Treat Your Dog To A Pawtastic Backyard Space

Dogs are the animal kingdom’s unprecedented champions of unconditional love. They know when we are ill, under the weather, happy or angry, and they stop at nothing to turn our mood around. It is only logical then, that we want to make them just as happy, to repay for those tail-wagging welcoming greetings every day. The best gift we can give them is a kingdom of their own – a backyard where they can roam free and be the wild things that their ancestors once were. And to find out the kind of yard your pawsome companion very much deserves, we compiled a short, but effective list of advice.

Treat Your Dog To A Pawtastic Backyard Space

Fence – river rock to stop them from digging

Naturally, fences come first. You will want your dog to be kept from roaming outside their territory, and to stop any unwanted animals coming in. Wire fences work better than wooden ones, because dogs need visual when something rouses their interest. However, portholes in wooden fences can compensate for this. To prevent your dog from digging under the fence, build a river rock right up to it, and coat it on the inside to stop the dog from climbing up. And don’t forget to match the fence to the rest of the garden design, to avoid it looking like a prison cell.

Shade

In the warm summer months, dog relish in playing outside, but the detrimental downside is, ironically, the sun itself. Dogs suffer heat exhaustion just as humans do, and to save your four-legged friend from a trip to the ER, take the necessary measures: plant trees that provide enough natural shade in strategic spots where you know your dog likes to rest; build a large enough doghouse, or a canopy where they can hide when it’s high noon. That way, even if you’re not home, you won’t have to worry about the dog enduring the heat.

Landscaping

When landscaping for your dog, two things are critical to pay attention to:

• Plants – be careful which plants you put in your backyard, as there are some that are very toxic, like elephant ears, azaleas, lilies, daffodils, and more. Google a specific plant before you decide to introduce it to your pet’s territory.
• Fun is priority – and this goes both for your dog and you. Have fun designing the backyard landscape by treating it as an obstacle course. Make corners and pathways that will enable your dog to climb, jump over, crawl and swerve. Take inspiration from real dog shows and combine it with supplies you already own. Get creative!

Routine cleanup

Congratulations! With making your yard more dog-friendly, your cleanup duties have become more routinely now. And before you start to think the time it will cost you, remember the fuzzy face you are doing it for. Emotional reasoning aside, these chores don’t have to be difficult. The few additional things that need upkeep are mulch walkways that should be replaced, fence maintenance, pond cleanup, sandbox refilling and replacement, and cleaning up your yard of organic trash. The option of affordable Boomerangboxes for hire or other eco-friendly boxes is great for transferring all the excess material you will end up with then performing the clean-up and redesign.

Pond or pool

Along with the proper shade, giving your dog a pond or a pool will definitely put a notch in the “caring owner” book. After running around all day, dogs tend to overheat, especially in the summer months. And like children, they aren’t aware that all that energy expenditure can be bad for their health, until it’s too late. A pond or a pool for them to splash in will give a nice cool reset to their body. There are plenty of DIY advice on building dog ponds, and the price of such a project is nothing compared to your dog’s eternal gratitude and guaranteed summer wellbeing.

Fleas and ticks

Fleas and ticks are the bane of every dog and dog owner’s existence. They seem impossible to eliminate or eradicate, and come September, we all start to shudder at the thought the tick season is here. One thing you already do is treating your dog with non-toxic repellents. But by keeping your yard trimmed and pruned, you have already done quite a bit. Advocates of natural repellents emphasize the use of nematodes, dirt-inhabiting worms that feed on ticks and fleas, which are sprayed into the lawn. Whichever option you decide on, it comes down to your location, finances and personal preference.

In conclusion

The advice we offered only scratched the surface of what you can and can’t do to make your dog’s life richer with a proper backyard. One thing to always keep in mind is that this needs to be your pet’s getaway, safe haven, and a patch of nature it craves so much, especially if you live in an urban area. Never forget that their safety and comfort comes first, and in accordance to that, adjust your budget. Dogs give us only their best, and they deserve nothing less in return.