It is no news that coffee serves different purposes besides beverage consumption. Coffee is helpful for many things like artworks, scrubs, odour neutralisers and many other things.
A not-so-new discovery is coffee grounds that serve the purpose of dog repellent. If your dog, your neighbour’s or any other dog has been sniffing around your garden and messing it up, it’s time to put your coffee grounds to good use. Does it truly work? If yes, how does it work?
This article shall discuss how to use coffee grounds to repel dogs from destroying your garden or keeping them away in general.
Dogs Digging
Quite a lot of dogs love to dig. Ratter dogs are the most guilty of this behaviour. They love digging around because they tend to find and eliminate their prey from their hide-outs naturally. They perform this task diligently and efficiently. Their style of sniffing and pursuing their game may be soothing to watch as the owner, or the person is being disturbed by their prey. However, they tend to overdo it sometimes. When ratter dogs start digging up your garden and messing it up, you tend to get concerned and probably, angry. Coffee grounds to the rescue!
What do Coffee Grounds do to Dogs?
Coffee contains caffeine which is a toxic and dangerous chemical to some animals like cats and dogs. These animals know it’s a no-no, making them have ‘coffee phobia.’
Also, dogs hate the smell of anything bitter. If you have any disturbance from dogs in your garden and have some coffee grounds at home, you are just in luck! You can keep the dogs off with coffee grounds.
How to Use Coffee Grounds to Stop Dog Digging
The whole process of keeping dogs at bay with coffee grounds is not complicated. All you have to do is take your coffee grounds and spread them over the garden or places your dog digs around. You can leave it this way or mix it carefully into the soil.
When the dog goes and smells the coffee in that area, he automatically stays away. However, dogs react to smells differently.
Can Used Coffee Grounds Hurt Dogs?
The Caffeine in coffee is dangerous for dogs. Once you sprinkle coffee grounds on your garden to stop dogs from digging, you may still have to supervise the area.
Although most dogs would automatically stay away from areas ingested with coffee grounds, some may not. People react to things differently, and so do animals.
The importance of your supervision is to ensure any dog does not ingest the coffee grounds; if they do, they risk having caffeine poisoning.
If you use coffee grounds around your dogs, you should look out for caffeine poisoning symptoms like;
- Panting
- Increased thirst
- Increased urination
- Vomiting
- Atypical heartbeat
- Restlessness
- Diarrhea
- Seizures
How Much is Coffee Grounds Bad for Dogs?
The number of coffee grounds that take a toll on dogs varies. Sizes matter a lot. A Standard poodle would not quickly react to the taste of coffee grounds like a Yorkie.
Do Coffee Grounds Harm Plants?
It’s okay for the following question in your mind to be, “if it hurts a dog, won’t it hurt my plants too?”
The answer to this is similar to that of the dogs. Plants are different, and they react to things differently. Caffeine is acidic, and acid-loving plants can’t have any problem around coffee grounds. Other plants that are acid intolerant may suffer.
Soil type also makes a difference.
Homemade Aggressive Dog Repellent
In case coffee grounds do not keep dogs away from your property, you can try some other homemade repellents like;
-
Orange Peel
Dogs hate the bitter smell. Aside from the bitter aromas, dogs also dislike citrus. Like coffee, citrus can also keep dogs away and stop them from digging around. Other citrus fruits like lemon and grapefruits can also serve as alternatives.
-
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is another natural method that is popularly known among dog owners to keep dogs away from digging. All you need to do is sprinkle some of it on your soil, and your dogs won’t even go near those areas.
Cayenne also has a few benefits for your soil in terms of alkaline.
-
Vinegar
Vinegar is a very acidic natural product that can effectively keep your dogs away from digging in your garden.
-
Chilli Powder
-
Ammonia
-
Mustard Oil
How do You Treat Caffeine Poisoning in Dogs
As it is with all poisoning situations, early intervention is critical. That’s why you must monitor your dogs after using the coffee grounds in your garden.
A common remedy people use is activated charcoal. It prevents caffeine from going into the gastrointestinal tract. If it has gotten there, you will have to use a laxative to flush it out or even a gastric lavage.
However, if you can’t handle this on your own, visit your veterinarian immediately.
How Long Does it Take for Dogs to Recover from Caffeine Toxicity?
Recovery depends on how early treatment starts and the type of treatment. If untreated, caffeine poisoning can break down a dog’s central nervous system. But, if proper professional care intervenes, all you need to do is follow instructions from your veterinarian to know how to deal with side effects till complete recovery.
FAQs About Using Coffee Grounds to Repel Dogs
What Smell Repels Dogs?
Dogs can’t stand the smell and taste of things like citrus fruits, vinegar, coffee grounds and anything with a bitter taste. So, you can use them to your advantage to repel dogs.
Do Coffee Grounds Hurt Grass?
Large quantities of fresh coffee grounds can affect your soil and make it look sick. The caffeine content in coffee beans causes this. Just ensure you use it in moderate quantity.
Do Used Coffee Grounds Still Have Caffeine?
Contrary to what you might be thinking, coffee grounds still contain coffee after they have been soaked with water and filtered. However, the caffeine is in smaller quantities compared to when the coffee is not brewed.
Do Dogs Hate Black Pepper?
When taken in large quantities, black pepper upsets dogs’ stomachs because they detest anything spicy.
What Animals Will Coffee Grounds Repel?
Coffee grounds work so well against pests. Animals like snails, rabbits, fire ants, cats, slugs and dogs that disturb you can be repelled with coffee grounds.
Are Animals Attracted to Coffee Grounds?
Coffee grounds are not so much of a fan for a lot of animals. The smell and taste repel some animals like slugs, snails, ants, cats, and dogs.
What Animal Eats Coffee Grounds?
A cat-like animal known as the Asian palm civet roams the Bali forest at night to eat the ripe coffee cherries of Kopi Luwak.
Final Words
The process of using coffee grounds to chase your dogs from digging around the garden is an easy one.
However, this may also affect your soil. So, you may have to consider other alternatives.
Like humans, dogs have preferences. Coffee grounds do not repel all dogs, even though their consumption is generally dangerous for them. There are other ways to repel dogs. You can do this with the use of different smells dogs detest. They have been listed above. Check the available one, and remember to use it in moderation.
Also, check your dogs for any unusual symptoms after applying these repellents. In cases where they swallow them, visit your veterinarian immediately.
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