Keeping dogs out of perennial beds

Chris...I hope this isn't too much off topic but a couple of years ago it was 
discussed at length: how to keep dogs out of perennial beds.

I bought vegetable row cover hoops and put them in a bed at perpendicular 
angles to one another. I started this training session in an older bed that was 
under reconstruction so that the dogs could easily see the stretched out hoops, 
the top of each hoop being no more than 14" high. From the get-go, the dogs 
wanted nothing to do with the crazy maze of bent metal and they don't leap in 
even to chase a squirrel. I suppose smaller dogs might need more hoops to deter 
them. But, it allows me to enter at will and I haven't fallen yet:-)  Also, 
as time passes, I plan to remove quite a few of the hoops, the dogs presumably 
having learned that the beds are booby trapped, and the emerging plants will 
obliterate most of the hoops..at least, that's the plan. Maybe the hoops will 
be able to be removed all together.

Late fall would seem to be a perfect time to begin this sort of training 
exercise as the perennial beds would  have a lot of empty space. I didn't want to 
try it in the summer in existing beds or the dogs might have injured 
themselves but this fall I'm buying (Gardener's Supply has them for a decent price but 
I'm sure they can be had for less) more for other areas that the dogs trample.

I hope this helps others.

Joanie Anderson
35 mi. north of Chicago

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