Dogs are among the most popular pets in most homes. Similarly, most people take gardening as their best pastime today. This means that you are likely to find a dog in every home with a garden.
Homeowners who love gardening and keeping dogs try as much as they can to make sure that there does not exist any rivalry between the two. Even though it might be a little bit challenging, it is an issue that is easy to avoid with the right planning.
Home and dog owners need to make sure that they have created a dog-friendly garden that is not only attractive and comfortable for themselves but also for their dogs.
This takes time, but at the end of it all, one is able to have fun with their dog while at the same time enjoying their garden without any problems.
For one to create a dog-friendly garden, one needs to pay a closer look at some important tips, such as;
Marking Poisonous Plants In The Garden
One of the most important things when creating a dog-friendly garden is making sure that you know the plants that are poisonous in the garden. This is because even though most dogs do not eat or chew plants, some of them do so, especially when they are young and exploring things.
In a situation where your dog chews one of these plants, you can try an online vet and describe the plant to them in order to get first-hand details on what you are supposed to do. This will ensure that you can take care of the dog before visiting a vet or having one visit you.
Create Identifiable Paths
Dogs like following a clear path when walking, just like human beings. This means that you should create identifiable paths in your garden for your dog to use instead of walking on your garden beds.
Instead of using gravel or mulch when creating these paths, experts recommend the use of solid pavers. This helps discourage the dog from digging the material and doing its private business.
Creating paths is an excellent way to potty train your pups. You can consider using DoggieLawn potty training grass patches. These will rid you of the effort of carrying poop bags every time you venture out. Moreover, these are easy to use and a game-changing solution, as many dog parents claim.
If your dog does not use the created path, follow its way and ensure there are no dog paths in the garden. You can also train it on the right paths to use.
Avoid Small Plants When Starting
Every person creating a garden in their home would not be happy if their dog tears or destroys all the new plants. This means that when starting, it is important to consider having larger plants since they are not easy to destroy compared to small plants.
In case you prefer small plants to larger ones, then you can put something like a cage around the small plant until it matures. This way, your dog will not be able to destroy the plants.
Ensure Your Dog Has A Good Shade
Sometimes, it might get extremely hot to the point where your dog needs to find a good shade for shelter. Since you have plants in your garden, you might have a situation where your dog uses those plants for shelter. While doing that, the dog might interfere with them and even destroy them.
You should, therefore, make sure that your dog has good shade outside the garden where it can relax when the temperatures are too high. This will ensure that your garden looks great at all times.
Limit The Use Of Herbicides And Pesticides
Even though the use of herbicides and pesticides is important in making sure that the plants in your garden are healthy, you need to limit their use. This is because although they might not kill the dog, they can cause some illnesses.
The dog is closer to the chemicals, and with its low body mass, the chemicals get more concentrated for it to handle. To avoid this, you can employ the use of natural ways when fighting weeds and pests.
If you find yourself in a situation where you have to use these chemicals, then you need to make sure that your dog does not have access to the garden.
Conclusion
Finally, you need to train your dog and ensure that it listens to you. This is important in making sure that the dog knows when it has done something that you do not approve of. This way, you are going to create a dog-friendly garden that you can enjoy with your dog without any problems.
