Will a dog keep squirrels away? Surprising Answer

Be Careful What You Wish For

Caution: Dogs love to chase squirrels! Once your dog gets the hang of it, he/she will protect your home with every quivering, drooling, excited bone in their body. That means barking. It means leaping from the sofa to bark at squirrels through the sliding glass door while you’re on the phone. It means when you take her for walk in the park, you need to be on the alert so you don’t get your arms pulled out of your socket every time a furry gray tail shakes from behind a bush. So, weigh the positive and negative carefully and remember…training is key.

Dogs: Predator Repellents

Usually, squirrels will not stop until they get what they want, a behavior many people dislike and the reason why squirrels are considered pests. If you are looking for ways on how to deter squirrels, there are so many options to choose from. From planting flowers that squirrels don’t like, using essential oils or ultrasonic repellents, chemicals, even motion-activate sprinklers, the possibilities are endless, but the results usually are not. So if you have dogs at home (or cats), all the better as these furry friends can help shoo squirrels away. Yes, having a dog in your yard can prevent squirrels from visiting your home and messing your garden. So, why do dogs chase squirrels, and how can your dog help repel squirrels?

It’s simple. Dogs love to chase things. Dogs are hunters and natural predators. The presence of a predator can be a natural repellent for squirrels. Like their wolf ancestors, they can chase squirrels all day long. All dogs have prey drive – some more than others, who always love to play with anything that moves – like a squirrel. Your dog might not catch the squirrel but their presence alone will discourage any squirrel from getting too close. Your dog is the most natural, effective and cost effective method of deterring squirrels from your home and your life for good.

There are a few things to think about when considering employing your canine’s natural instincts to free your yard of critters:

No Interest: Alas, not all dogs have a high prey drive…some seem to have none at all. In this case, size doesn’t matter…your small Yorkie may have the constitution of Braveheart and chase those little guys all day long, while your 90 pound Labrador wants to invite them in for a snack. If they don’t want to do it, no amount of training or cajoling will many any difference.

Too Much Prey Drive: Some dogs – like German Shepherds for instance – are wholly prey driven. They are 1000% committed to chasing, catching or destroying every squirrel they see. They won’t stop until they a) chase it away and can’t see it anymore, or b) catch it and kill it. Once they have decided that is their job in the yard, they are lifelong sentries.

Barking: If you live in a neighborhood, and your dog loves his job, it usually ends in barking. It’s important to be considerate of your neighbors, so if you do encourage your dog to chase the squirrels away, learn how to stop the barking on command. Many a dog will sit at the base of a tree or fence and bark until they are hoarse.

Expectations: Don’t expect your dog (or cat!) to completely rid your area of squirrels. There are too many, and they are too fast. What a dog can do is keep them at bay…forcing them to maintain an acceptable distance from your house, garden, deck, bird feeders, etc. Our Sheltie, for instance, used to leap at the door whenever we joyfully yelled “Squirrel!” and would race through the door at breakneck speed. Squirrels were never a problem when we had the dog.

Results: Dogs take their jobs seriously. It’s important to know that if your dog catches a squirrel, it won’t be pretty and he/she might eat it. If your dog is up to date on all his/her shots etc., there is probably nothing to worry about. However, if you do encourage your dog to chase squirrels, do NOT keep poison or chemicals anywhere that a squirrel may ingest them.

Why Worry About Squirrels in the Garden?

With a fondness for fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, the common squirrel has long spelled trouble for home gardeners. From Maine to Montana, these wily critters yank geraniums from window boxes, pluck nearly ripe tomatoes from their vines, and strip apple trees like professional pickers. Though their foraging forays can happen at any time of year, a squirrel’s raid in late summer and early autumn can drive a gardener nuts.

Squirrels are especially active in late summer and autumn, when they stock up for winter. They do not hibernate (although they may “lie low” during cold spells), so their underground pantries are vitally important winter warehouses. They have a major instinct for hoarding food, which helps them to survive. Gray squirrels stash food by burying it in a scattered fashion around their territory.

Although North America is home to several species of squirrels, it is the suburb-savvy gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, that gives gardeners (and people who feed birds) the most grief. How did the clever critters find those flower bulbs, anyway? Why do they ransack some borders and leave others alone?

The average squirrel gathers acorns, pinecones, nuts, bark, fruit, berries, fungi, and insects, but is not above stealing bird eggs and bulbs. Sometimes they will even ruin your flowers just for the fun of it! Keep an eye out for these pesky visitors and try some of our tips below. Identification

Get Your Dog to Stop Chasing Squirrels

Squirrels can be a nuisance in the yard or garden by eating fruit, vegetables and birdseed and chewing tree bark. Squirrels also have a way of making their way into your attic or crawlspaces and setting up nests. Here’s how to get rid of squirrels in the yard and keep them out of your home.

Don’t feed them. If you feed them, they will come. Any food found in your yard is fair game for roaming creatures or those already calling your property home. When you’re hanging bird feeders, scattering plant seeds or throwing compostable food scraps into your garden, you create the opportunity for easy meals. You should weigh your enjoyment of bird watching with the potential to attract pests with uneaten birdseed.

Remove what attracts them. The sight and smell of fallen fruit, nuts and seeds lures squirrels. Rake your yard regularly to remove these items from under bird feeders and trees. Use garbage cans with tight-fitting lids to keep squirrels out of your trash.

Scare them. A dog or cat may keep squirrels out of your yard, particularly if your dog chases squirrels. If you don’t have a cat or dog, you can place plastic owls around your property on elevated surfaces such as fence posts or the roof to frighten squirrels away. You can also buy containers of predator (wolf or tiger) urine to spray in your yard or garden. The scent scares many animals, including squirrels, deer and rabbits. You need to re-apply the solution after it rains.

Exclude them. Keep squirrels out of your yard by blocking their entry points. Prevent squirrels from traveling along utility wires by putting two-foot sections of lightweight two- to three-inch diameter plastic pipe around non-electrical wires. Slit the pipe lengthwise, spread it open and place it over the wire. The pipe will spin on the wire, causing tightrope-walking squirrels to tumble to the ground.

Deter them. If you can’t keep ground squirrels out of your yard, you can keep them away from your trees and plants using squirrel baffles. Put a two-foot-wide metal collar around trees, at least six to eight feet off the ground. You can also use squirrel baffles on poles that support your bird feeders. Put fences or netting around your plants. Build a fence out of one-inch mesh wire. The fence should be at least 30 inches high and extend six inches below ground, with an additional six inches underground bent outward at a 90-degree angle to discourage burrowing. An electric fence is a further deterrent. Place at least two electrified fence strands about three inches from an existing fence, one six inches above the ground and the other at the fence height. Cut small pieces of plastic bird netting and wrap it around ripening fruit. Use heavyweight mulch, stones or decorative rocks on the surface of your soil to keep squirrels from digging in your flowerpots.

Repel them. Treat seeds, bulbs and flowers with a taste repellent such as capsaicin or commercially available chemical repellent. Reapply these substances after it rains. Don’t use repellents on vegetables or fruit you’re planning to eat. Plant mint at the edge of your garden. Squirrels avoid the smell of peppermint plants.

Plant flowers squirrels hate. Daffodils have a toxin that makes them inedible. Squirrels don’t like the taste of snowdrops, allium or hyacinth, so plant those spring bulbs as a deterrent. Trap them. Catching squirrels with a live trap can rid your yard or squirrels temporarily, but other squirrels often arrive to take their place. In many states, squirrels are considered a game species and are protected by law. Trapping may be illegal, so check with your state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Keep them out of your home. If you’re having problems with squirrels in your yard or garden, it could be a symptom of a larger problem: squirrels in your home. Walk around the exterior of your house looking for possible damage or breaches in the eaves, exterior walls or roof. Holes could serve as a squirrel’s point of entry and exit as they fetch food from your yard and take it back to their nest. Be sure to promptly patch or repair any openings to give squirrels one less option for entering.

Assess the squirrel activity in your yard or garden to determine the best way to get rid of ground squirrels. Look for signs of squirrel damage: golf ball-size or smaller holes in your plant beds, bite marks on fruit, missing plants or tree bark and container digging. Then follow the appropriate steps above to keep squirrels out of your yard or get rid of them after they arrive. Remember, a squirrel infestation can lead to severe damage that extends beyond that in your yard or garden. Prevent squirrels in your home by controlling the squirrels outside your home.