Gardening and Dog Safety - Puppy Proofing your Garden

With the arrival of spring, our dogs enjoy spending time outside in the lovely weather as much as we do. As you are planning your landscaping and gardening projects, consider the safety of your dog as he explores your yard.

Some landscape and garden plants can be toxic to dogs who may chew on the leaves, stems, branches, or fruit they produce, causing potentially fatal illnesses. Some plants are so toxic that chewing on even a few leaves can cause illness or death. Keep your dog safe this summer by planting dog-friendly trees, bushes, flowers, and garden plants, and preventing your dog from ingesting parts of already-established plants that may be harmful to them.

Landscape and Garden Plants that are a Threat to Your Dog
The most toxic plants include Oleander, Morning Glory, Jerusalem Cherry, Foxglove, Nightshade, Castor bean, Trumpet Vine, and Lily of the Valley. Avoid these plants all together if your dog is allowed to roam freely in your yard.

Vegetable garden plants are usually safe, but the leafy parts of potato plants and green potato skins contain compounds that are toxic to dogs. Onions, garlic, and chives can create anemia in your dog, and are poisonous if eaten in large amounts. Discourage your dog from playing in the garden with a motion-detector sprinkler system or a ring of cayenne pepper sauce. Thorny rose stem clippings placed around the outside edge of the garden may also convince your dog that the garden is not a fun place for him to play!

Seeds and pits from apples, cherries, apricots, and plums contain compounds which are toxic to dogs, and tree nuts (especially domestic walnut and wild hickory) can also cause illness. Pick up fruits and nuts that have fallen to the ground before your dog has a chance to eat them.

There are many other plants that can threaten your dog’s health. Before planning your garden or landscape, ask your veterinarian what plants to avoid, or do some research online.

Give Your Dog His Own Garden To Play In
Set aside part of your yard to create a dog-safe garden for your pet to enjoy. Using dog-friendly plants and training him to play in his own little garden will satisfy his curiosity about the great outdoors and keep him away from potentially harmful plants.

A tall grass meadow is especially beautiful and can give your dog hours of enjoyment as he romps through the tall grass. Wheat and oat grasses are safe for your dog to nibble on, and provide added nutrition to his regular diet.. If your yard is too small to devote a section of it to a grass meadow, use a flat plastic storage box to grow a miniature meadow for your dog.

Pennyroyal (Manta pulegium), Old-Fashioned Tansies (Tanacetum vulgare), and wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) have been grown for centuries for their flea-repelling properties. Also known as fleabane, these plants have fragrances that are pleasing to dogs and contain aromatic oils that will drive fleas away from your dog and your yard. Dogs will rub against the plants or roll in them, spreading the oils on their fur. Dried branches and leaves can be used as bedding to discourage fleas from inhabiting your pet’s sleeping area.

Avoid Toxic Chemical Pesticides and Fertilizers
Employ natural methods of pest control in your gardening and landscaping projects to prevent your dog from being exposed to toxic chemicals. The residue from chemical insecticides can remain in your yard a long time, and there are concerns about the health problems presented to both humans and animals by long-term exposure to toxic chemicals.

Spider mites, thrips, and aphids can be knocked off plants with the gentle spray from a garden hose. More serious infestations can be sprayed with a mixture of one teaspoon of dish soap to a gallon of water. The soap will damage the insects’ protective outer layers and kill them. If you must resort to chemical insecticides, use them as sparingly as possible and store them in closed containers in a place where your dog can’t get to them.

Use compost in place of chemical fertilizers, working it into the soil twice a year to add vital nutrients that benefit your lawn and garden. You can also find commercially-available, pet-safe fertilizers. Make sure the label states that the product is safe to use around animals. Instruct any landscaping services you hire to use only pet-safe chemicals on your lawn, trees, shrubs, and other ornamental plants.

Well-decomposed compost makes excellent mulch, adding nutrients to soil around your plants and posing no threat to your dog. Cocoa bean shells are becoming a popular mulch because they have a rich brown color and wonderful aroma, but your dog may be tempted to eat them. You know how much your dog loves chocolate, but it contains toxic compounds that affect their central nervous system. A heavy watering or rainfall will wash away most of the toxic compounds, so keep your dog away from cocoa bean mulch until it has lost most of its aroma.

With vigilance and careful planning, your yard can be a safe, enjoyable place for your dog as well as the rest of the family.

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