Thursday Barks and Bytes - Create a Pet-Friendly Garden

Hi, y'all! As seen as its been a long while now since we joined the Barks & Bytes Blog Hop, I decided on today's topic and knew that the two would fit perfectly!

Everyone loves their garden, and having one that is no worry to pets is even better!

We play lots of games and do a lot of training in our garden, so a positive association has also been built for Earl.

He receives plenty of stimulation and fun with me!

Today, I aim to highlight some of the little things you can do to ensure that your garden is safe and enjoyable for your pet as well as yourself. It can even benefit your dog health wise, boost it and heal any sickness. Your dog naturally wants to choose natural medicine to help him/herself, so plants in the garden that are safe and healthy for dogs can do just the trick! And plenty of games and new senses also help to build positive associations and responses from and for your four-legged bestie!

Lets start with some of Earl's garden shots...

One of my very favourite, the one above - is it your's now too?!

Oh and this one… Is hilarious! 'Petals? Yummy!'

Hey, I can smell something on my head!!

Now how can gardens benefit your dog?

Herbal plants, and even just grass can!

Grass can help settle the stomach of a dog who feels s/he needs it. For example if a dog feels sick, dogs may eat grass as a relief. However TOO much grass can bring the contents up - in a way this can be a good way of bringing whatever was making your dog feel ill up, out and gone.

Herbs can promote health and heal too. If you grow a variety of herbal plants in your garden, your dog can naturally pick and choose what s/he wants.

Plenty of space and interesting burrows can!

Dogs, especially terriers, love to forage, burrow and hide in interesting spaces. If the area is free of any hazardous materials, your dog will enjoy his new outdoor space to call his own.

A sense of the wild can!

Rockery filled with stones, plants, soil and trees towering above all help towards your dog feeling like he's in the wild! And the wild is exciting! Not the mention the new, different and rapidly changing senses of touch your dog feels beneath his feet as he trots from stone to plant to soil etc. More on senses below:

A range of senses can!

The more things your dog has to touch, smell, see and hear, the more stimulated he will become! Its like a playground especially for pets!!

And last but not least, games can!

The more you play with your dog in your garden, and the more fun he has in it, the more positive he is going to think about it! If nothing happens in the garden, why should he like it and enjoy being in it? He may just as well be sat in his bed asleep than sat in a garden of short grass and nothing more! Play fetch, football, tug, and hide-and-seek with your dog to make him associate his enclosed outdoor space with fun things and a good relationship with you.

Make your garden free of escape routes - some dogs can become real escape artists and some can even dig out further if there is already a small hole.

Your dog must not be able to leave the property without you being with him/her!

Happy 'gardening'!

We're taking part in the Thursday Barks and Bytes Blog Hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like A Dog - thanks guys! Hop along all!