Buying a house is a huge deal. Whether it’s your first home or a trade up from your previous digs, moving into a new space can mean a lot of different things to everyone. One of the biggest considerations a new homeowner has is how best their yard will be for their dog. Being a homeowner and a dog owner come with huge responsibilities. As a homeowner, you need to ensure that your home stays up to date on construction, but as a dog owner, you need to ensure that your pups are safe and healthy. One of the many ways to do that is by creating a backyard that caters to your dogs’ needs!
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Always Put a Fence Up
A fence is a huge way to keep your dog safe and healthy — and also protect your property! Without a fence, your dog could easily run away or get hurt by other wildlife. In combination with a dog tag tracker, this can go a long way in ensuring that your dog stays safe and healthy in your backyard. Regardless of breed, a tall fence gives you privacy as a homeowner, but also keeps your pup safe!
Add Bushes and Greenery
Dogs love greenery! Be sure to choose plants that are safe and non-toxic for dogs so that you don’t harm your fur babies. Greenery will encourage your dogs to enjoy the outdoor space without making them feel fenced in. You can put the greenery and bushes around the fenceline of your backyard to prevent your pups from destroying the fence itself. It’s a great way to distract them from the fence!
Give Them a Place for Sustenance
It’s important that you give your dog somewhere to refuel during their time outdoors. A space for them to get some water and munch on a snack is a must. Now, you don’t have to put the traditional dog house up, but a food and water bowl near the back door of your home is a great solution for keeping your dog healthy if they’ll be spending any prolonged time out in the yard. If you’re not going to invest in a doggy water fountain, make sure you take the time to keep their water bowl filled with fresh water and cleaned out from harmful bacteria.
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Give Them Somewhere for Activity
Dogs like to stay active. While you should incorporate both backyard and out-of-home activities with your dog, it’s important for your backyard to have more than just an expanse of grass. Add a variety of features that create an active landscape for your pup, such as an area for them to dig and bury items and a couple of ropes for them to tug on. This will encourage them to stay active whenever they’re outdoors. Make sure to rotate your activity stations so that they don’t get bored! Switching out old toys with new ones can go a long way in ensuring that your backyard is best built for your dog.
Make It Easy for Them to Come in and Out of the House
Your dog should be able to easily move from home to yard without much hassle. Whether you install a doggy door that’s wide enough for them or leave the sliding glass door open and use a magnetic curtain for your dog to push through, having a way for your dog to easily come in and out of the house will ensure they actually use the yard you set up for them! If you’re taking the time to put together such a wonderful space for them, you want to be sure they can get access to it.
Give Them a Space to Mark Their Territory
Dogs like to mark their territory. This process, called urine marking, is a way for dogs to signal to others that a particular space is “theirs” and that no one else should come near it or mark it. It’s completely natural for dogs to do this outside, but it can be a nuisance if you’re trying to grow seasonal flowers such as roses or tulips. Giving them a marking space with wooden posts, an old sandbox or anything else you can think of that will entice them to mark their territory can keep them from destroying anything else in your backyard.
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Put Somewhere for the Humans, Too!
Your backyard is also for the humans. Make sure you incorporate some additional features for any humans that will be coming to your home. Your backyard is an entertainment space, both for your dog and for yourself. It’s important that you include some features for humans, too, such as outdoor furniture, to ensure that anyone who visits your backyard has an enjoyable experience.
A Place to Escape the Sun
During the summer, some locations can get ridiculously hot. Consider creating a place where your pup can escape the heat and sun to get some cool shade in your backyard. Whether you put it near your dog’s outdoor food and water bowls or simply create a canopy with natural greenery for them, a place they can easily access to get some shade and cool down is a necessity for any dog owners’ backyard. The last thing anyone needs is for your dog to suffer from heat stroke or heat exhaustion!
Somewhere to Stash Their Outdoor Items
Building unique storage solutions outside is a great way to turn your backyard into your dog’s favorite space. Store items like their dog collar and leash set, their favorite frisbee or even a towel to dry them off with when they spend too much time rolling in the mud. Turn a bench on your deck into a storage solution, or simply install some weatherproof boxes near your back door as a way to easily access all their favorite outdoor items. Your dog will be so glad to have all their favorites without having to wait for you to go back inside and fetch them!
