Dog Friendly Garden Design
The planting and features that you include your garden will depend somewhat on the nature of your dog.
Some dogs are very well behaved in the garden, and will allow you to owners to plant and landscape without too much concern.
On the other hand, some dogs will run through flower beds, dig up lawns, eat and chew plants, jump in ponds and generally cause chaos!
If your dog is one of the latter, you can still enjoy a colorful and interesting garden.
All that is required is some creative design that takes your dog's behavior into account.
The pages in this section look at garden design strategies that cater to the needs of dogs and other pets,
while aiming to create attractive gardens for owners to enjoy.
USEFUL BOOKS
If you're serious about designing or redesigning your garden to meet the needs of your dog, it is a good idea to buy a book on the subject. We highly recommend the books shown below - we have used ideas from all of them to create our own dog-friendly gardens.
BASIC LAYOUT FOR GARDENS WITH DOGS
Think carefully about the basic layout of your garden. Take your dog's established behavior into account.
Consider the routes around the garden that your dog uses the most, and plan pathways accordingly.
Frequently used grass paths are likely to become worn and muddy in wet weather.
Try using bricks or paving stones along the routes your dog uses most frequently rather than grass cover.
By doing so, you can greatly reduce the maintenance levels of you garden.
Hard materials such as brick, slab or stone can also be easily hosed down if your dog pees on them.
Be sure to make movement around the garden easy and enjoyable for your dog.
Beware of slippery surfaces, especially in wet weather. Cover slippery steps with mesh or some other material to increase traction.
Take your dogs' age and physical condition into account and make adjustment accordingly.
Ensure they have easy access to the house, their kennel, water bowls, shaded areas and their favorite spots in the garden.
If your dog has difficulty climbing steps, provide a ramp or additional means to help them.
Ready-made 'Doggy Steps' are available from pet suppliers, or you can construct your own.
FLOWER BEDS
Flower beds in central areas of your garden are vulnerable to damage caused by your dog running through them or playing in them.
Damage often occurs in flower beds separating two open areas of lawn or paving.
Dogs often charge straight through these to get from one area of the garden to another, and plants may be trampled and crushed.
Likewise, flowerbeds situated between the back door to the house and the main area of the garden often suffer as dogs run through them in the excitement of being let outdoors.
Flower borders around the periphery of the garden are generally much less likely to incur damage them than flower beds in central areas.
You may decide the easiest option is to remove any flowerbeds in the middle of your garden your garden.
Laying central areas of the garden to lawn will reduce maintenance and also provide more space for your dog to play.
Another solution is to create a formal pathway through a border.
A path made of bricks, stone or slabs along the route your dog normally takes can minimise damage, allowing the majority of your plants to remain intact.
As another option, you could try using robust plants in flowerbeds that your dog tends to pass through.
Some plants are remarkably resilient, and will stand up to dogs crashing around in them.
Cheryl S. Smith, in her book 'Dog Friendly Gardens - Garden Friendly Dogs', notes how she found success planting lavender in a border between her back door and the main lawn area of her garden.
She found that the lavender not only stood up to her dogs running through it, but also had the added bonus of making the dogs smell nice when they did so!
CONTAINER PLANTING
Container planting is a useful way to grow plants in the garden in relative safety when dogs are around.
Plants can be grown in hanging baskets, in containers attached to walls, fences or railings, or in simple plant pots, tubs, barrels or troughs.
Be aware that plant pots and containers in the garden can be attractive marking posts for male dogs.
Male dogs may use pots as territorial markers, and plants may suffer for the high levels of nitrogen in dog urine.
To avoid damage to pot-plants from dog urine, invest in taller pots where the plants will be safely 'out of range'.
Alternatively, try raising smaller pots to safe positions by placing them on bricks, tree stumps or other raised surfaces.
Window Boxes
- like the ones shown here
- and
Deck Planters
are a useful option for growing plants out of reach of your dog.
You can grow many different plants in containers, from colorful bedding plants to herbs, fruit and vegetables.
Strawberries grow well in containers. Special Strawberry Garden Hanging Basket Kits
Many flowering plants are particularly effective when plated in containers, especially colorful bedding plants such as
Nasturtiums,
You may choose to use a variety of colors of plant in larger containers, or stick to a particular color scheme. Trailing plants look lovely spilling over the sides of baskets and pots.
Hanging Baskets
such as these pretty
Ceramic Hanging Basket
and
Victorian French Design
are a useful for growing plants safely out of reach of your dog.
Hanging baskets can be hung on special hanging basket brackets
Be aware that plants in containers need watering regularly.
Containers can dry out very fast in hot weather, and may need daily watering in the summer months.
See our pages on planting schemes for more dog friendly garden and planting suggestions.
ORNAMENTS FOR GARDENS WITH DOGS
There are many attractive garden ornaments and decorations available. Having a dog shouldn't restrict your choices too much, but do make sure to keep your dog safe:
Be careful that any ornaments you include in your garden do not pose a danger to your dog.
Sharp corners and edges at 'dog height' should be avoided, especially if your dog is inclined to run around the garden at high speed.
Also, be aware that if you have a male dog, he may decide to use your garden ornaments and statues as marking posts.
You can try and avoid this through positive training methods that encourage your dog to pee elsewhere, or you can even designate a particular ornament for the purpose.
A Fire Hydrant Statue
TOILET HABITS
The high nitrogen levels in dog urine can lead to scorched patches on lawns and damaged plants.
To some extent, this is simply part and parcel of dog ownership.
However, there are measures that can be put in place to minimize damage.
Dogs can usually be trained to use a certain part of the garden for 'doing their business'.
As with house-breaking, a little time and patience is required, but it is worth putting the effort in.
If you have a male dog, it is a good idea to provide a 'marking post' for it to pee against.
An old tree stump can provide an attractive solution. You also can buy products designed to encourage your dog to pee in a certain spot.
As with all the contents of these page, the above is intended for educational purposes only. This information is not intended as medical advice, and should not replace veterinary consultation or treatment.