How can I prevent a newly installed Shamrock Inkberry hedge from producing berries?
I just discovered that the berries are toxic to dogs.
I love the bushes and hate to think I have to remove them.

Picking all the blooms of would do it.

ok, thank you

How many of the plants do you actually have? If you keep either just female plants or just male plants you shouldn't get any berries. You should be able to identify which is which by the type of flowers they have.

Have they had berries before?
Shamrock is a female. There are no males in the trade as far as I can determine. I have 4 Shamrocks and zero berries for the three years I've had them. So they are not being pollinated by the American nor the Burford nearby. I'm really frustrated because I don't have room to buy seedlings are grow them up to find a male among them.
You'd go nuts trying to pick all the flowers off them.
They might never get berries. And if they do, would the dog be tempted to eat them? They're tiny, black, not very showy. Does the dog eat other stuff in the yard? Do you have azaleas? Those are said to be toxic as well.

thank you Sally, your message is very helpful.
I just had 16, 5gal, shrubs planted. I am a volunteer puppy raiser for a service organizatio, mostly labs, and have onethat I adopted. He will eat anything.
I put up the hedge to hide the wire fence that I put up to keep him from the garden, where last year he ate all flowers/vege he could find. Needless to say, my garden failed last year.
I had also read that Shamrock Inkberry are only female, but I don't understand how they pollinate. I am trying to be super cautious, don't want sick puppies.
The hedge was just planted. I spoke with the nursery and they said it could be removed since it is winter here and they are dormant and roots haven't grown into soil. It will be expensive and they didn't have any good alternative.
Based you what you have said, I think I will take a chance and keep them and pray they don't make berries. I guess I can start picking flowers if they do.
thank you very much for your help

Happy to help and hope this works out. How wonderful to raise service pups I'm sure you were very disappointed to read about toxicity.
Maybe a light barrier of burlap on stakes, if you see berries. Out of sight, out of mind? Birds are supposed to like the berries and could get them from the other side.
Or as the shrubs grow, shear off the flowering ends each year.
Last idea, post locally for free giveaway to someone who will remove them. It sounds like the ones who planted would consider putting them right back in pots and reselling.