Dogs And Weed Killer

[kiesha09]

Has anyone used a weed killer that is safe to dogs? My gardener told me that Zero would be safe as long as you let it dry first but I'm unsure about this.

I have the problem that as part of my landscaping I have rocks and there are weeds galore growing in it. This includes onion weed and unfortunately the only way to get rid of it is to poison it as if you pull one up 10 more appear!!

Obviously I want to use something that isn't toxic to dogs, if that so much as exists... or else I'm not sure what I will do. Be taken over by weeds I suspect

[Abigail]

I would be cautious in using any weed killer. Even if they don't kill immediately there is a high likelihood that they could prove to be carcinogenic. If you only have a small area to treat just pour some boiling water over it, it would have helped on a particularly hot day.

[kiesha09]

Unfortunately its a fairly large area so the boiling water option isn't really going to cut it. I have actually used this on a small patch of onion weed but it didn't kill it either.

[Abigail]

Unfortunately its a fairly large area so the boiling water option isn't really going to cut it. I have actually used this on a small patch of onion weed but it didn't kill it either.

Oh shucks! Short of boiling water there is always the option of pulling it out but you say that it grows back at alarming speed. I have the same dilemma.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

There are instructions on the zero packet. And on the weed and feed type packets.

How long varies with the weed killer.

I saw a video of somebody drinking glyphosate (zero), to prove he thought it harmless. Well I wasn't entirely convinced, but I reckon if I could keep the dog off from 2 to 12 hours I'd be happy to spray with the stuff. Not too often, but occasionally. I figure spray on a calm sunny morning and then take dog for a long walk somewhere else. And then keep the door shut.

[Erny]

I'm not a fan of using weed killer where dogs can get to it either, regardless of what the packaging might say to try to assure me it is harmless to pets. But, if I were to use weed killer, I would like to keep the dog off it for about one week (I think the packaging on things such as zero and round-up tell you it's fine after 24 hours). And then I like to gather and dispose of the rather dead, dieing, sick weeds and chuck them in the green waste bin to be rid of them, even if you are meant to leave them be so the poison can do the job. That, or leave it longer before I let the dog back on. Maybe I'm over cautious .

OR ..... you could train your dog to pee on it . And if your dog's pee is not strong enough to kill it, I'll bring my dog over ..... his'll do it (refer picture evidence), LOL.

Edited May 10, 2010 by Erny

[mumof3]

every chemical product has an msds (material safety data sheet). You can get detailed information from the msds for individual products. You should be able to get msdss from your supplier. Also try looking up organic control methods for the weeds.

[kiesha09]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I am petrified of the thought of having to use it!!! I'm going to look into the organic control methods and if that fails I think I'll get some of that plastic garden fencing from Bunnings and fence off half the garden. I'll do the fenced area then a couple of weeks later fence the other side and do that area.

It's so hard because I have looked on the internet and found so much information saying that glyphosate is only harmful to plants and that pets should be fine but I too am skeptical. You just never know what could happen. I found a past DOL thread re the same topic via google and there were lots of people saying they had used Roundup for years and all was ok but I could never forgive myself if it hurt them in some way.

Erny I think I need to borrow your dog! My two together couldn't do that much damage. I don't even have one burnt patch on my lawn and never have had - and the lawn area isn't even that big Maybe I need to invest in a bigger dog purely as a weed killer

[SeeGee]

How come Charlie and Mia's wee doesnt do anything to our lawn??

[Erny]

My previous girl, Kal (bhcs) used to burn my lawn badly as well, but she did tend to stick to one area (around the corner where you couldn't see). Back then I wondered at how come she burnt off the lawn so much more than other of the dogs I knew, and reading posts etc. was informed that boy dogs aren't quite so bad. Well, now I have a boy dog .......... :D LOL.

He tends to pee in 'lines'. IE Sniffs around for his last 'spot' and then pees above that and above that above that. I try to get out and water his 'spots' but half the time I don't see them and the other half of the time it's either first thing in the morning when I myself am trying to get organised to leave for appointments, or at night when I'm retiring for bed. Sometimes I manage to 'wash' the lawn however.

I have worked so hard to bring the lawn back after the drought - I had it from about 20% coverage (t'was a dust bowl) and got it to about 97%. But my boy is beating me at my game, at the moment :p. And he's taken to peeing on the better part of the lawn that I seeded in. Oh well. Wouldn't swap my dog for lawn, no way, never ;).

[kiesha09]

Funnily enough the corner of the grass where my girl pees in is actually greener than the rest :p I think its because she's a small dog and the small amount is meant to be fertilizing or something.

Sorry to rub it in :D

[Jed]

I have been using glysophate at recommended rates for about 20 years+ for permanent removal of weeds and grass in gardens and under fences, in areas the dogs access. I don't let the dogs near until the grass/ weeds are dry, and I've never had one show any interest. They probably do run through or brush against the dead grass.

No dog has ever had a problem, and I don't think any of them died from anything to do with the weedkiller. I actually do believe the fact sheets.

And there have been occasions years ago where dogs have been present when spraying was occurring, and perhaps they encountered spray drift, or brushed up against the weeds when they were wet. Again, no problems.

Boiling water, or salty water is ok, but it needs redoing often, and you sometimes don't get a good kill

I have also used (agent orange) on properties before it was restricted. Dogs were kept away when spraying was happening, and not allowed near the area for at least 24 hours. This was years ago, and none of them seemed to suffer anything, even years later, from it.

However, the eye which has grown in the middle of my chin worries me ..................... :D

Edited May 10, 2010 by Jed

[Staff'n'Toller]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I am petrified of the thought of having to use it!!! I'm going to look into the organic control methods and if that fails I think I'll get some of that plastic garden fencing from Bunnings and fence off half the garden. I'll do the fenced area then a couple of weeks later fence the other side and do that area.

That's what we do, stake up the wire mesh fencing and then spray. The dogs stay off it until it's all dead and we've removed it. We have horrible couch grass runners all over the garden at the moment.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Alternate method.

Hand pull what you can, lay newspaper down over the rest in fairly thick wads from 3 to 10 sheets thick, though I will use whole sections and ideally - wet it first. Then put pea straw over the top, in biscuits about 5 to 10 cm thick. This stops the weeds underneath from coming through and makes the ones that grow in the pea straw easy to pull out. After about 12 months the pea straw breaks down and you have to get more, but all the breaking down is good for the garden.

Of course you will have to teach the dogs to leave it all alone.