Has Your Garden Gone to the Dogs?

As a gardener who has owned both cats and dogs, I know all too well the special problems our lovable pets can cause. Good planning with your pets in mind may head off a few of the irritations. It's not likely that we'll eliminate all bad behaviors, but there are ways that we can coexist without stressing each other out in the process.

Let's look at our canine companions first. Dogs are very much creatures of habit. If you look at your yard, you'll likely see evidence of where they make their rounds. The grass may be thinner there (or nonexistent). Rather than trying to change your dog's pathways, see if you can incorporate them into your garden layout. Perhaps your dog is a great landscape architect in disguise!

If that isn't possible, then create barriers that prevent your dog from entering that area. This can come in the form of ornamental rocks or fencing. Maybe this is where you can place that great piece of garden art. Be creative!

Does your dog like to dig? I personally eliminated that problem by using stone for mulch in her favorite area. She didn't like having to dig through that, so she simply stopped doing it. If she found another area to dig in, I never discovered it.

Our feline friends present another set of problems, with the most annoying being their habit of using our gardens as their personal litter boxes. This is a tough one, especially if you've got large gardens. Most of the time, this situation won't be detrimental to the plants, but aside from using one of the products that's supposed to repel cats, you can try providing them with a specific area for their needs. They especially love sand because it's easy to dig in, so creating an outside "litter box" for them may help.

Cats are very territorial, too, and males especially like to spray to mark their area. If you see them doing this, wash off the foliage with the hose to help reduce the acidic effect of the urine. If you catch them in the act, a little gentle spray with the hose might help break the habit, too.

In the end, the lovability of our pets usually outweighs the problems they create, so learning to accept your pets' habits will go a long way toward dealing with any damage they may cause to your garden. I'll bet we can be annoying to them at times, too.