How To Keep Dogs Out of Your Yard (Low Cost Tips)

Do you need a pet-safe dog repellent to keep neighborhood dogs off your lawn? Our frugal readers share their most effective tips for humanely keeping dogs out of your yard.

Even dog lovers don’t want neighborhood dogs doing their business on their lawns. Animal urine can burn your grass, especially in areas where dogs seem to mark their turf, one after another. And no one wants to step in dog-doo when going out to the mailbox or mowing the lawn.

Commercial products can be expensive and aren’t always effective. So, we asked our frugal readers to share low-cost home remedies for keeping dogs out of your yard. Read on for their recommendations and tips.

Low-Cost Tips for Keeping Dogs Out of Your Yard

Hopefully one or more of these solutions will prevent neighborhood animals from using your yard as the local latrine.

Discourage Dogs With Potatoes

Semi-rotting potatoes repel dogs from coming around.
Amy

A Gardener’s Trick for Repelling Dogs

You can use a cayenne and red pepper mix. The strong smell deters them. I have seen the exact recipe on several gardening websites.
A.

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Keep Dogs Out of Your Yard With Vinegar

I read that if you spray the edge of your yard with vinegar, it will deter dogs/cats from coming into your yard. After a few weeks, they will remember that awful smell and bypass your yard. You have to re-spray after a rain.
Linda

Send Them Sneezing

I have used ground black pepper to keep dogs, cats and skunks away from my house and garden. One sniff of the pepper will send them running off sneezing. Next time, they will leave without marking your property.
Dean

A Unique Solution for Keeping Dogs Off Your Lawn

This will sound strange, but adult male human urine has hormones in it that repel other mammals. It makes use of the fact that males mark territory with urine. Such marking is taken as a “do not trespass” message. It will also deter rabbits, deer, etc.
Debbie

Try a Motion-Activated Sprinkler To Scare Away Dogs

You might try a motion-activated sprinkler that sprays with full garden hose pressure. They are designed specifically to humanely deter animals. You can find several online places that sell them.

Also, try talking with the dogs’ owners if you can identify them. I think it’s very irresponsible of them and gives pet owners a bad reputation.
Diane

Call the Dog Catcher

Isn’t there a leash law where you live? Call the dog catcher. Why should you have to put potentially harmful chemicals in your yard? It is the dog owner’s responsibility to control their animal.

I have three dogs. They don’t roam around to kill other peoples’ grass, get in the trash, or possibly bite someone.
Gregg

Trick the Dog Owners Into Keeping Their Dogs Out

I’ve got a tried and true remedy for dogs using your lawn as their personal privy. Fill gallon jugs with water. Place them around the perimeter of your yard, every 3′ or so. Your neighbors will ask you what the jugs are for and you can tell them that you’re sick and tired of dogs messing up your yard and you heard that this would do the trick. It worked for me.
Joanne in California

Spray Listerine on Lawn

How can you keep dogs out of your yard? You can spray Listerine on the lawn. You can buy generic or store brand since the name brand is expensive.
Kathy

“Dog-B-Gone” Tonic

According to Jerry Baker, “America’s Master Gardener,” in his book Green Grass Magic, if a dog urinates on your lawn, water it immediately to dilute the urine and minimize the damage. He also gives a recipe for his “Dog-B-Gone Tonic” which contains:

2 cloves garlic
2 small onions
1 jalapeno pepper
1 T. cayenne pepper
1 T. Tabasco sauce
1 T. chili powder
1 T. liquid dish soap
1 qt. warm water

Chop up the garlic and onions and combine all ingredients. Let it sit for 24 hours, strain through cheesecloth, and then sprinkle on the areas that you want dogs to keep away from.
Karen

Get a Spray

Look for dog-repellent spray. I have used a formula for chipmunks and rabbits and I was very surprised at how well it works — without harming any animals, plants, grass or the environment.
Shelley

Put in a Fences

I say get a fence. Back home growing up in NJ that happened a lot, even a small picket fence along just the front will keep them off. Might look very nice, too.
TSM

Try Mothballs

Animals don’t like the odor of mothballs. Put the mothballs into a container that has holes so that the dogs can smell them, but where the container is too big for them to swallow. The goal is to chase them away, not to harm them.
Angel