Gardens are wonderful and great place for dogs playing. But, sometimes they may cause havoc by damaging plants, urinating or digging up soil.
You should consider several things while you are planning for a garden or a garden design. If you are a dog owner then you have to ensure a lot of things so that you and your four legged friend can live in harmony.
You have to be concerned about your dog’s safety so that he can enjoy in the garden without damaging your plants or even hurting himself.
Try to ensure the best environment for your dog. You may consider the following tips for making a pet friendly garden.
The first thing you can do to make a dog friendly garden is fencing. Creating
fence around the garden you can define the spaces. Besides it is attractive too.
The special purpose that fence can serve is that it will keep your dog in and also resist other animals to enter in the garden.
Generally, a fence of 4 feet height is enough. But, if you have athletic dog then you might increase the height of 5 to 6 feet.
Try to avoid the gaps between the fence and the ground. Otherwise, dogs may dig the soil and find their way out.
2) Create a path:
It is important to create a path for your dog. Encourage him to follow this designated area so that he can understand and use this path to enter the garden.
Use dog friendly materials while making the path. Prefer bricks or stones in case of playful dogs.
As security is a vital issue, keep the garden tools, chemical pesticides and other harmful things out of reach of your dog. All your gardening tools including wooden splinter, metal edge or discarded tools are dangerous for pets. These can be a health hazard for your dog. So, store them at a secured place.
4) Safe plants:
Surprisingly many plants are potentially toxic to dogs. Consider your pet’s safety at first. Make sure that the plant you are adding to your garden is safe for your dog.
Do study about the toxic and poisonous plants for pets. It will help you to identify and avoid toxic plants.
5) Avoid chemicals:
To avoid any unwanted circumstances or accidents make sure that the fertilizers or insecticides you are using are safe for pets. And store them in safe place with closed shed.
Considering your dog’s safety, it is better to use only natural herbicides instead of harsh chemicals.
But, you should keep in mind that even the organic fertilizers are not safe for your dog. These may also be toxic for his health.
6) Potty spot:
Give your dog potty training. Show him a designated spot for potty not on your plants. Every time for potty take him to that fixed place.
By regular practice your dog will be used to and feel comfortable with that place while protecting your plants.
7) Digging spot:
Dogs are naturally digger. They just love to dig and may destroy your plants by digging. To protect your plants create boundaries around the plants.
To make your dog happy you can make a separate fenced area for digging or playing. But, keep in mind that they prefer digging dry soil rather than moist. So, you can fill that area with sand and toys so that your pet can be entertained.
8) Shade and shelter:
Whether it is a hot summer day or a rainy day, your furry friend needs shade and shelter. You have to ensure your dog’s comfort to keep him calm and happy.
Provide plenty of shade to protect him from extra hit, rain or from cold in winter days.
An umbrella or large shady tree whatever it is you can use to make a dog friendly garden.
Moreover, Water Fountains are a lovely addition to the garden space, however large outdoor fountains can be a danger to animals too on a number of levels. According to OutdoorFountainPros.com, it’s important to get an expert to help as it’s important to ensure that any electric wires are covered and safe, so animals can’t get near them.
Finally, with the proper planning you can make your garden pet friendly. Please keep the above tips in mind for making your garden dog friendly. Thanks for reading this article
John Howes is the founder of Petcareup “Pet lover & passionate blogger. I love to write about pets. I started this blog to provide advance materials for choosing the right products for your dog.” © Petcareup.com