Dog Friendly garden

Garden Paradise for Dogs?

Its that easy! If you are moving into a new House or Apartment with a garden,  and would like to Redesign your garden for the Summer or are planning to have a dog for the first time, then you have come to the right place. Read here, on how to transform your garden into a real dog paradise !

TipsDoor configuration

Fun, Excitement, and Play: This is what a garden is for dogs. Here the four legged house member, will fill it’s heart with joy, discover tracks, and let the golden rays of the sun shine on its furr. However; it is not only important, to make the garden dog friendly, but also to pay attention to questions of Safety and possible dog activities. In addition to that the garden should remain a place of well being for people. With enough Planing, sufficient research and patience, a good compromise can be reached. Read here which Tips and Tricks, you can use to transform your garden into a real do paradise.

Dog friendly garden - For what ?

A garden is not only a wonderful place for people to get some fresh air, have barbeque with friends, or to simply relax. Our four legged friends also love spending time in the fresh air and let off some heat.

What a garden has to offer for dogs

  • In case of an emergency such as illness of the owner or the dog, the garden could be used as replacement for the “short pee rounds
  • Since you don’t have to go outside, puppies train in the house with less effort
  • It is considered a safe, and leash free haven for dogs who are fearful and not yet trained.
  • The garden offers many opportunities for dog friendly activities

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Caution! what a garden cannot do

  • Completly replace the aisle! A dog needs new smells, social contact, strange noises and challenges 
  • Never leave the dog alone in the garden for long periods of time, otherwise it will get used to barking at the fences and people

Safety first! How to avoid potential sources of danger in the garden

In order for you and your four legged friend to enjoy the garden, certain safety measures have to be observed.  

First of all, the fence should be sturdy, at least 1.2 meter/4 feet high ,and narrow, to prevent small breeds of dogs and puppies from slipping through. Antother thing to consider is to raise a netting wire or something similar that is 15 cm deep, to prevent the dog from digging through to the other side. Young, Curious puppies have to familiarise themselves with the environment first, therefore cables and tools should be kept away in the garden, otherwise it will be used as dangerous toys by the pets.  

 

Unfortunately ticks that constantly attach themselves to our four legged friends are unavoidable, prevent the infestation by keeping the grass short and if necessary provide a repellent. Natural remedies such as Na-tierlich can also be given as support and prevention. Zeckenfrei is natural for the dogs, and enviornmentally friendly.The rock rose herb it contains promotes the strengthening of the immune system. The yeast is used to support dog’s skin in the environment. Together, these two ingrediants are said to change dog’s odor and be unpleasant for ticks. If a tick gets lost in the fur, it shouldnt bite straignt away due to the smell and you have longer time to collect it.

Another thing to take into consideration is the fertilizers. they are harmful and dangerous for dogs. Should you be fertilizing your garden, do not let your dog into the garden right away. Wait for the fertilizer to be dissolved in the soil, and keep the pack out of reach. 

Similar taboos are attributed to pesticides, and slug pallets. Compost waste (such as coffee grounds or moldly leftovers) can be dangerous for your dog, so please keep them away.

 

Poisonous fruits and plants

This is only a selection, of the most common plants, trees, fruits, and bushes that can be dangerous for your four legged friend. Before you plant anything in the garden find out whether it is safe and non toxic for the four-legged family member.

  • Poisonous fruits: Raw Legumes , Raw Potatoe, Onion, Grapes, Fermented tree fallen fruits,  Big seed fruits.
  • Poisonous trees and bushes: Holunder, Yew, Laburnum, etc.
  • Poisonous hedge plants: Cherry laurel, Boxwood, Thuja
  • Poisonous ornamental plants: Tulip (Daffodil, Cork ,Tulip), Rhododendron, Monkshood, Oleander, Angel trumpet, etc.

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Wishlist for the ideal dog garden

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petWALK Petdoor

The door to freedom! with an automatic petWALK Petdoor you enable your dog to enter the garden independently. The four legged friend can simply open the door with an RFID chip on the collar . You can set your desired times, and connect it to the voice assistant control, or you can easily operate it with remote control or mobile app. A dedicated exit door for your dog makes your everyday life easier.

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Running and Romping area

There should be enough free space so that your four legged friend can run and play in the garden. When creating a new garden, choose an extremely robust type of lawn such as heat resistant play or sports lawn. Note that there is no perfect ornamental lawn specially with larger and active dogs, be careful when fertilizing the lawn!

Dogs eating the grass?

Every once in a while, it happens that our four legged friends eat the grass. There is nothing to worry about this natural behavor as it provides fiber and promotes gastrointestinal cleansing. It becomes worrysome when excessive grass eating occurs, which can lead to gastrointestinal cleansing. for dogs who want to eat every once in a while, you can leave a corner full of grass.

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Digging Corner

In order to preserve your beautiful garden, a dedicated corner for digging is suitable, in which dogs can express their natural behavior. The digging corner can either be an area in the garden or large box, for example a sandpit. Make sure that the area is not in the blazing heat of the sun in the summer. 

Also try to mix things up, a large area with leaves or sand makes the dog’s heart beat faster. If the dog starts digging in other places, encourage it to go back to the digging corner, so that it uses the corner voluntary. Do not use the corner as a place for punishment.  

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Dog Toilet

If the dog is allowed to do its business in the garden, it can be trained to do it in a specific place, to avoid having yellow stains in the lawn. The bounderies of the area should be clearly known to the four legged friend. The surface of the area can be covered with lawn, sand, and bark mulch. Ensure that bushes and trees are available as pee spots specially for males.

The use of the corner must be practiced wih a lot of patience and a positive build up. Praise your dog when he has done his business in the right corner, you can be of help at the beginning by leaving the dog on the leash for few days and then leading him to the right corner.

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Places of Relaxation

A dog can rest for up to 20 hours daily. If you spend a lot of time in the garden, offer your dog resting places as well. Below are some tips for finding your four legged friend’s favourite spot:

  • Beautiful cozy beds with special outdoor blankets and pillows, or you can put normal dog basked in a dry and protected places
  • Dogs like to lie on elevated places, from which they can observe their surroundings. 
  • The regular dog house is not everyone’s favourite, but it can provide a shade and offer a sheltered retreat spot
  • You can also create enough shade with trees or large bushes, parasols, high privacy screens or sun sails.
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Activities, Games and Fun

For many dogs, the garden is a place to have fun and play games; there are many ways to make the garden dog-friendly with simple means.

A favourite activity for many dogs is the route search, as they sniff things out, you can place some treats, toys, or food bags to make things more exciting

If your dog is not training in an agility club, you can improvise some exercises and training schedules in the garden according to your taste. It has to be based on the age, fitness, and the size of the dog. Purchased tunnels, sticks, garden benches, stones, all these are suitable options to encourage the dog to jump and exercise.

Attention: pay attention to safety! The obstacles must not tip over or collapse, surfaces should be non slip, and careful not to overload your dog. old dogs need more customized exercises or games that promote coordination and fitness, but have less stress on joints; therefore you can allow your old four legged friends to climb or balance slowly. 

Older animals in particular benefit from constant access to outdoors. This way they can go out in the garden and once they get tired, come back in. You can also support your dog with food additives such as BewegungsfreudeThe composition of willow bark, nettle leaves, current leaves is said to strengthen muscles and joints

 

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Taboo zones

Depending on the garden design and the dog, taboo zones are sometimes necessary. Some dogs specially Puppies and Young dogs gnaw branches and bite plants while others dig excessively. Beds, edible areas, poisonous or expensive plants should be considered a taboo zone for the dog.

Placing borders around the non-to go zones or the taboo zones, provide easier visual clue for the dog not to approach the area, these include things like raised bed border, low hedges and low fence. The area or the zone can be better percieved by the dog like that.

Michaela Strohmayer

Michaela Strohmayer

The recommendations come from the animal welfare qualified dog trainer, and state commissioned dog examiner Michaela Strohmayer.

If you are looking for someone with the right set of skills and experience, who will make you and your dog a real team, then please visit the website: https://www.wuffit.at/.

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