My great pyrenesee dogs only go for predators, they like cats, chickens .... and rabbits. I've never seen them bother with a rabbit, but the coyotes keep away from the chickens. I agree with Susan. Dogs love to dig in the garden. Their favorite place to sleep is in the bathtub where I had planted potatos. Chickens are even worse maybe than rabbits, because they will go to higher places to cause damage. They learned to love tomatos and cucumbers, and today they feasted on the first sizeable cuc that my mouth had been watering for. I had to lay down a wire over ground beds that are not fenced to try to minimize the scratching from the dogs and chicks. After all, they need to grow something for the rabbits to eat.

One thing that has not been mentioned is the predator urine. A bottle of coyote, fox, wolf urine might sell for twenty bucks in a big box store. I try to do everything on the cheap, so have not tried these products. May try the deer repellent recipe Kimmsr listed. Since my garden is in the 'burbs, I only have to make my toms, peppers, spinach less attractive to deer than those of my close neighbors. The plastic tape with a repellent mix might be enough to encourage the deer to try a yard 100' away. But I maintain my plants with compost mulch, trim the stems and spray compost tea; so no one else has tomatoes or spinach in October. The neighbor with two dogs seems to have the fewest deer incursions. A hardcore gardener further away keeps two old dogs -- enough energy to chase away pests, not enough to jump over the fence and escape. My one dog is not outside enough to keep animals away. A mountain lion got his/her picture on front page of the newspaper a year ago when a hunters camera five miles away took a automatic photo at night.

Oh my. What is a passionate rose lover like you doing in that glacial hell hole? Reading about your endeavors has exhausted me and I haven't even lifted a shovel. I admire your grit and determination, but would love to see you rewarded with thousands of blooms on your rose bushes for all your hard work. I bet they could use engineers in zones 7 to 10!

Cricket Love, believe me once it sunk in, I was happy my yard is so private. I probably would be in jail or mental hospital if the neighbors had seen me. I was devastated, crying, swearing, stomping you name it I was doing it. LOL I will wish you luck but be prepared. It is a fight, you have to be committed. They can wear you down. It hurts to look at your gardens all pretty and come out and it is all gone in one night. They survived they came back this year so I have been out with all my sprays and anything that I can do to have my gardens. Solid fence does not work have that on one side, Believe me they will jump. I have sat in my morning room and watched them flying over the fence right into the middle of my hosta bed. mosswitch is right groundhogs will eat your hostas. So I have double trouble. I constantly have had them eat a garden and I find the hole stuff it with used kitty litter top it off with a three bags of dog poop. I have a Mastiff so it is big poop. That keeps them out for about a month. I did not have the heart to take a pic of the entire garden but I took a picture of my Sum and Substance before and after. Just a sample to give you a visual of what to expect. Do you think you can take this? LOL