Dog friendly gardens

I've had a lot of time to spend with my dog Porter because of the weather, and I have been thinking about how to make my garden even more dog friendly then it already is. With no snow on the ground, Po has been turning my lawn into a patch of mud and tracking it all over the house. Of course, this is what dogs do, and mud season hasn't even begun. Here is a snapshot of the problem.



So my first resolution is to get the turf in better shape with some over seeding, lime and organic fertilizer as soon as I can. Goal #2 is to create a better edging around my beds to keep the dog out. In the areas that I have stones making a border, my dog does little mucking about, as you can see here.



One of the major selling features for me on buying this house was the fenced in yard. This allows my pooch to tromp around whenever he wants to, and all the chasing of squirrels is keeping him in good shape for a 7 year old. The trouble is, he releaves himself on any new planting I put in to obscure the chainlink fence. But I have found that bigger plants stand up to his abuse better, and with frequent waterings to dilute the urea he fertilizes them with, they eventually thrive.

We have a large deck and stone patio as a transition into the yard, and this gives the dog an area to lose a bit of mud on the way back in. I plan to expand the paved area in the spring. Here is a picture of it.



Porter loves our yard. We have a good mix of sunny and shady spots for him to relax in, and there are plenty of rabbits and chipmunks to chase. I keep a big area of grass for him and the kids. I have also chosen to not plant things on the ASPCA's list of toxic plants in his yard, and we use no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. There are quite a few poisenous plants on the list, here is a link to it.
PLANT LIST

Porter is a good dog, he almost always does his business way out back behind the compost heap, where we never step in it. I think he learned this because I was always scooping up after him and disposing of his waste back in that area. It took a couple of years, but he has caught on. If anyone has something to add in the comments, I would like to hear from you.