Book Review: “Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs” by Cheryl S. Smith

Dog Friendly Gardens Book

Dog Friendly Gardens is one of the few books written on the topic of creating a garden that both you and your pet will love. Every part of this well-written book shows you how garden design and traditional gardening tasks can blend harmoniously with dog ownership. Just like a dog can be trained to respect your indoor living space, he/she can also be trained to respect the garden and its many features.

In this easy to follow, full-color paperback book Dog Friendly Gardens details how to design your yard with the dog in mind by observing dog behavior. The author describes materials that work well with dogs as well as plant selections that can withstand even the most energetic canine. She also explains how to have a lush green lawn without harmful chemicals and offers tips for growing fruit and veggies for the entire family, including the dog! You will learn how the breed of dog (or mix of breeds) can affect garden behavior and how to avoid dog-garden conflict by good garden design and positive dog training. Boundary training, outdoor equipment, and directing digging and elimination to appropriate areas – are all covered in this useful book.

Dog Friendly Gardens not only offers down-to-earth, dog-friendly (and garden-friendly!) advice, it contains lovely, inspirational photos of pooches enjoying their yards. Suggestions on garden design, plant choice, and easy maintenance planning help readers get the most enjoyment out of both their gardens and their dog friends. The book also offers great tips on teaching your dog acceptable garden etiquette — welcome advice from an author who is also a dog trainer.

I highly recommend Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs by Cheryl S. Smith. Cheryl is the author of nine books and numerous articles on the subject of dogs and gardens. She also lectures extensively on both subjects nationally and internationally. She is a member of the Dog Writers Association, Association of Pet Dog Training, and Garden Writers Association.

You can order this interesting and resourceful book here: Dog Friendly Gardens

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”- Groucho Marx


Dog Friendly Landscaping: Using Hardscapes

Hardscaping is an important element in dog friendly yards. First let’s define it, “hardscaping,” or “hardscape” refers to the non-living elements of a landscape. Hardscapes include patios, sidewalks, stone paths, mulched areas, retaining walls, arbors, trellises, fences and lattice dividers. Living plants, by contrast, constitute the “softscaping” or “softscape” of the yard.

Hardscaping is a practical choice for yards shared with our canine friends because it is low maintenance, practical and very useful.

The benefits that hardscapes add to the landscape are numerous. Here are a few good reasons to utilize them in your dog friendly yard:

• Paver, concrete or stone pathways and walkways create transition by providing clear, recognizable transit areas through which traffic moves from one point of interest to another. This means fewer worn grassy areas in high traffic zones.

• Stepping stone, gravel or flagstone paths can also create zones of interest and make a yard look bigger by altering the perspective and depth of the scene. They add interest and charm to your landscape.

• Retaining walls can be used to change the grade of the landscape. They are aesthetically pleasing while helping with erosion issues.

• Courtyard walls create enclosed spaces for privacy and conversation. Fences can make areas off limits such as vegetable gardens or rose gardens to keep your dog safe.

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• Garden pergolas, with their lattice walls, can screen the view of eyesores.

• Patios and decks establish entertainment, lounging, and dining areas for the family, pets, and guests.

• Stairways and steps leading to and from the house create drama and a sense of grand entrance.

• Arbors and gazebos provide shelter so you can use your yard more. They can protect you and your pooch from a light drizzle or create shade and comfort on hot, sunny days.

• Less lawn area equals less work for you. Also equals less muddy paws tracking into the house!