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Central Ca

For the third year in a row he's managed to destroy one of my best pumpkins. If your reading this thanks for letting me vent. I'm pretty P O'd about it and I have to concentrate on running a half marathon tonight. Timing couldn't be any better. But all in all life is pretty good. I hope the CA weather isn't taking off any gains for anyone else. Crazy Alaska cold front.

8/28/2010 4:57:35 PM

New York

Consider a Havahart electric fence?

8/28/2010 5:41:26 PM

Upa Creek, MO

That sucks, one of my dogs pooped on a secondary the other day... that's been the worst of it though along with a few broken leaves.

8/28/2010 5:45:38 PM

Upa Creek, MO

And good luck with the marathon.

8/28/2010 5:45:55 PM

Northern California Foothills

I'm sorry about your pumpkin. It's already hard enough to grow pumpkins in this kind of climate.My dogs got into the garden several times last week. Unbelievably they just smashed a bunch of leaves and there were a few cuts in my pumpkin. One day of temperatures in the 70s won't make much a difference.

8/28/2010 11:24:25 PM

3 acre corner in Whittaker,Mi USA ([email protected])

My wife has 2 small yorkies and they are actually afraid of what's growing out in the patch...they growl and run back up to the house! Its too funny to watch them!

8/28/2010 11:28:17 PM

Fresno, CA

Disappointing for sure. One of my dogs snapped the main off before it starting vining on the ground this year. The plant recovered but it definitely set me back for a while. Really though it was my fault for waiting too long to set up the fencing. I have two 60+ lbs terrier mixes. I fence the pumpkin plants usually with hog wire fencing cut in half and I move sections of fence outward into the yard as the plant grows out. This year I went with full height hogwire and set it up around the entire patch perimeter instead of moving with growth so there is no chance of my jumpier dog getting over. It's not very expensive stuff and some of it I got for free from a friend who had leftovers from an old garden project. It's definitely worth it to protect the pumpkin and also good for protecting your dogs from anything you don't want them licking off of pumpkin leaves that you have sprayed.

8/28/2010 11:50:10 PM

Midwest

Sorry about your pumpkin. My dog also wrecked my best plant. He ran thru the patch playing 'chase' and stepped on the main vine. He put his toenails in the main just before my best pumpkin. I agree with Julian but one can only have so much time and money. Hope you run under 2hrs.

8/29/2010 1:21:47 AM

British Columbia

dog-meat-recipes.blogspot.com
This was my first thought on the subject.
We have a 150 lb. mastiff bitch. She could potentially do some damage but she sleeps 20 hours a day so I don't think she will run thru the patch. However,I was hoping she would keep the deer away. I put her bed out near the garden but as long as the deer don't step on her she seems to be OK with them. She's really funny to watch trying to step around the chickens so as to avoid stepping on them. She doesn't really like it when they are trying to peck the kibbles out of her dish when she is eating but she hasn't done anything about it. I don't think she's the killer type.
Sorry about your pumpkin, that would hurt. Sounds like fencing might be the winter project.

8/29/2010 2:42:11 AM

Florence SD

My dog Loves to chase the frogs that have been thick in the garden this year. no Major damage though mostly stays in the tomatoes so no big deal.

8/29/2010 3:00:12 AM

Colorado

Heat ,a electric fence setup is the way to go.I have been using one with the shock mechanism in the collar.I used to use a traditional electric fence(both work great).Use the collar style if you have kids or pee in the garden.

8/30/2010 11:47:38 AM

Enumclaw, Wa

lost a plant last year to low flying ducks (coonhounds were chasing it through the patch) why in hell were ducks flying at 2 ft AGL for 150 ft. Lost four plants to a horse stampede (23 mares) after the busted out some fences. chalk it up to the price of owning horses, dogs, and pumpkins. Now the ducks that was a Canadian plot to keep me from winning the GVGO selected growers seed award.
Now this year in the last two weeks four Peacocks decided to invade the property roost in the tree at night and visit the patch during the day. With the hounds out they keep the peacocks out of the patch. Are peacocks any good to eat cause they are really starting to irritate me. The upside; this has been a disastrous season for growing do to rain and freezing. I don't have anything bigger than 300#'s. Started over June 17th with Aug 1st pollinations. Just the pleasure of growing and prepping for 2011.

8/30/2010 5:31:00 PM

Sounds like "Mutual of Enumclaw's Wild Kingdom."

8/31/2010 10:33:25 AM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

lol @ Nilbert and Horse Whisperer - that's some funny stuff!

9/1/2010 9:23:12 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I'm told they're like stringy chicken. Catch the peahens, the eggs are pretty tasty.

9/1/2010 12:42:14 PM

Central Ca

Thanks for the advice. My dogs a belgian malanoise(sp?), and we live on a big ranch so no dog collars (don't want him to get caught on anything) and I'm pretty sure he can get through almost anything so really no point in a fence. I failed to mention that my dog started killing pumpkins 3 yrs ago when my wife tripped off the patio and yelled in pain. My dog thought he would help her by tearing into my biggest pumpkin. I think my dog is killing my pumpkins because he just wants to "help". Oh well.

9/3/2010 3:09:31 AM