Dog Friendly Garden: Vegetables Safe For Dogs
Pooch Enjoying A Carrot Snack
When you’re considering the addition of vegetables to your dog’s diet, it’s important to be aware of ones that are potentially harmful to dogs. Two that should be avoided are garlic and onions since they’re known to cause anemia in dogs if consumed in high enough concentration. Other vegetables that can potentially have adverse effects on dogs include avocados, tomatoes, and wild mushrooms. Also, never feed your dog grapes or raisins because they can cause renal failure.
Never leave your pup unattended in the vegetable garden since the green leaves and stems of many common vegetables can cause a wide range of health problems. Many people with dogs put a chicken wire or other type of fence around their vegetable plot. It keeps the area off limits to curious canines and protects your crop from rabbit damage.
Vegetables Safe For Dogs Include:
* Carrots
* Broccoli
* Celery
* Green Beans
* Spinach
* Sweet Potatoes
To make vegetables more digestive system friendly, cut them into smaller pieces. You can also cook them by steaming in a steamer. Using the steam method will preserve more of the healthy nutrients and phytochemicals than most other cooking methods will. Limit vegetables to no more than a quarter of your dog’s food intake a day and serve them along with a high quality source of protein.
Dog Friendly Garden – Dealing With Digging
Dog Digging For Pay Dirt
Dogs dig for several different reasons. Sometimes dogs dig to make a cool spot to lay in on a hot summer day. Some dogs (such as hounds) dig to pursue the odor of prey animals such as rabbits. Others can hear or smell insects just beneath the soil and dig for buried “food” like worms and grubs. Pent up energy or boredom causes some dogs to dig for the sheer thrill of it. Or they may dig to try to escape from the yard so that they can go on a tour of the neighborhood or meet favorite canine friends.
Some breeds are predisposed to digging. Like terriers and dachshunds. Dogs with high energy levels may also be prone to dig as a way of channeling their excess energy.
If your dog is digging excessively, first try to determine why. If he’s digging to find a cool spot, make sure he has a shady area to relax and escape the hot sun, plus try offering him his own paddling pool if he’s a water lover like a retriever. Keep a kiddy pool for him in a shady area and he will probably be most grateful. A sand pit in a shady area is another solution.
If your dog is digging to escape from the yard, try to figure out why he wants to escape. Make sure your pet is neutered or spayed so he’s not trying to roam or put himself in harm’s way looking for a mate. If your pet shows signs of separation anxiety, leave your dog in the safety of your house when he or she cannot be supervised. Take him for a walk before you leave – a happy, tired dog is usually a less anxious dog.
If your dog is digging to have fun, show him how to have fun in other ways. Provide lots of exercise and play for him. Food toys are a great way to keep a dog busy when you can’t be around.
For chronic diggers, consider providing a special area of the yard for your dog to dig and teach him that it is acceptable to dig there but not in the rest of your yard.
Here are some tips to keep your dog from digging:
* Provide fun and tiring exercise for your dog every day. A brisk daily walk. A trip to the local dog park. Always keep him busy and mentally stimulated!
* Supervise your dog when he is out in the yard. Reprimand if he starts to dig. Get him interested in doing other things instead (playing with a ball, frisbee or chew toy).
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* Make sure your dog has shade and access to fresh clean water.
* Be responsible and have your pet neutered/spayed.
Recommended Plants for Dog Friendly Yards
Hound pup enjoying the garden
Careful selection of woody shrubs will serve your need for a beautiful yard and your dog’s need to patrol and play. You can hide perimeter wear and tear (and other possible eyesores like old fences, utility boxes..etc.) with the colorful leaves or flowering branches of a variety of sturdy shrubs. Many woody shrubs tolerate aggressive pruning and will stand up to most canine activities.
Here are five recommended hardy shrubs for dog-friendly gardens:
1. Lilac
2. Forsythia
3. Red-Twig Dogwood
4. Burning Bush
5. Smoke Tree
These species don’t mind the soil compaction created by heavy paw traffic and generally do well around kids and dogs.
Vines can be another good choice in a pet friendly yard. They draw the eye up and add height and volume to your floral displays. They grow and spread quickly which can mask any problem areas with attractive visual interest.
Try these tough vines as part of your dog-friendly landscape:
1. Trumpet Vine
2. Honeysuckle Vine
3. Caroline Jasmine
4. Clematis
5. Kentucky Wisteria
Another must in a yard shared with canine friends are durable groundcovers. These low growing powerhouses are terrific planted in rock gardens, on slopes, as accents to flower beds, or between stepping stones. They can tolerate rolling, tossing, turning and getting stepped on. The right soft groundcovers are great for a doggy nap area, or for you to walk on in bare feet. They are pretty and very practical, not needing much care or maintenance.
Here are the top five groundcovers we recommend for a dog friendly yard:
1. Labrador Violet
2. Elfin Thyme
3. Snow in Summer
4. Irish Moss
5. Miniature Stonecrop
The plants listed above are more likely to stand up over time to both Mother Nature and canine interactions. A little site planning and preparation, and careful plant selections can make your life easier and make for an enjoyable oasis for your pooch!
The ASPCA web site www.aspca.org/toxicplants has a complete list of toxic and harmful plants.
