Landscaping with Dogs in mind

[Cindy]

I am currently looking for a landscaper that is considers themselves a "dog friendly landscaper". We went to a dog fair thing this past summer and there was one that had a booth there, but of course I can't find their name or information. Anyone know of one?

[Cindy]

I should clarify, I want a landscaper that can help us design a dog friendly back yard. We want the company to know what plants are okay and which are not and to have ideas on creating a backyard that the dogs can't "ruin". Thank you!

[Karen Lashenske]

I would also like to find a dog friendly/dog knowledgeable landscaper. I have dogs that are very hard on the grass and run into my shrubs, so I need hardy and non-toxic plants. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Dawn Miller]

after doing some research, I found this company online. They have a great website, will design a plan for you even if you want to install it yourself, and also have some books available. I have not used them personally, but it may give you some ideas. Also, on the hgtv website, there is a backyard makeover that had some good ideas. My yard is nowhere near this size, but it's good for research. Links are provided below.

http://www.pawfriendlylandscapes.com/index.html
http://www.hgtv.com/videos/a-petfriendly-garden/11008.html

[Julie Enomoto]

Thanks for the links. I also am looking for a dog friendly landscaper but would really like someone in or near Portland who can be hands on.

I also want to build a nice dog run in the backyard but not have it look like a dog run, i.e. ugly chain link fence.

I understand that Dennis' 7 Dees offers a landscaping consultation service. I'm thinking of checking them out.

If I do I will return and update my post.

[Robin Welter]

Hi,

I'm a Landscape Architect in the Bay area and I can sympathize with your quest for blending the needs of your dogs with the care of your yard and garden. I'm redesigning my own yard because we got a Newfoundland earlier this year and all my initial designs are out the door! I'm drooling, no pun intended, over the thought of a small grooming studio in my backyard now that he's too big to fit in the tub and winter is coming quickly.

A good place to start is looking at the ASPCA website for plants that are toxic to dogs. http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/ because there are quite a few that are common but can be lethal if ingested. You really want to take a look at the breed of dog that you have and their requirements, your available amount of time for yard upkeep, space and characteristics of your yard, neighbors, weather and how your dog reacts to it, and of course finances. Don't feel like you need to have every portion of your yard available to your dog but start thinking about creating "spaces" for your activities and your dog(s) activities. I happen to love cutting flowers and bulbs that are impossible to keep with a large, active dog so I've planned an area that is fenced off where I can enjoy gardening and planting vegetables but if off limits to the dogs. I also have dachshunds so we've built quite a few ramps for access in and out of the house that will prevent back injuries. Our Newfoundland is very sensitive to heat so we're planning on building an arbor with spray misters for very hot days and a flat "fountain" so he can keep cool but that the dachshunds can't drown in. I've found that a variety of native and non-native grasses hold up very well to dogs trampling and going to the bathroom on them and the bonus is that they are drought tolerant and very low maintenance. Just make sure they do not have foxtails!

Make a "wish list" of what you would like in your yard and a "wish list" of what you need for your dog(s) then start looking through magazines like Sunset and gardening magazines to get visual ideas that you can take to a designer, I can't tell you how much that helps to understand what a client wants. Be very clear about your budget and your must-have ideas to help the LA define the design better. Are your dogs indoor or outdoor, or both? How do they react to the neighbors? Let your designer know these things too.

There's quite a few things that you can do yourself too, we've picked up several self-help books at Home Depot that work wonders.

I really like the book Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs by Cheryl Smith although I wish she had better pictures to go along with the text which is really well done.

Good luck and I'd love to know what LA in the Portland area you chose!