Dog-proofing your home is a must to keep your canine safe and out of trouble. But equally important to the health of your pup, is ensuring your yard is dog-proofed as well. From removing toxic plants and chemicals to yard maintenance, here’s 6 tips for making your yard a safe environment for your pup.
1. Maintain Your Yard
Harmful pests like fleas and ticks thrive in unkempt yards with tall grass. To protect your pup, keep your yard organized, free of clutter and regularly mowed. Keep shrubbery trimmed, too. To further ensure your yard remains bug-free, apply a non-toxic, plant-safe insect repellent monthly.
2. Use Non-Toxic Yard Treatments and Pesticides
From manure to weed-killers to pesticides, chemical-based yard products can be extremely dangerous to your pet, not to mention your family. While many guides advocate removing pets from the yard when using such products and then replacing them afterward, we don’t feel that goes quite far enough. After all, these chemicals can persist for weeks after application. A safer and more eco-friendly route is to switch out chemical-based yard products for naturally sourced alternatives—especially when it comes to outdoor pesticides.
3. Secure Trash Cans and Garden Supplies
It goes without saying, but dogs will put just about anything into their mouths. To protect your pup from themselves, make sure your outdoor trash cans and recycling bins are always sealed. The same goes for garden supplies and other outdoor storage items—keep them all out of reach.
4. Remove Toxic Plant life
Before introducing a dog into your yard, you need to remove all plant life that’s potentially toxic to your pup. Consult this list of plants toxic to dogs for help.
5. Fence Off Pools and Hot Tubs
Regardless of their swimming experience, no dog should be left unattended in a backyard with a pool or hot tub that’s not fenced off. We suggest installing a pet fence around your pool, or keeping your pup in an area of the yard without access to the pool.
6. Supply Shade and Water
Whether your dog spends most of the day outside or only goes in the yard occasionally, make sure they have access to plenty of fresh water and shade. Dehydration and heat stroke can sneak up awfully fast.