Spring is here and that means working in our yards. We will be spending more time outside with the weather being nice enjoying our hard work and it also means our dogs are going to be spending more time in the backyard exploring and playing. It is important when we are working in our yards planting flowers, making our lawn barefoot perfect and getting the landscape just right we think about our dogs.
Has your dog gotten out of the fence in the past? If so, it is time to make some changes.
Let’s begin looking at the fence. Take a walk around your fence, is there a place to escape? Do you see where your dog has been digging? Does your fence have any holes or areas where the dog can squeeze through?
If your dog is a jumper or they can climb the fence they should not be left out in the yard alone. You want to make it impossible for them to jump or climb the fence before you ever leave them alone in the yard.
Does your gate have a lock on it? You want to be sure it does have a lock so that someone could not open the gate when your dog is in the yard. Or did you know your dog could be smart enough to learn how to open it.
Patch any holes or areas that your dog can squeeze through such as areas where the fence meets the gate or house. Are there split boards needing to be replaced? Maintaining your fence to ensure it is secure is a priority to keep your pet safe.
Are you planting with your dog in mind? You don’t want to plant harmful flowers or shrubs. Some plants that are notorious for not being “pet friendly” are azaleas, lilies, daffodils, sago palms, dumb cane and elephant ears. Other things to be aware of are various mushrooms and black walnuts. Listing of more poisonous plants
Maintaining your yard is important to keep out snakes or other critters and to enable you to keep fleas, ticks and mosquitoes under control. Keeping the grass trimmed aids a lot in keeping fleas and ticks from multiplying. You might have to use non toxic repellants on the yard to help in the control of these insects. Also be sure that you have no standing water around to help keep the mosquitoes under control. By eliminating clutter such as piles of wood or leaves will aid in helping with the fleas and ticks but also snakes.
I want to be sure to address the cocoa bean mulch. This is made from cocoa shells. It smells good, retains moisture well and helps in repelling garden pest. Landscapers and gardeners are favoring this mulch. However it could pose a problem with your dog. Read what Dr. Karen Becker says about cocoa mulch.
This is a start in making your yard dog friendly. There is much more to think about in having a dog friendly yard. Look for future blogs where we will further address making your yard dog friendly.
My dog Max really loves Spring time cause he can play and run outside. I also love this season, but I always make sure that my yard is free from poisonous plant.