Toward a Peaceful, Healthy Coexistence of Plants and Dogs

Those who love both their dogs and their gardens often seek ways to protect their plants from the stress of daily dog traffic.

There are no dog-proof plants. If flora is frequently trampled, you can expect torn leaves, broken branches and mud, especially in smaller yards. But there are techniques to help dogs and beautiful gardens happily coexist.

Protecting Plants

My preferred solution is to separate the dog from the garden. Other options include taking pets to obedience school and creating a naturalistic design using tough ground covers, perennials, shrubs and trees and simply adopting a "survival of the fittest" mentality regarding plants.

Sometimes a sturdy fence is the only answer, but even an 18-inch-high wire fence can ruin the look of a garden and can discourage only small dogs. Instead, for small dogs, consider installing an 18- to 24-inch-tall picket fence to enclose a perennial and shrub garden. Plants along the pet side of the fence still need to withstand paw traffic. Remember that dogs can dig under fences, so install the fence into the soil or add a rock barrier at the base.

Other dog-loving gardeners look for more attractive options. Alain and Valeria Roman are avid gardeners who live on a small suburban lot in Rockville. They rely on an "ugly" stiff wire fence to hold back their Labrador retriever and St. Bernard from their plants, but they plan to build a retaining wall to control where the dogs go when they are outside. Flowers will be above and behind the wall, on the opposite and sunny side of the yard, out of the dogs' direct path.

Pets like to explore, and it's in a dog's nature to patrol borders, including fences. Plant flowers and vegetables in raised planters with mulched or grassy paths between them. Leave buffer zones between plants, walls and fences. Mulched paths can be used to guide pets to locations away from beds to play or to take care of other business. If a path network is not extensive, use pavers, which will be smooth on dogs' paws.

If your pet loves the garden, plant sturdy flora where it likes to tread. Black-eyed Susan has a stout character and will retain flowering value while your pet romps. Others include verbena, shasta daisy, liatris, peony, butterfly weed, Russian sage, raspberry and viburnum, as well as small flowering trees like styrax, halesia, fringe tree and eastern redbud. For information about other plants that can better tolerate foot traffic, check out http://Stepables.com, the Web site of a company that specializes in such plants.

Protecting Pets

Most pet owners know lawn chemicals can be harmful to their dogs and cats, but many forget that some plant material can be toxic to animals.

Sometimes animals know which leaves and berries to avoid, but don't count on it. We had a client whose dog ate the foliage and berries of a Carol Mackie Daphne. The plant's sap is caustic and can burn the mouth and irritate an animal's stomach.

Other plants to avoid include yew, wild black cherry, azalea, rhododendron, hydrangea, nandina, oleander, English ivy, daffodil, tulip, lily of the valley, foxglove, hyacinth, rhubarb and castor bean. A longer list of toxic plants can be found at http://www.cybercanine.com/toxicplants.htm.

If you already have some of these plants, minimize exposure by fencing them off, if possible.

Avoid tying dogs to trees. It can kill the tree and create an aggressive animal. And don't leave dogs out for too long. When a dog begins to dig to find a comfortable spot, it's been in the yard too long. Make sure your pet has an area of soft lawn or shaded soil for lying outside.