But mine need to be distracted in the garden to prevent destructive behavior.
Photography by Michelle Slatalla except where noted.
He shoots furtive glances over his shoulder as he uproots my lettuce seedlings. Do they start digging when they think no one is noticing what they are up to?
Pay Attention
Make Surfaces Pet Friendly
She is happy to walk on paths instead of through the garden beds because the pea gravel underfoot has no sharp edges and surface never gets too hot.
Give Your Dog a Job
To give my dogs a sense of purpose, we laid a path alongside the fence to make it easier for them to patrol for squirrels. For dogs, patrolling the yard is a priority.
Butterflies, crows, and bees count among Larry and Sticky’s playmates. In my garden foxgloves, milkweed, and scabiosa have self-seeded and spread through the planting beds to create butterfly landing zones.
Encourage Playdates
Create Comfort Zones
Dogs get hot fast when they run around; make sure there’s a cool shady spot under a tree or an awning where they can lie down and recover from all that squirrel work.
Water Bowls
I keep water bowls in a shady spot and fill them daily.
Make a Mini Dog Park
Designate a play area for fetch and chase games.
Play fetch with a small, harmless object that won’t destroy your prize peonies. A six-pack of small, Larry-size Mini Tennis Balls is $6.20 from Amazon.
Harmless Missiles
Plant a Sturdy Garden
Face it; there will be wrestling and rough housing; you don’t want your dogs careening into your foxgloves because that will be the end of the foxgloves.
Photograph by Nicole Franzen for Gardenista.
Mulch with mini chips that have soft edges and won’t irritate paw pads.
Photograph by Meredith Swinehart.
Mind the Mulch
Keep dogs safe by fencing the garden; they’ll have room to roam and you won’t have to worry they’ll end up in the street or the neighbors’ yards.
Fence Them In
Resign Yourself
Dogs mark their territory. If you miss a spot, well, grass grows back.