How do you ensure a comfortable environment for your favorite outdoor dogs? After all, a cheerful four-legged friend can bring not only joy but also unpleasant surprises.
If you don’t take care of your dog’s interests in a timely manner, your favorite flowers may be trampled, and diggings with “mines” may appear on the lawn. In order for both yours and your dog’s interest to coincide, you need to find the right compromise. Then your outside rest will bring everyone true pleasure.
Territory
You can mark your pet’s territory right away by making a fence on the site. Consider the size of the dog as well. If it’s small, don’t build high fences. Make paths for it. Believe me, it will be happy to run on them.
By the way, you can give your dog full possession of the strip along the fence. In this case, it’s better to keep the fence blind. And for inquisitive dogs, it is worth making an observation window in the fence.
You can go the other way and give your pet full freedom on the site, protecting your flowerbeds, trees and other plants with decorative fences.
Aviaries and Booths
Outdoor dogs need a place to sleep, rest, and hide from the scorching sun. So make sure your dog has its own house. Choose an enclosure and doghouse location in a dry place with well-drained soil.
To make your pet feel comfortable in summer, place the house in the shade. If there are no trees, you can plant elderberries, hawthorn, or lilacs on the southern side of the house.
Design the box according to the specific features of your area. For example, you can make a hole in the barrel for the entrance and turn it over, or build a roof terrace for your pet and set up the house there. You can build a wooden kennel and make a small fence on the roof – the dog will be able to climb on it by stairs.
Water and Pool Safety for Outdoor Dogs
A dog can’t do without drinking water. You can put a bowl for it but make sure it’s always filled with fresh water.
Or make a small fountain with fresh water which fits into the design of the site. Sprays will please your pet, and it will have constant access to water.
You can set up a dog pool with cover pumps. To ensure a high level of water purification, check out this article. But also make sure that your pet can easily get out of it.
Hedges & Gardens
Dogs love to play and run around a backyard. And to protect it, you can make low barriers from hedges: barberry, Japanese quince, or dwarf spirea shrubs.
When spraying garden trees and bushes, isolate the animal until the leaves have dried up so that it does not lick chemicals from them. Dogs can also be entertained with mazes, as they like to explore new ways, search, and patrol.
It’s important to know that:
- To protect your pet’s health, make sure your outdoor dog’s house floor is not concrete or earthen. It’s better to use wooden flooring.
- If you have a decorative pond on your property, take care of your dog’s safety. Don’t use chemicals to clarify and purify the water.
- Since dogs love to chew things, don’t plant dangerous plants in the area (e.g. grapes can be dangerous for dogs: even one leaf can cause vomiting and stomach aches). It’s best to let your dog chew on a freshly cut twig or something special (you can easily find various toys at a pet store), an old shoe will do, as a last resort.
- Keep in mind that rodent and snail lures of all kinds can also be dangerous for your pet.
- Try to find landscaping materials that do not cling to your dog’s paws and heat up.
