It’s finally warm enough to start that perfect garden and get your greens blooming! Our canine companions, however, don’t have as much as a green thumb and can sometimes turn into destructive doggies when it comes to plants and dirt. Luckily, there are some great ways to make your garden dog-friendly so you and your pup can have a wonderful planting season!
1. Plan for Bigger Plants
The bigger and sturdier the plant, the more it will be able to stand against a canine catastrophe. If you have a dog that likes to run straight through the garden and trample the greenery, having tall plants with think stocks and big flowers will ensure that they have a greater chance of staying standing. Bigger more mature plants will also be more noticeable to your dog and might influence your pup to run around them rather than through. If you still want to have some smaller flowers on show, consider some chicken wire or tomato cages to keep them safe!
2. Build a Sturdy Border
Having a physical and sturdy border around your garden is the easiest way to ensure your dog stays out and the plants stay in. Putting up a fence around your garden can be as easy as laying a row of rocks or drift wood, or wrapping some chicken wire around poles. Even using big sturdy plants to block the smaller ones can work as an effective barrier against a puppy trampling. Of course, if you have a more active, jumpy and destructive d, building a nice, tall wooden or metal fence around your garden might be the best way to go. As they say, the best offense is a good defense!
3. Know Which Plants are Poisonous
If you have a pup who is more into chewing than trampling, knowing which plants are safe and which are deadly is key to having a dog-friendly garden. To get started, check out this list of the most poisonous plants for dogs and prepare your garden accordingly. Even if you build barriers and watch your dog when they’re outside, accidents can happen and sometimes those scrumptious greens are just too tempting for your pup. Because of this, we always suggest doing your research and only planting dog-friendly flowers. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
4. Put in Puppy Paths
If you want your pup to be a part of the planting fun, consider making a clear pathway in or around your garden for them to follow. Our canine companions like to feel like they’re part of the action, and allowing them to have a safe and acceptable place to follow you into the garden will help to keep them out of the places you don’t want them. Laying down stones, gravel or even just dirt from one end of the garden to the next allows your dog to run through freely while also keeping your flowers intact. Your dog will be able to experience the fun while you can rest easy knowing your plants are safe!
5. Set Your Dog Up for Success
As with all canine training, you can’t expect your pup to simply know and respect what you want from them without making clear and consistant boundaries. Before planting your delicate starters in the garden, consider training your dog to stay a safe distance away by walking them around the perimeter on a leash and rewarding them for their efforts. If your dog gets too close or starts to wander where you don’t want them, call them back over to you and reward them for listening. Eventually, your dog will learn that approaching the garden gets them nothing while patrolling or staying away from the garden gets them a treat. Set them up for success before you plant so when the time finally arrives, your pup will know to play it safe and keep their distance!
Sometimes it’s hard to keep a garden going when you’re the parent to an active pup. With these tips, however, we hope to help your garden stay safe while also allowing your dog in on the fun. Happy planting!
