Anyone who has a dog will agree when I say there is one massive problem; keeping the garden in good condition.
Whether it being a small few brown spots or nicely dug holes by our hairy little friends they can easily cause havoc for us. We need to ensure we are doing all we can to keep the dog as a man’s best friend…
Select a designated area
The first step should be to establish whether or not you are going to allow your dog access to all areas of your garden. I think a designated area is a good idea. You can limit your dog to what it can access by creating a ‘play area’; do this by purchasing some simple fencing and installing a run in the chosen area.
If you do decide you are going to have a designated area installed you must ensure that there is plenty of shade from the sun and some good shelter from the rain.
Along with this make sure that you give the dog something to play with, installing some obstacles can be a nice idea and will allow it to work off some energy before entering the home again.
Eliminating those brown spots
All dogs have to go to the toilet and you will find with female dogs that they will do it in the same place compared to a male dog that may use many different places. You will soon notice brown spots in your garden.
A dog can actually be taught to excrete in a particular area through repeated training and instruction – this will mean it can even be done on wood chips and gravel.
Not only will this help your family stay away from disease but also it will help keep your lawn in the best condition possible.
Having your dog trained to use a designated toilet area will also allow your children to roam your garden with freedom and without the worry of stepping on a landmine.
If your dog has an area in which it will be taught to go to the toilet you can then easily clear up after it and also wash it down before it becomes stained, making your job a lot easier to manage.
Discourage digging
Just about any dog will dig and jump into the hole or lay on top of the new cooler soil. However they can be taught that this is unacceptable behaviour, especially in your garden.
You need to be consistent and pro-active when warning your dog against digging; good ways to do so are to ensure it has toys to play with and spraying the area with water along with placing some faeces in its favourite digging areas.
There is no way to stop your dog from wanting to dig but you can protect your plants and lawn by remaining vigilant against it, make sure your dog knows it is not right and you won’t tolerate it.
Poisonous plants in your garden
You need to be careful about poisonous plants in your garden, I say this largely down to the fact some of them can be very harmful towards your dogs.
It could result in rashes, hair loss and itching. You should make sure that if your dog spends any time in the area that may be dangerous for it that you bath it afterwards.
Two plants I wouldn’t advise if you have a dog is the sago palm it can cause liver failure and death or the azalea plant which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and heart arrhythmia.
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