The most common companions in houses with gardens are pets, especially dogs. Many people cannot imagine their lives without this four-legged friend. A dog protects and makes free time more exciting, but also a bit difficult. This is the case, for example, if you are trying to have a beautiful garden, but the dog constantly prevents you from doing so.
The dog may not be a threat to the garden, but a useful inhabitant. Just take care of a few changes and realize some importances. In general, it is necessary to train your dog from the beginning. Despite the perfect training and education, your pet may still possess typical dog traits like digging holes. It is natural for some hunting breeds and you cannot do much about it. However, it is important to go for walks regularly, ideally in nature, and its behavior will, then, be more considerate towards the garden. When staying in the garden, it is also good to guide such a dog properly, play with it, and get dog toys. Of course, it always depends on what kind of breed you have.
Setting Rules
Larger dogs should be guided to follow certain rules right from the start. For example, when they approach the vegetable bed rows, they should always be alerted loudly using the word “no” and such warnings should be repeated more often. The dog can also be discouraged by the shower from the garden hose. In addition, places where you do not want the dog to enter are worth enclosing with a medium fence, or you can opt for raised flower beds. It is also good to prepare a place where the dog can dig without worries. Just scatter old sand, loose soil, or semi-milled mulch bark. And where you do not want the dog to dig, just put a few stones into the soil at least temporarily.
Dog Paths
They are mainly around fences. It is therefore better to pave or gravel them. A dense leafy and impassable hedge of non-toxic plants will also help, reaching as close as possible to the soil surface. Fences should always have high-quality concrete foundations, if they are mesh, embed part of the mesh into the soil. You will probably never have a perfect lawn or flower bed in these places because of the dog. Focus on cheaper plants with a high regenerative capacity. Otherwise, you will regret throwing them out afterward. Urinating on the lawn is also a common problem. Yellow burnt stains on the lawn are not easy to prevent. Therefore, it is worthwhile to regularly walk dogs, thus motivating them to carry out their needs outside the garden. If the dog relieves itself on the lawn, immediately water the impacted area with a strong stream. This will significantly dilute the dog’s urine and the lawn will not be so exposed.
Suitable and Toxic Plants
Gardens, courtyards, and terraces often feature various types of greenery. It may not pose a risk for humans but it does for the dogs. Dogs should beware of hellebores, but also typical lily of the valley, digitalis, aconite, or common rue. Treacherous are also ivy fruits, rhododendrons, oleanders, water lily flowers, daffodils, and tulips. Some conifers can also be dangerous, especially yew or cypress, which are often used for planting hedges and garden fronts. However, common vegetables such as tomatoes or potatoes can also cause problems. In general, any plants with longer thorns can hurt dogs badly. Therefore, it is not advisable to grow holly, hawthorn, or barberry in a garden with a dog. During the summer, potted plants like agave and oleander pose significant threats to dogs due to their prickly leaves and toxicity.
Text: Daniel Košťál, photos: Pexels
