What plants deter dogs from peeing? The Ultimate Guide

Fences offer a physical barrier method to prevent unwanted guests. They can be placed around the border of your property to effectively stop the neighbor’s dogs from getting in. You can also add fences in the middle of your garden around areas that you want to cut off. If you have a child’s sandpit, for example, the last thing you want is for your dog to use it as a giant litter tray. Fences don’t have to be large, obtrusive to the eye, and ugly. Look for fence panels that are in keeping with your garden design and paint them natural colors. You can even turn them into a focal point for your garden design.

Lavender is one of the most popular scents with humans. We use it to make everything from essential oils to scented pillows, and it is said to give a blissful and restful aroma, hence its use in items like incense and pillows. While we humans love it, it has proven less popular with dogs. It is also a relatively easy plant to grow, and it will give off an incredible smell when the wind blows or when you brush against it. Similarly, when animals brush against it, the smell will likely halt the progress of any dog or cat.

Essentially, you’re looking for plants that have a strong smell: a smell that the typical dog doesn’t enjoy. This can seem challenging, considering dogs love nothing more than getting up close and personal with poop, garbage, and other bad smells, but the following plants have proven successful with other dog owners and keen gardeners.

Citronella is well known for its mosquito repelling capabilities, but according to some gardeners, it works effectively well to deter cats and dogs. Citronella sprays are available, or you can grow the plant itself. Citronella oil comes from the lemongrass plant, and this requires a very hot climate, so unless you live in the hottest parts of the country, you will find it a challenge to grow this natural canine repellent.

Plextranthus Canina, also known as the “Scaredy Cat” plant, is known for its ability to deter cats thanks to its smell. It has also proven effective at scaring dogs away. Despite its effectiveness at deterring animals, humans won’t notice the smell unless they rub against it or intentionally rub the plant to release the odor, making it a great addition to the garden.

What Are Some of the Most Common Plants Believed to Repel Dogs?

A few of the plants most commonly recommended for theirdog-repelling abilities are discussed below.

Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) — Marigolds are cute little orange or yellow flowers that are said to repel everything from dogs and cats to deer and rabbits. But unfortunately, while they may repel some invertebrates (they actually attract others), they don’t appear effective at repelling any mammals. Deer and rabbits don’t seem to eat them, but they don’t appear to have a true repellent effect.

Lavender (Lavandula spp.) – Humans love the smell of lavender so much that we use it to alter the scents of everything from garbage bags to air fresheners. But it doesn’t appear to repel dogs or cats well at all. Lavender may repel invertebrates, but it’s probably not going to help you keep furballs out of your garden.

Curry Plant (Helichrysum italicum) — Curry plant is a small shrubby plant with tiny yellow flowers. It is named for its strong odor, which is said to be reminiscent of the spice of the same name. Nevertheless, it doesn’t appear to have much of an effect on dogs at all.

Rue (Ruta graveolens) — Rue is said to repel dogs and cats because of its odor, but few seem to mind it much at all. In fact, it is wise to use care when planting or handling rue, as it can cause burn-like blisters on the skin, as well as a host of gastrointestinal symptoms if ingested.

Scaredy Cat Plant (Plectranthus caninus) — Typically recommended as a cat repellent, the scaredy cat plant is also said to repel dogs. But once again, there is no evidence that backs this assertion, and it doesn’t appear to work in this manner. Oddly, it is said to smell somewhat similar to marijuana.

Pepper Plants (Capsicum spp.) – Capsicum is the active ingredient in most peppers that causes them to burn your mouth. This substance does often repel dogs (it’s used in the best dog repellent sprays, for example), but it’s unlikely that the actual plants will deter dogs in an open-air environment.

There are dozens ofothers that appear in gardening magazines and similar sources, so we can’tdiscuss them all. Nevertheless, noneappear to work reliably in the desired context.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth trying, but I wouldn’tget your hopes up.

Japanese Spindle Tree

Species	Euonymus japonicus
Sun	Full sun
Placement	Large and small gardens

The Japanese spindle tree is an evergreen shrub or small tree that’s native to Japan, Korea, and China. The leaves are striking and have fine serrations, while the flowers are small and greenish white. Though inconspicuous, the flowers on the shrub can add some aesthetic appeal to your garden. Left to grow, the tree can reach 10–15 feet. Urine doesn’t penetrate the hard leaves of the Japanese spindle tree as easily as other plants. This plant does best in direct sunlight, however, and requires pruning. Pros

Beautiful leaves and flowers

Can grow to a tree

Hardy

Cons

Requires full sun

Requires pruning

8 SMELLS DOGS HATE ❌ (Some You May Not Know!)

If you have a dog, you know how nice it is to have it trained to go outside as needed. Housebreaking is a much-appreciated learned skill, and while you would much prefer to have your dog urinate outside, your dog can still wreak havoc on your lawn and garden. Dog urine has high concentrations of nitrogen and other salts, which can burn plant roots and may create an unfavorable environment for plants to grow.1

Fortunately, there are numerous plants that are resistant to dog urine. You can plant these in your garden and train your dog to use them as pee areas instead of fighting to keep your more fragile plants alive. Check out these nine pee-resistant plants to add to your garden.