It’s been some years now since my bundle of joy, Skye (in the picture) was a puppy, but her arrival into my life still remains fresh with me.
From cute, fluffy and sweet, to terrorizer of your garden, man’s best friend can be your landscape’s worst nemesis. With good design, you, your dog and your landscape can live together in harmony.
I had been on the waiting list for months for this special little puppy. In preparation of her arrival, I wanted to make her environment perfect. Much like a parent getting the nursery ready for a new baby, I renovated the yard for a happy and safe environment for her and me. It looked beautiful and all was ready for Skye. New lawn, new garden beds with no poisonous plants and a shelter. Perfect! Right!? Well… with a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, I had no idea what lessons this little bundle of joy was about to teach me.
Mud soon became my least favourite colour. I also found that filling in holes was almost a full time job. Skye loved to dig and on some days she could fit herself into these holes. I soon learnt that as a puppy she needed some other stimulation other than digging.
The puppy stage can last at least twelve months or longer and digging is a form of exercise, distraction, and for a dog, it can be simply a matter of being bored and having nothing else to do. Exercise was my way of saving my yard and the best way to drain Skye’s spent-up energy. We love to go running, swimming and even hiking and we made a lot more friends and I got to see a lot more of Vancouver Island.
So embrace your new bundle of joy and your garden, they can co-exist.
From cute, fluffy and sweet, to terrorizer of your garden, man’s best friend can be your landscape’s worst nemesis. With good design, you, your dog and your landscape can live together in harmony.
I had been on the waiting list for months for this special little puppy. In preparation of her arrival, I wanted to make her environment perfect. Much like a parent getting the nursery ready for a new baby, I renovated the yard for a happy and safe environment for her and me. It looked beautiful and all was ready for Skye. New lawn, new garden beds with no poisonous plants and a shelter. Perfect! Right!? Well… with a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, I had no idea what lessons this little bundle of joy was about to teach me.
Mud soon became my least favourite colour. I also found that filling in holes was almost a full time job. Skye loved to dig and on some days she could fit herself into these holes. I soon learnt that as a puppy she needed some other stimulation other than digging.
The puppy stage can last at least twelve months or longer and digging is a form of exercise, distraction, and for a dog, it can be simply a matter of being bored and having nothing else to do. Exercise was my way of saving my yard and the best way to drain Skye’s spent-up energy. We love to go running, swimming and even hiking and we made a lot more friends and I got to see a lot more of Vancouver Island.
So embrace your new bundle of joy and your garden, they can co-exist.
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