Question
I know beagles will dig but I am having a heck of a time keeping her out of my hibiscus shrubs.she is digging around them almost daily and has gotten down to the roots.I have tried scolding her and nose rubbing but nothing seems to stop her.I need to know if there is anything safe that i can put down around the shrubs to repel her from the area.cali' is about 8 months old and otherwise a pretty well behaved beagle.

Answer
Hello Will

I wonder what it is about hibiscus that Cali likes so much!  Anyway she's got good taste!

How strict are you when you scold her?  I bet she's cute - just gives you a look and you melt?  Mm - thought so!  Nose rubbing seems only to work with dogs when they have relieved themselves in an inappropriate place!

There are products on the market that you can put down to repel dogs (and cats), but I don't know much about them, i.e. how effective they are, as I've never had occasion to try them.

I don't know how many plants you have, but it might be better to erect a barrier around each plant to keep Cali off.  It would have to be high enough so that she couldn't jump over it - as she's only 8 months, I guess she's still quite small? and rigid enough to make digging under it impossible.  

I'm no dog psychologist, but I think if you chase her off when she heads for the plants (and be very firm about it!) and she also realizes that she can't actually get to the plants anyway she'll loose interest. I hope so for the sake of your sanity and the hibiscus's health!

Gill