The days are longer, the nights shorter and finally, the weather seems to be making an effort to turn from winter to summer. It’s also the perfect time to be enjoying the great outdoors with our dogs and this will undoubtedly mean preparing your garden for summer. Lots of the groundwork done now will result in a stunning summer garden and perhaps even some new plants. It is with this in mind that we thought we’d share some handy advice to make sure your garden is dog friendly this summer.
Poisonous plants
Plants make a garden really come alive but some of the most popular plants we choose can prove fatal to dogs if ingested. This handy guide from
Dogs Trustshows lots of plants and what to do should your dog misbehave although for peace of mind it is perhaps best avoiding these in gardens where dogs are present.
All in the training
For you and your dog to be able to enjoy the garden it’s important to set some ground rules! Perhaps think about having an area for your dog to toilet which is well away from where you will sit and relax with your well-earned cuppa or G & T. Whilst lawns tend to fair badly with dogs in the garden – especially those with larger breeds - it does provide somewhere for you and your family to be able to play with your dog. And, as it is proved that playing with your canine friend can lower stress levels, we think that this is particularly important to incorporate into your garden design.
Safe and sound
Do a perimeter check and make sure that your fences and gates are in good working order. It’s been a very wet winter so check for any rotting, especially if your dog is powerful and prone to throwing himself at the fence or gate to protect his humans! Make sure that the fence is high enough too and if you’ve got shrubbery as a border, check that dogs, even the larger ones can’t escape. Dogs are surprisingly determined as we are sure you know! And as the weather continues to warm and we hope that we enjoy a peaceful, balmy summer remember to provide clean drinking water for your dog and change it regularly as insects tend to treat it as their own private pool! Above all enjoy your own piece of the UK’s green and pleasant land. We think it’s what summers were made for and just if our dogs could talk we think they would say the same! The Happy Dog Team
