therefore get sprayed at with an unexpected motion and noise that will surely startle him and act as a valid deterrent. It may take two or three tries, or a bit more for very persistent dogs but all ultimately get the message sooner than later.

• Purchase a Dog Dazer

This tool emits a sound that cannot be perceived by humans but that results discomforting (not painful) to dogs. This tool works in keeping dogs away from a range of up to twenty feet. All that needs done is to press on the button as soon as an approaching dog is seen.

• Install a Fence

Obviously, this is the ultimate solution that will grant priceless peace and quiet and that will allow you to repossess the crown as king of the yard. You do not have to spend thousands of dollars in putting up a thick gauge chain link fence, rather there are alternatives to expensive fencing. Look into chicken wire or other cheaper alternatives that require little material and easy set up.

As seen, there are many peaceful and humane solutions to keeping Rover out of your yard. Please, please, please don't think about poisoning the dog or hurting it in any way. The poor dog has nothing to do with the problem, it's the owner's fault! These solutions may require a bit of initial investment but they ultimately pay off when you see your lawn turning green again, your flowers growing and no more stinky messes to pick up every day.