A lot of people enjoy gardening, and for many various reasons. Some people do it for enjoyment, as a form of exercise, or they enjoy the fresh fruit and vegetables that it provides. However, if you own a dog that enjoys playing or digging in your garden, this could potentially be a problem. Here are some tips to help prevent your dog from ruining your immaculate garden.
Training
First of all, a trained dog is a controllable dog. Teach your dog basic commands like ‘sit’, ‘stay’, and ‘come’. That way, when your dog starts misbehaving, you can get it to stop and come to you. You can even go one step further and train your dog to know which areas of the garden are off-limits. Teach your dog the areas of the garden that they can play on, the area for doing their business, and the areas where they are not allowed to go.
Plant location
Once you have selected the plants that you want for your garden (that are not toxic for your pets), you would need to determine the location for those plants. You should avoid planting them in areas you know your dog loves to play in. If you know that your dog loves to run alongside the fence, then try and avoid having plants in that area.
If you have flowers or plants that you adore but can’t plant in your garden, you can plant them in larger pots or baskets. Pots and hanging baskets are especially useful if your dog loves to dig. Alternatively, you can set up a little barrier or fence to prevent your dog from trampling over your pets.
Plant selection
One of the great joys of being a gardener is selecting the plants you want for the season. If your dog loves playing in the garden, then selecting larger, more established plants is the way to go. That way, they are less likely to be damaged when your dog runs over them. Another benefit of having a larger plant is that your dog will be more likely to notice and avoid them.

In case you didn’t know, some dogs love to dig!
Preventing your dog from digging up holes
If your dog loves to dig holes in your garden, you can deter them by spreading spices in and around your garden. Coffee grounds are also an effective deterrent, and they are also a good fertilizer for your garden. Plants with strong odors like rosemary and sage can also be used to keep your dog out of your garden.
Protect your dog from chemicals
When searching for plant fertilizers to use in your garden, make sure that it is pet friendly. There are plenty of natural products available, including seaweed solutions and blood and bone. If you choose to go with an inorganic fertilizer, make sure that it is pet friendly and pay close attention to the instructions on the bag.
Want to know a more effective way of training your dog? Read here!