Aggie,

We have an issue with our neighbor's cats and have tried a number of things to keep her cats OUT of our garden (as they've peed, pooped, and even broken many of hubby's prized plants). I've used Repel II granules to help control SOME of their habits but have to use it repeatedly (these cats are obnoxious) so hubby has resorted to a variety of different methods to keep them off of the wall. For a dog, it would be different.

There is a water-activated contraption called a Scarecrow that might work. It is kind of expensive but you may want to look into it. Here's a link with some info.

You can probably find some deals on it if you do some searching. I checked on ebay and there's someone selling one beginning auction at $.99 right now! I'd probably go on ebay for one, if I was going to get one. We didn't go with the Scarecrow because of at the time, Tifanny (our dog) would go outside to do her business and we didn't want her getting blasted. ;P

Here is a link that might be useful: Scarecrow Sprinkler

I don't know for sure but I don't think dog pee is going to hurt your garden. Esp. male dog pee because they tend to spread it around a bit so less chance of burn. Cat are a whole other story because they dig and bury and their poop and it can carry disease plus cat pee stinks.

I have lots of boys in my house and they are allowed to pee on the garden (and are encouraged to pee in the compost). If it really bothers you maybe a squirt gun aimed between the eyes will teach him to stay away.

Sherry I thought of that just before..about the spray gun or water gun type thing. Thanks for the link to that Scarecrow, that is neat! I like that..
The reason I don't want him doing it is because some of it we wanted to eat. My dill, fennel, and basil are right there and we would never use it now..

Hi Robin and thanks for the reply-the reason I thought it would burn it is because there is a bush down the end of the yard where he pees and it is brown and dead where he does his business. So I thought it would ruin my plants and herbs too.
I did go out and rinse it off with water so that it won't sit. I'll let you all know how the water idea goes over.

Aggie

Dog pee does burn, maybe it depends on the dog, but every dog I owned, left nice burn spots all over the yard.

robynpa- I don't understand, why would you use urine in compost? What properties does it have to help compost? Manure is used because it comes from animals that eat plants only. But I just don't get the urine, is it some secret I don't know about?

I feel for you, Aggie, having to deal with your mother-in-law so much and having her next door. My MIL lived nearby for years, then she moved in with us, and we had to take care of her for years before she went to a nursing home. My husband became disabled before she went to the nursing home, so I was taking care of 2 disabled people for a while! I think that's why I went "buggy"!
My dogs pee wherever they feel like it and nothing is ever hurt, but then they've got acreage to use. Tdogmom's idea sounds like a great one!
MissSherry

Info about urine in the compost is posted below. There is also tons of info on the Composting Forum.

"Well maybe you didnt know that human urine is the fastest acting, most excellent source of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium and some trace elements. Not only that, but we all have a constant, year round supply of it  and itÂs free! ThereÂs not a lot of effort involved in creating this wonderful organic liquid fertilizer.

Some men I know are more than happy to oblige a tree, bush or lawn (out of view, of course).

Did you know that many toilets use between 50 and 100 litres of water a day to flush around 1.5 litres of pee? And the high levels of nutrients in our effluent systems leads to the growth of algae, which ultimately causes the death of plants and animals throughout our waterways.

What are the advantages of using urine as an organic liquid fertilizer?

If youÂre not flushing this valuable liquid down the loo, you are reducing your water consumption  good for the environment and your pocket

YouÂll be reducing the amount of sewerage runoff

ThereÂll be less nutrients in our waterways

Urine as a liquid fertilizer is available in an ideal chemical form for plants to use

Gardening costs are less as your liquid fertilizer is free

It is readily available all year round and there are no transportation costs

Just so that you know, fresh human urine is sterile (unless there is a urinary tract infection  this urine should not be used) and so free from bacteria.

I recommend that you dilute urine to 10-15 parts water to 1 part urine for application on plants in the growth stage. Dilute to 30-50 parts water to 1 part urine for use on pot plants as they are much more sensitive to fertilizers of any kind.

Trees, shrubs and lawn should cope well without dilution. Withhold the use of urine liquid fertilizer on all food plants at least two weeks before harvesting. Apply under fruiting plants, not directly on foliage.

DonÂt use urine older than 24hours on your plants as the urea turns into ammonia and will burn your plants. If itÂs not fresh, add it to your compost heap. Adding undiluted human urine to your compost heap will help heat it up quickly as it is an excellent activator and will add to the final nutrient value.

As far as antibiotics, vitamin supplements and other medications go, yes they will end up in your urine, but in such minute quantities that I believe to be negligible  especially when it is diluted.

So put this excellent source of free liquid fertilizer to good use in your garden, rather than add to the burden that we as humans cause to our environment.

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener and am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia. It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening. This will improve both our individual lives and the wellbeing of our personal and global environments. Please visit my website and get your free 3 part Composting Guide. For Companion Planting info click here".

Wow,you learn something new every day!I would try fertilizing my flowers this way but am afraid the neighbors would call the cops :(

Our dog has left brown spots also. He killed a rose bush peeing on it. I would grab the water hose and let him have it. PS I am a mother in law with both daughters in law by me!lol

Put up an electric fence and when it peez zowie! ;-) So your mother-in-law knows her dog does this and just lets it go?? I'd say that's not very nice. She should respect your property and not let her dog do that. Does she know it bothers you? Somebody was just telling us on a birding website about putting peppermint oil around the outside of the garden to keep out critters. I wonder if that work for dogs as well? Gosh, I sure hope you get the problem resolved...that would upset me too.
Cathy

How is your aim? A sling shot can be very effective. Just load it up with ice and fire. The evidence melts. LOL You are more tolerant than I am. I would have called the dog pound already.

1) Fences--yours and/or hers!
2) Leash law!
3) Scarecrow sprinkler
4) knock down drag out confrontation

Just because she is your MIL does not make her immune from being chastised for stupidity and impoliteness.

I'd start with a very simple wire fence about 3' from your garden edge. If you can't do that, make it either electric (light zap) or solid.

Tell MIL that if she doesn't keep her dog out of your stuff you will be forced to get nasty and that you don't really want to start a war--but you don't want dog pee on your food, either!

A strong water blast directed at his (ahem) vulnerable parts will certainly get his attention.

Depending on where he came from, he may have some major obedience issues; some rescue GH are notorious for 'if it isn't on a track I'm deaf as a stump' and require more aggressive attention-getting methods.

Good luck!

Personally, I think that you would not want to do something to make you MIL incredibly mad. This is not a regular neighbor, but someone that you are going to have to be in contact with for a very long time. If the relationship is really toxic, the stress and anger and bad relationship might eat at you. It's not worth the terrible fight.

Do you have a fence between your properties? That would seem an easy way to keep her dog in her yard, and out of yours. Talk to her about it, the less nasty you keep it the better.

And, I guess my feeling about it is that because you are going to have to have a relationship with this person for a very long time, the better the relationship is the better it will be for you. Maybe you can figure out a way to keep the dog from peeing on the garden.

Elaine

I agree with caterwallin, put up an electric fence. I had trouble with a neighbors dog coming into my garden at night and digging up everything. We tried chasing him out with both a watergun and paintball gun when we could catch him but nothing worked until we put up the electric fence and he NEVER came back after he was hit with it, and no it didn't kill him. Plus it is environmentally correct and you won't have to harbor resentment toward the MIL. You'll have a smile on your face when you see that he isn't coming over to do his business at your house anymore.
The cost will be worth the peace of mind

Wow I had a lot of trouble getting on today, anyone else? The page would not come up at all....I wanted to come on and thank everyone for there responses. There are great ideas in there. So far, so good-he has not done it again from the other day. When I hear the door open I look out and if she is out with him I go out too. I stand right where he would pee so I block his way. I also got a big spray gun ready for when i catch him-I'll get him! He hates water so I think it should work.
Now for those that asked if she knows he does this-yes she does. She stands on the deck and says (not yells) No, don't do that-get out of there. Now I have never known a dog to respose to that! You got to give them a loud command to stop-now! Or get off the deck and stop him.
This has been a touchy subject from the first year we lived here and put out flowers, I planted themall over the back yard-he peed all over them and killed them all and she did nothing. So I never planted flowers again-anywhere that he could get to them.
This garden is on our side of the yard, on the side of my house where he is not suppose to be.
I told my husband that if it happens again I am going to have to say something, it is just, to me, the rudest thing in the world. I would never let my dog go up and poop on her deck so why would her dog peeing on my garden be any different?

Aggie

Aggie, I hear the frustration and anger in your voice as I read your mail. Yes, you have a right to be bitter about this but she knows what's going on and obviously doesn't take it seriously enough to try and stop him. But you having this on your mind all day long is time wasted that could be spent on reading up on butterflies and other things that bring you joy. So, for your mental peace of mind, PLEASE invest in the electric fence. They are not very expensive and one box will feed a good bit of wire, plus after the initial contact with the fence, I would bet my butterfly bush that the MIL's dog will not return to your yard. Rover, my beloved pet, made contact with the one we put up for the neighbor's dog and he has not been in the garden again, (that was in the spring). Also, you don't need to have it turned on after contact is made unless you need to keep deer or other creatures out.

I'm going to look them up tomorrow and see how much and where you get them at.

Your right butterflutter, it does bother me. And the only way for it to stop is do something about it. I'll let you know in the future how it turns out-and thanks again for the help~**

Aggie

There has been some good ideals. My favorites are the electric wire & squirting him with water. I agree that for family harmony try to do any discussing calmly. Of course I am a MIL as I have 5 sons. So far I get along great with DIL's. They have more dogs, birds, & fish than I do. And of course I am the one with the garden!One lives with me(Thanks to Katrina) and one across the street. lol Good luck!