Dog Days
Work with your pet's personality to develop the perfect garden
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Yes, it is possible for flora and fauna to co-exist peacefully in your own backyard. It just takes planning, maintenance and willingness to let Mother Nature have the last word.
That doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to an expanse of urine-burned grass and trampled tulips and learn to love it. But you do need to pay attention to your pet's behaviors before grabbing the trowel.
Observing the behavior of your dog or cat before you invest in a time- and money-intensive garden is a wise step, counsels Doug Welsh, a professor of horticulture at Texas A&M University who is also involved in his state's master gardener program. If your dog is the type to run back-and-forth along the side of a fence, don't try to cultivate delicate herbs there. If your dog is a digger, consider making his favorite hole a permanent part of his space, much like a child's sandbox.
"Certain dogs have habits. If your dog has a path he always runs, maybe that's a good place for stepping stones," hints Maria Rock, a California horticulture environmental consultant. Rock once had to alter a pathway through a flowerbed to accommodate the shortcuts favored by her four dogs. "Sometimes, you have to change your lawn."
Neither Rock nor Welsh think adapting to your dog (or cat)'s patterns means you cannot create the landscape of your dreams. Consider these botanic how-tos:
�"Dog kennel" is a dirty phrase for many dog lovers who want their furry friends to be able to freely romp and play. But having a dog area, where a dog can relieve herself before playing, can help protect the rest of the yard. Welch suggests growing vines up fences to obstruct the chain link and concrete that makes most dog kennels so unappealing.
�Dogs chew and destroy when they're bored. Being in your yard with your dog, whether you're tossing a ball or just sitting on the patio, can help curb your pup's penchant for wreaking havoc.
�Certain plants can be toxic if eaten. On the positive side, other plants are particularly hardy and can withstand being trampled by four feet (or eight or 12). Local nurseries should be able to suggest cultivars that are right for your climate.
�The brown spots from urination on the lawn can be a gardener's biggest ongoing frustration. Training Spot to go in a particular spot is possible, and mulch or gravel areas are great for this purpose. Steve Thompson, DVM, director of the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Pet Wellness Clinic in Indiana, says immediately watering the patch after urination will dilute the nitrogen in the urine, and may help to fertilize the lawn without burning it. The trick is to water the spot right away.
�Laying a flat layer of chicken wire across a vegetable or flowerbed is one way to stop those plants from being dug up by a curious dog or from being used as a litter box by a cat. Tack down the chicken wire, cut holes if needed for planting, and cover with mulch. Once a dog or cat hits the wire, she'll realize it is futile and won't try it again, Welch says.
�If Rover sees you digging in the yard to plant bulbs or to apply snail bait, he'll be more likely to dig it up later after you're gone, Rock says. Keep pets kenneled when laying sod or they'll just "pick it up like a rug," she adds.
�Steel edging is less likely to pop out of the ground and get chewed than plastic. A wrought iron fence will withstand scratching and pawing longer than wood. Buying the sturdiest materials you can afford will repay you with years free of dog damage.
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