It comes as no surprise to most pet owners that dogs are the most active, most easily distracted, and most fidgety animals in any stretch of the imagination. It is for this reason that finding the right way to blend garden safety and pet-friendliness, while not limiting your dog’s level of activity becomes a rather daunting task.
There are several important tips you can act on though, as a way to ensure your little pupped friends get the right kind of space without ruining the plants in your garden, or wandering off into oblivion. Here are a few tips that might help.
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Safety Precautions
The first and most important tip is to ensure safety. This is especially important if you live in a suburban, metropolis with lots of passersby, traffic, or even constant construction. Dogs tend to get distracted rather easily, and even a passing car can be chased for miles before your dog realizes it’s lost.
The first and most crucial step is to put your fence on a depth of between 15 and 20cm. This is because some breeds, such as short leg terriers, and even huskies, are known to be instinctive diggers. You may have a fence of up to 2m, but if your dog gets bored, it’ll burrow right under it.
Another safety precaution, on the same scale, is to ensure your fence is set on a height of about 1.8m. This will work for most breeds as, unlike cats, dogs don’t have a reputation of jumping. These are basic measures to ensure your dog doesn’t wander off.
Design a Play Area
Your garden area serves a lot of purposes, not just your dog’s playpen. This is why you need to set clear boundaries for your dog to roam and play. This area has to be sufficient for your dog to run and play, while still be cordoned off from your plants. Dogs are known to chew and trample on just about anything they get their paws on, so it is important to ensure that the play area is separated from the rest of the garden.
Have Pet Toys in Your Garden
As mentioned earlier, dogs tend to get distracted very easily, especially when they don’t have something to occupy their attention. This is why the best way to prevent your dog from burrowing under the fencing or jumping over it, is to ensure the play area has enough toys for your dog to play with.
Plant Safety
Raised beds are always the way to go when it comes to ensuring your dog doesn’t completely ruin your garden. You may not have a big enough garden to warrant having a separate play area for your dog, but you can plant your flowers on raised beds to ensure they don’t get toppled over and stomped on.
Tidy Up Your Garden
Your dog can be pretty crafty when it wants to, which is why you need to ensure you don’t have anything that it can use to prop itself up and jump over the fence. Ensure your barbeque grill, large flower pots, garden seats or even picnic tables are placed out of reach. Even ladders can be quite handy for a dog with just the right type of commitment.
Tidiness also extends to anything that may cause harm to your dog. Sharp tools, put a metal mesh around ponds, and ensure you restrict access to dangerous areas.
Make Water Available
Dogs are inherently very active, which is why it is important to ensure that you have a fresh bowl of drinking water in and around the play area every so often so your dog stays sufficiently hydrated. It also wouldn’t hurt to have a little pond around the garden area, in case it wants to play around in it.
Bottom Line
Safeguarding your dog’s health, and that of your garden is not an easy task, but with these simple tips, you might just be able to mitigate any damage your dog may cause by running around wild and free.
