Gardening With Man’s Best Friend

Spring is here! It’s always nice to see the landscape come to life after a long winter. As the weather warms up, many people are heading outdoors and tending to their yards and gardens. Our canine friends are more than happy to lend a helping paw with these tasks. However, while Fido is a great buddy, he doesn’t exactly have a green thumb. In this article, a local Wheat Ridge, CO vet offers some advice on helping your pet and your plants coexist peacefully.

Section It Off

Dogs and gardens may make for some cute pictures, but in reality, they aren’t always the best mix. Fido has been known to dig up a few beds! You also definitely don’t want your pooch soiling your garden! Use borders to divide the yard up. Set aside one area for your furry buddy and another for the plants.

Remove Toxic Plants

You may be surprised at how many plants are toxic to our four-legged friends. Some of the ones to be careful of in this area include Death Camas, Lupines, Western Water Hemlock, Larkspur, and Locoweed. You can learn more about safe and unsafe plants at the ASPCA website here.

Keep It Neat

Picking up piles of debris, such as leaves and dead branches, will not only make your place look nicer, it will also help keep unwanted guests, such as fleas, ticks, and mice, off your property. We also recommend trimming shrubs back so they don’t touch the walls of your home.

Raise It Up

Does your canine pal keep trampling your plants? Raised beds are great for gardeners with four-legged friends, as they keep the plants well out of Fido’s reach. Container gardens are also a good option.

Borders

Good fencing can be pricey. However, there are other ways to put up borders. You can use container gardens, statues, logs, brick walls, benches or deer fencing. Shrubs or thick plants will also work. Just be careful about putting anything sharp at Fido’s eye level!

Consider A Doghouse

Fido’s doghouse shouldn’t be his main residence: our canine companions should live indoors with the rest of the family. However, your pup may enjoy having an outdoor spot of his own. Pick something that offers great insulation, and is lifted off the ground a bit. 

As your Wheat Ridge, CO animal clinic, we’re here for you. Call us today!