Your garden should be a place of serenity and peace. It should be a calm and beautiful place in which you can relax, unwind and enjoy your personal piece of mother nature’s bounty.
The last thing you need to disrupt that harmony is shredded rhododendrons, ‘burn marks’ on your lawn from repeated urination and stray piles of poop that seem to spring out of nowhere. Likewise, you want to know that your beloved family pet is free to play and have fun safe from harmful chemicals.
You might think that you can either have a happy pet or a beautiful garden, but to have both is just a pipe dream. The good news is that you can care for your lawn and still create a safe, happy environment for your pet. Here are some pet and garden care tips to help you achieve that elusive harmony.
Reduce the risk of fouling with regular walks.
The garden is a place for enjoyment and relaxation, so your pet needs to know that it is not an appropriate place to use the bathroom. Take them out for a long walk during which they can relieve themselves and burn off some energy and follow it up with some ‘chill out’ time in the garden.
Not only will their bladders and bowels be empty, they’ll have dispersed the pent-up energy that leads them to sabotage your carefully plotted floral arrangements.
But if they must go potty in the garden…
If your pet still insists on doing their business in the garden then you can at least employ some damage limitation. Mark off a specific area in the garden to designate as a toilet with clothesline. The area should be fairly large (6-12 feet in diameter) and accessible enough that you can take them to it if you can sense that they’re about to go.
Laud them with praise and a treat if they poop in the right place and eventually they’ll make the association.
Create a safe space
If your dog is a new addition to the household, then you should seriously consider erecting a fence around the garden for their safety and security. These are not only a great way of keeping your pet from going on any unexpected adventures, they’re invaluable for compartmentalizing your garden and helping to keep your furry friend away from any harmful materials.
A fence should be just the right height to prevent your dog from jumping over it, and should also be tightly built enough to prevent them from squeezing between gaps. You should also check periodically for signs of digging to get underneath. Again, regular exercise in the form of long walks should abate your dog’s urge to roam.
Know your garden’s hazards
There are many common garden items that could prove fatally hazardous for a dog, even in tiny amounts. Any of these should be kept as secure from your pet as possible:
- Car oil, brake fluid or other car chemicals.
- Pest control poisons or traps.
- Plants (make sure you know which plants could be toxic for your dog and fence them away accordingly).
- Swimming pools. While dogs are natural swimmers, the last thing you want is for your pet to fall in when there’s nobody there to help fish them out.
