Snails & Hostas & dogs!

We have the same battle very year trying to keep the snails off the hostas which would be getting bigger each year until the slimey little beggars come out & chomp their way through them.
have been successful in the past with beer troughs, but can't do that now because Tilly may drink the beer & eggshells have been ok, but I haven't used eggshells since we got Tilly & as a pup would have probably chomped her way through them.
Now she's older I'm thinking about using eggshells again, I can get loads of them to put around the hostas & wonder if Tilly did decided to investigate would they be dangerous?
or any other ideas?

My two eat raw eggs, shell included - they need to be broken up to be digested that well so I imagine any shells she does eat will just pass through her mostly.
Copper wire is another snail/slug proofing method I've heard and obviously isn't something a dog will try to eat (well, I bet there's one who'd tried )

I can vouch for that,but what you need is self adhesive copper tape from garden centres.Wrap it around pots with vunerable plants so its in one big loop and no slug/snail will cross it.Sounds a like witchcraft,but all that happens is it naturally becomes charged with static and the slimy critters wont cross it.

If the hostas are planted in the soil then try encircling them with cheap breakfast museli.

Anything sharp or gritty round the plants will deter snails. I used to go out with a torch at night and just give the little munchers an assisted passage to next door. That works too.

I dug my hostas up and put them in pots, with copper tape round the pots. Can't put them near a fence or wall as the slugs climb up and get across.

Dry oats is supposed to work, I tried that but the dogs ate the oats!

Thanks guys - I've heard about copper wire but didn't know if it would work as they are not in pots, but I guess I could put a circle round on the soil & then egg shells. I also have loads of pine coned which fall from the tree at the bottom of the garden so maybe they could be another obstacle they can't climb over!
Not sure about the Museli though I think Tilly would eat it.

Claire & Daisy - I like it someone did tell me that the key is "good housekeeping" I do evict them over the fence when I find them, but don't go on snail patrol at night

We have copper tape around our hosta's it works a treat We also give slugs and snails a free flight into next doors garden

very course gritty sand around the plants also works, as will ash from the fire.

sue

Lol I have a picture in my mind of snail tennis

you throw him over the fence and the neighbour throws him back

I have been storing up the egg shells all winter ready for them but have to admit am guilty of flinging a few of our slimely friends over fences too x

Snail tennis yes I went to weed around the hostas yesterday as they are shooting up fast now (the weeds as well as the hostas) on my hands & knees I was looking through the gap in the fence at next doors garden. They had it all done last year & have perfect grass, raised borders full of bark & not a snail in sight, so me thinks we are playing snail tennis!! Maybe I'll through them over the wall road side & hope I don't hit a passer by
I've got my first delivery of eggshells this morning from hub's work, 2 carrier bags full which are now in the sink to get the egg off & we've just had a bag of builders sharp sand delivered for the patio, so I will pinch some of that .
So now I have all my artillery, todays job is to build the defences & fight them on the borders
Thankfully we don't have slugs......... well I haven't seen any since we lived here!!