• Design
• Design Basics
• Flower Beds
• Toilet Habits
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Dog Friendly Garden Design

The planting and features that you include your garden will depend somewhat on the nature of your dog. Some dogs are very well behaved in the garden, and will allow you to owners to plant and landscape without too much concern. On the other hand, some dogs will run through flower beds, dig up lawns, eat and chew plants, jump in ponds and generally cause chaos!

If your dog is one of the latter, you can still enjoy a colorful and interesting garden. All that is required is some creative design that takes your dog's behavior into account. The pages in this section look at garden design strategies that cater to the needs of dogs and other pets, while aiming to create attractive gardens for owners to enjoy.

BASIC LAYOUT

Think carefully about the basic layout of your garden. Take your dogs established behavior into account. Consider the routes around the garden that your dog uses the most, and plan pathways accordingly.

Frequently used grass paths are likely to become worn and muddy in wet weather. Try using bricks or paving stones along the routes your dog uses most frequently rather than grass cover. By doing so, you can greatly reduce the maintenance levels of you garden. Hard materials such as brick, slab or stone can also be easily hosed down if your dog pees on them.

Be sure to make movement around the garden easy and enjoyable for your dog. Beware of slippery surfaces, especially in wet weather. Cover slippery steps with mesh or some other material to increase traction.

Take your dogs' age and physical condition into account and make adjustment accordingly. Ensure they have easy access to the house, their kennel, water bowls, shaded areas and their favorite spots in the garden. If your dog has difficulty climbing steps, provide a ramp or additional means to help them. Ready-made 'Doggy Steps' are available from pet suppliers, or you can construct your own.

FLOWER BEDS

Flower beds in central areas of your garden are vulnerable to damage caused by your dog running through them or playing in them. Damage often occurs in flower beds separating two open areas of lawn or paving. Dogs often charge straight through these to get from one area of the garden to another, and plants may be trampled and crushed. Likewise, flowerbeds situated between the back door to the house and the main area of the garden often suffer as dogs run through them in the excitement of being let outdoors.

Flower borders around the periphery of the garden are generally much less likely to incur damage them than flower beds in central areas. You may decide the easiest option is to remove any flowerbeds in the middle of your garden your garden. Laying central areas of the garden to lawn will reduce maintenance and also provide more space for your dog to play.

Another solution is to create a formal pathway through a border. A path made of bricks, stone or slabs along the route your dog normally takes can minimise damage, allowing the majority of your plants to remain intact.

As another option, you could try using robust plants in flowerbeds that your dog tends to pass through. Some plants are remarkably resilient, and will stand up to dogs crashing around in them. Cheryl S. Smith, in her book 'Dog Friendly Gardens - Garden Friendly Dogs', notes how she found success planting lavender in a border between her back door and the main lawn area of her garden. She found that the lavender not only stood up to her dogs running through it, but also had the added bonus of making the dogs smell nice when they did so!

TOILET HABITS

The high nitrogen levels in dog urine can lead to scorched patches on lawns and damaged plants. To some extent, this is simply part and parcel of dog ownership. However, there are measures that can be put in place to minimize damage.

Dogs can usually be trained to use a certain part of the garden for 'doing their business'. As with house-breaking, a little time and patience is required, but it is worth putting the effort in.

If you have a male dog, it is a good idea to provide a 'marking post' for it to pee against. An old tree stump can provide an attractive solution. You also can buy products designed to encourage your dog to pee in a certain spot.

Be aware that plant pots and containers can be attractive marking posts for male dogs. Plant pots are very useful to dog owners, in that they provide a relatively safe growing environment for plants and flowers. However, male dogs may use pots as territorial markers, and plants 'in range' may suffer for the high levels of nitrogen in dog urine.

To avoid this, you can invest in taller pots where the plants will be 'out of range' of your dog's pee. Alternatively, try raising smaller pots by placing them on bricks, tree stumps or other raised surfaces.