Are you often worrying or concerned about your dog’s safety when you leave them in your garden? If so, then it is possibly time for you try to make your landscape design more dog friendly. It is not only good for your dog’s health and well-being, but you will also enjoy creating it, and seeing it when it is finished, not to mention the joy of enhancing it as time goes by.
If you are one of those lucky people who have a dog at home, you must already know that you’re the centre of their universe. The time you share with them is precious, so you must ensure that your dog is safe anywhere in the house.
That includes the garden too, so if you feel it is time for a garden makeover, you should be seeking to make it safe for your dog, or dogs. Below are some top tips to make your landscape design more dog friendly so that your dog can enjoy it, every bit as much as you do.
A dog friendly landscape design includes plants that are not only pretty but also safe for your dog. If you’re planning to redesign your garden or bring some new plants into it, make sure they are not hazardous to your dog.
If you are not unsure, talk to your vet, or research on the internet to check which plants are suitable and which are not. Those that are not may have dangers ranging from irritating your dog’s skin, to being poisonous to them, so do not take any chances.
Many dogs when left in the garden see it as potty time and therefore they urinate or defecate, and if a spot isn’t dedicated to these, then be ready for a very messy garden. A dog friendly landscape design has a potty place, so that other areas of the garden do not suffer, plus it makes it easier to clean up, as you know exactly where to look for the mess they’ve created.
If creating a specific spot for them is not possible then you can at least choose grass that is more able to deal with the high levels of nitrogen oxide that exists within a dog’s urine. This is known to burn grass and leave it looking like a patchwork quilt. Kikuyu and Buffalo grass are some tough ones, so you should definitely consider them as options.
Paved paths are a great addition to a landscape design, and they are good for your dogs too provided they are created with them in mind. One plus of using pathways is that they wear down your dog’s claws naturally, meaning fewer trips to the dog groomer.
Wherever possible try not to use gravel or stones to create or border pathways as there is a chance that these can get stuck in between the pads of your dog’s paws.
If you want your precious plants and flowers to be safe and your dog happy, consider installing one or more small fences in your garden. Your curious dog can damage your plants by exploring around them or walking and running on them, but if they can see that there is a fence, even if it is small one, they will soon learn that that is an area they are not allowed into.
