No matter what kind of furry friend you have, ensuring that your backyard is pet-friendly is the most important thing you need to do. But sometimes, people don’t really know what a pet-friendly needs to contain. For those who are not sure, or simply need some fresh ideas, here is how you can create one.

Choose a Dog-friendly Backyard Ground Cover

One of the most important things that you need to start with is ensuring that you are choosing a background cover that is good for pets. If you have grass, you will likely be left with brown patches in the spots where they urinate the most. The best way to prevent this from happening is to put something that is not grass in the parts where they urinate the most. One of the best options are grass blends that are very durable such as buffalo grass or bluegrass, artificial turf or clover. But if you want to completely redo your backyard the best things to put down are mulch blends or gravel. Something to keep in mind when you are choosing gravel or rocks for your yard is the size of them as gravel and stones can hurt your pet’s paws and get stuck in them, always stay away from sharp or jagged stones.

Install a Fence

When you are planning on having your pet go outside in the backyard, you need to ensure that they are protected. Installing a pet-friendly face will ensure that your pet can walk around the yard freely without you having to be around. On top of that, adding a fence will increase your home’s value. Something that you have to take into account is that the fence is dense and tall enough so your pet can’t squeeze in between or jump over it. If you have a pet that loves to dig, you have to ensure that they can’t dig under it too. Aside from that, you have to make sure there are no sharp things poking out of it.

Grow Pet-Safe Flowers and Plants

Something that you have to ensure that you are thinking carefully about is which plants you will put in your yard. The key to having a pet-friendly garden is choosing plants that are not toxic to them. There are a lot of popular plant choices that are toxic for them. If you have a furry friend that loves snacking on everything around them, choosing a pet-safe plant is crucial. One of the most popular plants are sage, cilantro, marigolds, zinnia, spider plants, African violets and many more. Make sure that you are avoiding planting begonias, irises, peonies, hydrangeas and dahlia. But when you have a lot of plants that means that you will have to water them with something. Always ensure that you are not leaving your hose in a place where they can chew on it is key. The best thing you can do is get a new quality retractable garden hose that is easy to put away as well as give you the freedom to play with them and spray them with water while running around without having to struggle with the hose.

Make Enough Room to Run

We all know that pets like to have the freedom and space to run. If you are dedicating just a part of the yard to them, make sure that it is at least 6 feet wide. Ensure that the part of their yard is not prone to becoming a muddy mess, the best thing is to put down some mulch. Make sure that the space they run around in is completely clean and safe so they can’t injure themselves while getting out the access energy.

Create Shade in Your Yard

Something that a lot of people don’t think about is how much shade your pets need. They are just like kids; you don’t want them to be in the sun for too long as they can get a heat stroke. Even though they might love to sunbathe, you need to ensure they have a place where they can go to cool down. If you don’t have natural shade from bushes, tall plants or trees, make sure that you put up a sun umbrella. If you would like to create a space where they can spend hours outside, the best option is a little splash pad along with a well-insulated dog house.

There is nothing more important than creating a safe space for your pet to spend their time outside. If your pet loves to be outside make sure that you are creating a space where they will be able to have proper fun while having all the necessities they have indoors. It is not possible to create a space that is too safe, so make sure you are taking all the precautions.