There is nothing more frustrating than planting a beautiful garden only to find that your dog’s dug half of it back up during a bathroom break. You love your dog, but sometimes they drive you crazy. One way to help keep your dog out of certain places is to use scents that dogs don’t particularly enjoy.
For centuries, people have been using dogs to help them track and hunt. Few animals have as strong a sense of smell as your beloved pet. Whether you want to help dissuade your dog from entering places they shouldn’t or you want to make sure your home is the most comfortable it can be for them, here are a few scents that dogs hate.
1. Citrus
While you may enjoy a cup of orange juice now and then, dogs absolutely hate the smell of citrus. This includes lemons, grapefruit, and even limes. Perhaps the smell is too acidic or acrid. Whatever the reason might be, dogs are not a fan of it.
This is great news for you, however, since most people find the scent of citrus to be quite refreshing and pleasant. Citrus is often used in a lot of cleaners because it can cut through grease and other messes.
If you need to keep your dog from entering your garden or staying off of the furniture, one solution is to make a spray. Try mixing concentrated lemon juice with water. Before you start spraying everywhere, it’s a good idea to first test it against certain fabrics and plants.
Sometimes lemon can kill a plant if it’s too acidic. It can also discolor certain fabrics. So long as the test passes, then you can feel free to spray the repellant on anything that you want your dog to avoid. You’ll also need to re-spray a few times throughout the month.
2. Chili Pepper
While sometimes spicy food can entice a dog near it, one spicy ingredient that they don’t like is chili pepper. Perhaps you’ve noticed that your dog remains close to you even when you have a bowl of chili. That isn’t due to the chili pepper. Your dog is likely attracted to the other ingredients in the chili.
If you want to test if your dog enjoys the scent of chili peppers or not, simply take one and hold it close to your dog. If they seem disinterested or even walk away, then that’s a good sign that they don’t like it. Just be sure that their curiosity doesn’t get the best them, and they end up taking a bite out of the pepper.
Capsaicin is the chemical that the dog doesn’t particularly like. It’s also what’s responsible for making a chili pepper so spicy.
If you want to make a repellant out of chili pepper, then be careful. While it isn’t toxic in itself, chili pepper can irritate the eyes, mouth, and throat area. After making and applying the powder, you might accidentally touch your eyes or mouth. A burning sensation may occur.
That’s why when you’re handling this particular repellent, it might be a good idea to wear gloves. To make the powder, you’re going to want to mix the cayenne powder with the chili pepper.
Then you can directly apply the powder to whatever object or area you want the dog to avoid. For those who love spray solutions, then you can also take this powder and place it in a little bit of water.
You should avoid this method if you have children. Or, at least, do not apply it in places where children regularly touch. It can also negatively impact those with breathing problems.
3. Vinegar
Just like their human counterparts, dogs do not enjoy the scent of vinegar. Because it’s so strong for you, the scent of vinegar is easily twice or even three times that amount for your dog.
There are a few methods that you can utilize for vinegar repellants. The first is to use it in containers. You can open a small container of vinegar and simply leave it open. Place it in areas that you don’t want the dog to get into.
You can also soak the vinegar in a rag and then run the rag into areas for the dog to avoid. When used with water, you can also use it as a spray.
It should be noted that this method will make the entire area smell like vinegar. Unless you happen to enjoy the smell, this method is better used for outdoor areas.
Since vinegar is also non-toxic, you don’t have to worry about it hurting anyone. However, if you’re spraying it outside, then you should first test it on plants that it’s going to be by or applied to. Certain sensitive plants may end up dying due to the vinegar.
4. Mothballs
One effective method for keeping dogs out of areas is mothballs. The scent of them can irritate the dog’s nose. They’re not particularly pleasant for humans to smell either. However, it will keep your dog out of certain areas as well as moths and other bugs.
However, mothballs are poisonous to both dogs and humans. Should your dog be the curious type, it might not be a good idea to leave mothballs laying around on the floor or in areas that the dog can reach.
If they eat them, your dog could become seriously ill. When using mothballs, keep them out of reach of both your pet and children.
5. Ammonia
Another unpleasant odor that dogs cannot stand is the smell of ammonia. Due to how sensitive your dog’s nose, ammonia can actually irritate it.
The best way to use ammonia as a repellent is to rub it into a rag or cloth, and then use that rag or cloth to spread it into an area or against some furniture. You can also soak it into a few cotton balls.
Ammonia should only be used in places that are well-ventilated. This is because ammonia is also a strong odor for humans.
6. Rubbing Alcohol
If you’ve ever had to clean your nails or soak an injury and used rubbing alcohol, then maybe you’ve noticed that your dog high-tails it out of there. The scent of rubbing alcohol is quite strong, even for humans.
For dogs, the scent is incredibly unpleasant. The problem with using rubbing alcohol as a repellent is that the scent doesn’t always last that long. This is because the alcohol evaporates into the air.
One way to make the scent last longer is to use cotton balls instead of a spray. After being soaked in it, the cotton ball can hold onto the alcohol far longer than a spray would by merely dispersing it in the air.
Those soaked cotton balls should then be placed in areas around the home. As with the other repellants, make sure your children cannot reach the cotton balls.
7. Sour Apple
Interestingly enough, dogs aren’t too fond of the scent of sour apples either. The acidic odor is likely a deterrent for them. You can use sour apple in an essential oils repellent spray to keep your dog off of the furniture.
Simply add six drops of your essential oil of choice. Then include the sour apple fragrance. You can also use fragrances like citrus, eucalyptus, and cinnamon to further help repel the dog.
With the right fragrance added, mix the solution together, so the oil is spread evenly throughout the mixture. Once stirred, the spray is ready to be used. Because some dogs might be allergic to certain oils, it’s always a good idea to carefully test a small area on your dog and your children.
If they don’t break out in hives or develop a rash, then the spray is safe to use around them.
