When you have a beloved family pet along with garden space, you want to make sure the two can get along. Your pet needs to be able to have a safe and secure area to roam, while you also need to make sure that your outside space is protected and useable. There may be extra investment, thought and compromises to make for a pet-friendly garden, but this doesn’t mean that it can’t be a space you can both enjoy.

Below are some top ways to create a pet-friendly garden.

Avoid Certain Plants

If you’ve dreamed of filling your garden with plants and flowers, then that’s of course still possible with a dog, but you will need to do your research into pet-friendly plants. Some plants or flowers could be dangerous and toxic for animals, so make sure to avoid those.

Use Borders

It’s great if your pet has free roam of a large garden space, but if there are certain areas you’d rather keep to yourself, then using bordering can be a big help. This might be a corner you want to protect, such as a vegetable patch or flowerbed. Tall bordering can mean that your dog won’t be able to physically get to a certain area, or you may simply want to lay stones or small fencing just as an indication of where not to go, depending on how well your dog is trained.

Consider an Outdoor Doghouse

If you’re looking for an outdoor space that’s truly fit for a dog, then it wouldn’t be complete without a dedicated kennel. You can browse dog kennels for sale to find the perfect size and model for your pup. Outdoor kennels and dog houses are great if you have more than one dog you need to keep safe and need the extra room, or if you’re just looking for a comfortable garden home for your pet.

Think About Grass Options

Most dogs will love grass, whether it’s to have a softer area to lie on in the sun, for digging and sniffing or for doing their business on. Your grass options will depend on what you already have with your property, or what you would be willing to lay down.

When thinking about grass options, it all depends on what you (and your dog) would prefer, especially in terms of rain and mud potential. You may want to think about putting down some decking or paving as well as grass (if you’d like the option of both), or you may want to eradicate grass altogether if you’d rather have easily cleaned stone, and wait for official walks for your dog to explore a grassed area.

Final Thought

Despite these general suggestions, only you can know how your dog behaves and how destructive it might be with certain areas of your garden. If your dog likes to dig and would wreak havoc on flowers and plants, then you may prefer to avoid them altogether, or else go for a minimalist garden with less potential for mess! What matters is what’s safe and easy for the both of you.