2 Major Ways to Make Your Backyard Landscaping More Dog-Friendly

If you have recently gotten a dog or are thinking about adopting one, you may be wondering if your backyard is set up to accommodate them and make them happy and comfortable. After all, even though your pet dog will be an indoor animal, they will still spend copious amounts of time playing and relieving themselves in the yard. There are many ways that you can update and change up your landscape design to make it more dog friendly. Get to know some of the steps that you can take so that your dog is happy in their new yard.

Have Trees for Shade

When your dog is going to be spending time outside, one of the most important factors to consider is shade in your yard. Too much direct sunlight, especially when it is hot out, can cause your dog to overheat very quickly. Prolonged exposure to heat and direct sunlight will lead to heatstroke and dehydration.

The best type of shade for your dog and for your landscaping design aesthetic is through natural means such as large leafy trees. If you already have a single well-established large tree, you can go to a nursery and purchase new saplings or small trees and plant them around your yard.

Opt for trees that tend to grow quickly like hybrid poplars, red maples, or weeping willows. These trees grow several feet per year on average (between three and eight on average depending on the specific option you choose). Alternatively, if you have no shade trees, you can work with a grower that will transplant fully grown trees to your yard. This will give you immediate shade for your dog.

Have a Mixture of Different Ground Cover

Dogs tend to enjoy variety in their environment. As such, having a variety of ground cover in your backyard can be interesting to them and give your dog many options for activities and for resting or sleeping. This can include grass, wood chips, gravel or rocks, sand, and just bare earth (dirt).

The bare earth is especially comfortable and cool for dogs if it is under the shade of the trees in the summer. However, aesthetically you may not love having bare dirt in your yard. Installing an enclosed sand area can be fun for your dog as they can dig or rest and lay in the sand without disturbing the rest of your landscaping.

These tips can help you to make your backyard landscaping design more dog-friendly so your new dog or the dog you plan to get will be happy and comfortable in the yard. Learn more about your landscaping options by contacting nurseries like Moon Valley Nurseries.

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