Completely Demolished!
So I went out into my yard a few minutes ago and found my dog in my raised bed. SHE ATE EVERYTHING!! All of my transplants, and seedlings are mangled, pulled up or partially eaten with holes everywhere! I feel like I should just give up, but I really don't want to. Isn't it too late to start over? What should I do?
Well I am not sure where you live, the only Emerald City I have heard of was ruled by a wizard. 
But I say never - ever say quit. There is always time to try again. Heck I have planted more things at the wrong time and was surprised at the outcome. But before you do, you will have to figure out if your beloved dog will go back there, that would really make you mad if it happened again. I am sure alot of others have been hit by this horrible weather going through the midwest and have had gardens flooded and blown down, you just have to suck it and try again. I know last month we had a horrible storm blow through (florida) and literally snap off all my sunflowers which were just about 5 foot high and ready to bloom and I lost some great tomato plants as well. I had a huge branch loaded with green peppers snap right off - I was so mad, but I did the old - Don't sweat the small stuff and replanted. I did cheat on a few items and bought plants already started (home depot/walmart) which speeded things up, maybe you can do that with some stuff so you don't lose too much time. Good luck and let us know. 
But I say never - ever say quit. There is always time to try again. Heck I have planted more things at the wrong time and was surprised at the outcome. But before you do, you will have to figure out if your beloved dog will go back there, that would really make you mad if it happened again. I am sure alot of others have been hit by this horrible weather going through the midwest and have had gardens flooded and blown down, you just have to suck it and try again. I know last month we had a horrible storm blow through (florida) and literally snap off all my sunflowers which were just about 5 foot high and ready to bloom and I lost some great tomato plants as well. I had a huge branch loaded with green peppers snap right off - I was so mad, but I did the old - Don't sweat the small stuff and replanted. I did cheat on a few items and bought plants already started (home depot/walmart) which speeded things up, maybe you can do that with some stuff so you don't lose too much time. Good luck and let us know. -
speedster7926
- Senior Member
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 11:10 pm
- Location: southport FL
what I did is well for one I have a raised bed the is almost 2 ft high I got about 88 sq ft of garden space in it and I have 2 jack russle/rat terriers and they love jumpin it and digging up everything and using the bathroom in it too. I went to walmart and got a cheap plastic roll of fence 4ft high and tacked it up I have 2x2's as corner posts and 3ft above the top of the bed so it was easy for me and I mean cheap fence lol it breaks if you pull hard enough but it has lasted one month so far w/ no probs at all so good luck and never give up I'm 24 and very new to gardening I learn by exp and trust me I have gone through a lot of probs so far lol this is only my second year
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hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
Many crops have quick maturities which allow multiple plantings in a season. As far north as you are, lettuce and salad greens should have plenty of time to mature. I would rec. loose leaf types and maybe some arugula if you like its spiciness. Radishes mature in just a few weeks as do green bean and sweet peas. You should be able to buy transplants from the local nursery or farmer's market. If I were you, I would consider improvising a fence around the raised bed. T-posts and 4 foot 2 x 4 weld wire is not overly expensive and will last for many years. As far north as you are, I'm surprised that you were able to get things in the ground so quickly, here in S.C. this past week is the first panting date for tender transplants, I guess your Pacific marine climate must moderate the temperature a lot. Good luck with re-planting.
That's so frustrating!
In our area it's a little late to be starting tomatoes from seed, I think, but if you can buy starts at a store you'll be just fine. It's just right around our average last frost date where I live a bit east of Seattle; things like squash and cukes you still have time to start indoors or you can just wait to seed directly outside when it's a tad warmer. Peas are a bit late to be re-seeding but if our summer was like last year (way cool) you would still get a great harvest (mine would've lasted all summer had I not pulled them to make room for other things!).
Eric/DoubleDogFarm may be more helpful, he's been at this longer than I have and he's probably closer in climate to you; I average 3-5 degrees cooler than Seattle so I'm a bit behind you in my planting times.
In our area it's a little late to be starting tomatoes from seed, I think, but if you can buy starts at a store you'll be just fine. It's just right around our average last frost date where I live a bit east of Seattle; things like squash and cukes you still have time to start indoors or you can just wait to seed directly outside when it's a tad warmer. Peas are a bit late to be re-seeding but if our summer was like last year (way cool) you would still get a great harvest (mine would've lasted all summer had I not pulled them to make room for other things!).
Eric/DoubleDogFarm may be more helpful, he's been at this longer than I have and he's probably closer in climate to you; I average 3-5 degrees cooler than Seattle so I'm a bit behind you in my planting times.
Oh no, firstly I didn't actually find her in my bed, but I'm guessing from the bits of lettuce on her mouth and her little nose covered in dirt that it was her 
- so I couldn't even really yell at her - she would've just looked at me funny if I came outside yelling for apparently no reason, lol. Its my fault really, guess I should have put a fence up
- so I couldn't even really yell at her - she would've just looked at me funny if I came outside yelling for apparently no reason, lol. Its my fault really, guess I should have put a fence up Well, you know what to do:
Get a newspaper and roll it up tight. Hold it in your hand and take good aim. Make sure you hit your forehead right square in the middle while saying, "Bad owner! Bad owner! I should have been watching my puppy!"
OK. Four-month-old puppies are not only the cutest beings on the planet but the most energetic, most mouthy ("Gee, what *else* can I get into my mouth?"), and most curious. Kind of like a 2-year-old toddler, but with even more mobility and lots of very sharp teeth.
That's one reason they're sometimes referred to as "land sharks."
Seriously, though, both human toddlers *and* puppies explore the world with their mouths. That's why so many toy packages say "Not for children under 3 years of age"; there's a likelihood that small parts may be swallowed while tasting or otherwise testing them.
If you don't already have one, might I suggest an [url=https://www.petedge.com/product/Home-Kennel/Cages-Crates/Exercise-Pens/Easy-Ex-Pen/pc/194/c/310/sc/381/56526.uts]exercise pen[/url]? Most often referred to by dog people as an "ex pen," this is a kind of portable fence that can be put up and taken down in a matter of seconds. Purchase the size suitable for the grown dog; that way, Puppy will always consider the ex pen "too big" to jump over. They come in various heights, from 18" or so to 48". My ex pens (I have two) are 42" high and are the standard eight-panel variety.
Ex pens come in handy when you need to take Puppy somewhere with you (your parents' home, maybe?) and the residents are understandably hesitant about an untrained animal in their home or in their yard, but Puppy is too young to be left alone or needs the socialization with additional people/their pets. His bed, toys, and water can remain in the ex pen with him, and a leash fastened to the side of the ex pen for controlled entry and exit to and from the ex pen.
I'm sorry about the destroyed garden. The lettuce and dirt on Puppy sound like good evidence of Who Done It to me, too! But I'm so glad there was nothing unhealthy for her to get into. *whew* If she's like my dogs, she'll just love watching you work outdoors from the safety of her ex pen; just be sure to keep her on a [url=https://www.petedge.com/product/Training-Control/Collars-Restraints/Training-Collars-Leads/Guardian-Gear-Cotton-Web-Dog-Training-Leads/pc/196/c/305/sc/323/46863.uts]long line[/url] (I suggest the 15-foot length) when you let her out to play until you get a permanent fence installed. Vergil was very fond of just-picked tomatoes. *wistful sigh*
Enjoy your puppy and take lots of photos; she won't be this cute for long! You can plant another garden, but you can't make your puppy four months old again. And just keep telling yourself: "She doesn't know better. I'm the human here." etc.
(Can you tell I've been through this a couple of times? Oh, yeah.
)
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Get a newspaper and roll it up tight. Hold it in your hand and take good aim. Make sure you hit your forehead right square in the middle while saying, "Bad owner! Bad owner! I should have been watching my puppy!"
OK. Four-month-old puppies are not only the cutest beings on the planet but the most energetic, most mouthy ("Gee, what *else* can I get into my mouth?"), and most curious. Kind of like a 2-year-old toddler, but with even more mobility and lots of very sharp teeth.
That's one reason they're sometimes referred to as "land sharks." Seriously, though, both human toddlers *and* puppies explore the world with their mouths. That's why so many toy packages say "Not for children under 3 years of age"; there's a likelihood that small parts may be swallowed while tasting or otherwise testing them.
If you don't already have one, might I suggest an [url=https://www.petedge.com/product/Home-Kennel/Cages-Crates/Exercise-Pens/Easy-Ex-Pen/pc/194/c/310/sc/381/56526.uts]exercise pen[/url]? Most often referred to by dog people as an "ex pen," this is a kind of portable fence that can be put up and taken down in a matter of seconds. Purchase the size suitable for the grown dog; that way, Puppy will always consider the ex pen "too big" to jump over. They come in various heights, from 18" or so to 48". My ex pens (I have two) are 42" high and are the standard eight-panel variety.
Ex pens come in handy when you need to take Puppy somewhere with you (your parents' home, maybe?) and the residents are understandably hesitant about an untrained animal in their home or in their yard, but Puppy is too young to be left alone or needs the socialization with additional people/their pets. His bed, toys, and water can remain in the ex pen with him, and a leash fastened to the side of the ex pen for controlled entry and exit to and from the ex pen.
I'm sorry about the destroyed garden. The lettuce and dirt on Puppy sound like good evidence of Who Done It to me, too! But I'm so glad there was nothing unhealthy for her to get into. *whew* If she's like my dogs, she'll just love watching you work outdoors from the safety of her ex pen; just be sure to keep her on a [url=https://www.petedge.com/product/Training-Control/Collars-Restraints/Training-Collars-Leads/Guardian-Gear-Cotton-Web-Dog-Training-Leads/pc/196/c/305/sc/323/46863.uts]long line[/url] (I suggest the 15-foot length) when you let her out to play until you get a permanent fence installed. Vergil was very fond of just-picked tomatoes. *wistful sigh*
Enjoy your puppy and take lots of photos; she won't be this cute for long! You can plant another garden, but you can't make your puppy four months old again. And just keep telling yourself: "She doesn't know better. I'm the human here." etc.
(Can you tell I've been through this a couple of times? Oh, yeah.
)Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Too funny, Cynthia!cynthia_h wrote:Well, you know what to do:
Get a newspaper and roll it up tight. Hold it in your hand and take good aim. Make sure you hit your forehead right square in the middle while saying, "Bad owner! Bad owner! I should have been watching my puppy!"
I love my puppy pen! It has to be one of the handiest things I've ever owned. I use it to block my dogs from running over my newly planted seedlings. Sometimes, I use it to block the entrance to my living room, to keep the dogs off the carpet right after I've shampooed it. The dogs are big enough to jump it, but they never have. Since it folds up accordion-style, I can form it into just about any shape and size I need.
I do like the concept of Ex-Pens and have used them in the past. Calypso (My Puppy) is crate trained, and I also have a long/lunge line for her - not sure if its 15 or 25 feet. I actually have a dog run for the taking if I can find a way to get it from Spokane to here Its pretty large and I think would do the trick - I just don't have the funds for an ex-pen right now. I will have to be creative and figure something out!
The Culprit:
[img]https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p121/WereAya/Calypso.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p121/WereAya/Calypso2.jpg[/img]
Its pretty large and I think would do the trick - I just don't have the funds for an ex-pen right now. I will have to be creative and figure something out!The Culprit:
[img]https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p121/WereAya/Calypso.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p121/WereAya/Calypso2.jpg[/img]