6 Tips to Make a Dog-Friendly Garden

Dogs and gardens go together like peanut butter and jelly… most of the time. 

A lively garden can be a paradise for your pup, but it can also be the ideal spot for causing havoc, digging, and rioting. Toxic plants, sharp objects, and harmful chemicals could pique your dog’s curiosity and quickly have you high-tailing it to the vet. 

But, with a little research and effort, you can make a dog-friendly garden where your furry friend can live in harmony with your plants and frolic worry-free. 

How does that sound? 

If you’re up for it, let’s dig in. 

How to Make a Dog-Friendly Garden in 6 Ways

Luckily for you (and your pup), there are many tips to help you create a dog-friendly garden without burning a hole in your wallet. 

As a start, here are 6 ways you can get started: 

Carve many pathways

If you’re designing a garden for dogs, the first thing to consider is adding hard pathways. While it’s true that dogs like to roam, they prefer to follow paths when outside—just like humans, they’re creatures of habit. 

If you don’t carve and pave paths for your dogs, they’ll make one themselves—and they don’t usually have the best landscaping skills. 

So, grab a few paving stones and design swirly paths to help your dogs navigate and explore without diving snout-first into your garden beds. Access to hard surfaces also comes with another benefit for your dog—natural nail care, which saves you many nail-clipping endeavors. 

Choose non-toxic plants 

One often overlooked hazard of letting your dogs run unsupervised is their knack for chomping on the one thing they absolutely shouldn’t. And sometimes, that’s a toxic plant. 

Many of the plants we love using in our homes and gardens can pose serious dangers to our dogs. Some of these include: 

• Azalea 

• Begonia

• Bergenia

• Hyacingt

• Hydrangea 

• Ivy 

• Lily of the valley

• Umbrella plant 

• Wisteria

And that’s barely scratch the surface—check out the full list of plants toxic to dogs on the ASPCA site. 

While there are also many safe plants for dogs, like lavender, sage, and thyme, you may also consider including artificial plants in spots your dog likes to ravage. 

For example, “plant” artificial plant stems in high-risk garden beds to dissuade your dog from chewing on random leaves. Even if they do manage a bite, the plastic will pass right through them (though you should still keep the chewing to a minimum). 

Create a play zone 

When dogs go into the garden, they see a playground. The mix of flowers, soil, buzzing insects, smells, and textures create a sensory wonderland that sends dogs into a frenzy (which is why they get zoomies). 

But to prevent your entire garden from becoming their racetrack or digging site, you should designate a play zone just for them. Lay out their toys there, put their water and food bowls nearby, play with them, and reward them when they use the space. 

Consistency is key. After enough positive reinforcement, your dog will see this area as their own and will be less tempted to riot in the rest of the garden. 

Screen off ponds at the start

If you’re planning to add a pond to your garden, or you’ve recently adopted a dog that’s never lived near water, you must stay vigilant. While you can’t eliminate every threat in your garden, you can reduce the risk of your dog harming itself with a bit of foresight. 

Fence off any bodies of water until your dog gets accustomed to them. Use hurdles or a small trellis to keep certain areas off-limits. Then, monitor your dog to determine when they’ve understood where they’re allowed to go and where they’re not. 

Once you notice that your dog is less interested in restricted areas like ponds, you can gradually reduce the screens and allow your dog to slowly explore. 

Fence off the garden 

Using natural fencing like hedges to screen off your garden is a good idea aesthetically, but when you have a dog, it’s not a practical solution, especially if the foliage isn’t thick enough. 

In such cases, you’ll need to reinforce your barrier to keep your dog safe and contained. 

A simple and effective method to do this is by adding wooden fence posts and chicken wire to close off any gaps and keep your dogs away. This will prevent your dog from sneaking through or squeezing under the hedge. Make sure to secure the mesh wire to the ground by hammering tent pegs into the ground. 

Remove small items 

Our last (but equally important) tip for creating a dog-friendly garden is to clear away any small items lying around. Dogs are curious creatures and explore with their mouths, so your garden must be free of all knickknacks that might cause harm.

Many gardens have loose items like pebbles, plant tags, or tools that dogs might take a particular interest in. While playing, dogs can accidentally swallow or chew team, leading to choking or internal blockages. 

Besides these, rid your garden of any toxic items like pest-control pellets, fertilizer granules, or treated wood. To cover all your bases, inspect your garden and clear it regularly, keep your tools and materials in sealed containers, and fence off any areas that might harm your dog. 

Conclusion 

Making a dog-friendly garden shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg. It also shouldn’t require days of your time. 

But, you do need to understand how your dogs interact with their environment and take proactive steps to make their (and your) experience as worry-free as possible. 

A little vigilance goes a long way in preventing accidents and giving you peace of mind, so check what you can improve in your garden today.