Your Dog and Your Landscape

It shouldn’t be too much to ask to want a happy, playful dog and an attractive, healthy landscape at the same time. They should go naturally together, right? The bad news is that an energetic doc can easily wreak havoc on your most favorite plants and ruin a well-manicured lawn.

Be Path Smart

Creating paths in your landscape can be a great way to guide your dog’s inherit tendency to patrol your yard. However, avoid using straight paths with 90 degree turns, as your furry friend will likely cut that corner time and time again, sabotaging your paving efforts.

Block off the Goods

You might have an area of colorful flowers or your favorite (yet delicate) plant that you’d like your dog to stay away from. Consider placing a barrier to teach your dog this lawn area is off limits. You can invest in a hardscape, such as walls or fencing. If that is not in the budget or on your ‘aesthetically-pleasing’ list, try a barrier shrub like hedge or rosebush.

Hiding Brown Spots

We all know the brown spots caused when your dog uses your green grass as a potty. Nitrogen in your dog’s urine causes these brown spots. If you are not willing to designate another bathroom area for your dog (such as pine straw or mulch), you can at least keep your lawn watered and the grass blades somewhat long so the urine is diluted and the brown spots hidden. A professional landscaper can also recommend products to use to treat these unsightly areas.

Among other dog-friendly landscaping suggestions, is to simply know your dog. Every dog has their unique personality and every breed has specific habits and behaviors. For example, if your dog likes to dig, create a digging area that your dog can go to dig a cool spot or hide a bone. Likewise, if you have a golden retriever that loves water, you may want to avoid the bird fountain or rock waterfall idea. Keeping your dog happy and your yard appealing may be challenging, but it is doable!