SoloRiver Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 My husband tends a rose garden in our backyard. The rose garden is Solo's favorite toilet. Solo prefers privacy and foliage when he does his business, and the roses are in the farthest corner of the yard, and they constitute the densest foliage available. Not being much of a gardener myself (although I am learning), and never having had a yard before, it did not occur to me that Solo's toilet habits might be a problem. Then one day my husband mentioned somewhat wistfully how much he used to enjoy smelling the roses and pruning them, before the rose garden became a poop minefield. I clean up regularly, but Solo makes deposits at least once a day, and sometimes I miss them, and they leave residue anyway. So, I resolved to bar Solo from the rose garden. I decided that an electric wire, the type garden stores sell to keep pets and raccoons out of gardens, would be the best option, since a hard fence isn't really practical where the roses are, and would be unsightly. I set it up and turned it on and tested it myself. It imparts a mild static shock, about as unpleasant as touching a doorknob in winter. The shock comes in pulses, and the transmitter goes "hiss... pop! hiss... pop!" over and over again. Once I was satisfied that the shock wasn't actually painful, I let the dogs loose. Fly ran over, curious about the noise, and touched her nose to the wire. "EEEEEEP!" She jumped about five feet in the air, and ran away. Jett, wondering what the big deal was, ran over and touched her nose to the wire. "EEEEEEEP!" Solo wandered over to the wire. He investigated it in several places without touching it. He looked at the top wire. He looked at the bottom wire. He followed the bottom wire over to where it emerged from the transmitter, and spent some time listening to the hiss and pop. Then he carefully, deliberately, leaned just the tiniest bit forward with his chin up and to the side and leaned his well-furred neck on the top wire. Nothing. With one last look and an almost visible shrug, he dismissed the new electric fence, and jumped over it and crapped in the rosebushes. I guess I will have to come up with some other solution to keep Solo from crapping in my husband's rosebushes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 I guess I will have to come up with some other solution to keep Solo from crapping in my husband's rosebushes. Ah, if I can stop laughing...may I suggest at this point you "move" the rose bushes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickeyDogs Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Jill says "you go boy! It's in the family!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Gotta love a smart dog - and they don't come much smarter than your Solo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryP Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Good boy! Hey, a guy's toilet is his throne, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 LOL I think the roses are doomed, maybe your husband should develop a new love for tall trees... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraC Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 ROLF! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Sounds like you need to look into some decorative fencing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Oh, I love him!! Kessie once put her nose to one. She jumped backwards but then went back to investigate what had happened (without touching it again). I was proud for her even for that! Kyla roasted her a** on a cattle fence once (okay, those do hurt) - "eeeep" - and since then she's been convinced that cows are witches that can get you from afar. Not quite in Solo's league, but at least I've heard that one can become president with that kind of reasoning. She sticks very close to my legs around cattle, but has no problem going up to fences that make nasty popping noises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachdogz Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 With one last look and an almost visible shrug, he dismissed the new electric fence, and jumped over it and crapped in the rosebushes. oh I love this story ya gotta love a smart dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam'smom Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 LMAO that's halarious... you should submit that to readers digest they pay for stuff like that... Too funny!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooky Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 I'm cheering for Solo. Smart boy=good boy. Hope your husband feels the same! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 LOL! He is too smart for your own good. Some of my students once told me a story: They had been in the woods and come upon an electric fence around a pasture of some kind. Being a 13-year-old, one of them decided to pee on the electric fence. Unforeseen conductivity of water. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Oop Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Your story made me smile -- Solo is definitely one of a kind. I'd plant him his own private potty spot somewhere else in the back of the yard with some ornamental grasses -- they grow fast, give a lot of "privacy" and look great. Maybe some Pink Pampas grass, some Feather Reed grass, Muhly grass and/or some Bamboo muhly grass (they all grow well in the Oregon climate). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesney's Girl Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Smart boy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
painted_ponies Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Oh, Melanie. I know you already do, but treasure that one. You'll remember him all your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy bob Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 As a gardener and owner of seven dogs I certainly empathize with your poor hubby. Please treat him right. We already know he thinks Solo is stinky so be please be careful of the poor man's roses. He probably knew what he was getting into when he married you. But still a man has a right to his rose garden. MB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 If you combine the wire with low decorative fencing (space them a few inches apart with the wire in the front), you'll increase the chances of the fence being effective. Ben was my dog who pretty much could, and would, get into every garden regardless of what I thought or did about it. You can also set up an alternate place for him to go with all the characteristics you describe, only make it "de-luxe" so it's more attractive than the roses. That's what I did for Ben. What Ben liked was to be able to lay up next to the house when we were out so I set up deep mulch under an azalea bush in a sunny angle, so he wouldn't dig in the perennials further down the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachdogz Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Some of my students once told me a story: They had been in the woods and come upon an electric fence around a pasture of some kind. Being a 13-year-old, one of them decided to pee on the electric fence. Unforeseen conductivity of water. Mary now there's a hands-on science lesson sorry, couldn't resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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