Gardening with dogs

Last fall we joined our yard to two others as a dog play area. We put gates in the fences that we share with our neighbors. Three of their dogs now join our hound Lola in sniffing, running, and tussling from early morning to after sundown. We’ve got some really happy dogs.

Lola surveys her domain

    With this open gate policy, Lola gets more exercise than I could ever give her and all the companionship she needs. For the garden, though, it’s been a big change.

    For one thing, that pesky lawn I used to complain about is pretty much gone. We might have a total of 200 square feet of turf grass left. All the rest has been worn away by running dog feet. I arranged for a load of wood chips to cover the bare ground where the lawn used to be.

Wood chips have replaced most of the lawn

    The lawn was relatively easy to lose. What hurts is seeing perennials shredded and shrub branches torn off by exuberant dogs. New paths have been cut through the borders where dogs charge through the plantings on their straightest line from A to B. They don’t care where I thought the paths should lie. 

 

New paths have appeared

    It’s worth it to let the dogs have their way with the garden, at least for a few years, for the sake of seeing them romping so happily. I’m hoping the destruction is something they’ll outgrow as they get older and more sedate. Then I can restore and replant.

    Meanwhile, I’ve had to make some choices about what to protect. I worried about it all winter, and in March I went outside to stake out the areas I’d defend for new plantings. Established plants can fend for themselves fairly well. Even decapitated perennials may grow back from their roots. 

 

Maybe this hosta will bounce back

But if the dogs dig up new plants and throw them out of their holes, they won’t have a chance.

    I started by enclosing a long, narrow bed in wire fencing supported by metal snow fence posts. This was the section I’d carved out from a patch of lawn and covered with sheet compost two years before. 

    It’s hard to drive those posts into our rocky soil, but once they’re in deep enough, they keep the fencing in place. I tacked down the bottom edge of the fencing with earth staples.

Earth staples from Gardener's Supply

I’d learned from last year’s experience that the dogs would nose their way under the fence if they could.  Last week I installed a new collection of native perennials inside this enclosure. Three carabiner-like hooks allow me to open the “gate”—a flap of fencing—to get inside if I have to.

 

Newly planted native perennials inside the fenced enclosure

 
    For the existing beds near the house, I took a different approach. Before the perennials started to emerge, I laid down fencing flat on the soil and pinned it down. My idea was that this would keep the dogs from digging. To add new plants, I cut openings in the wire.

Fencing tacked flat on the ground to protect bearberry

    So far these desperate measures are working, but determined dogs may foil me yet.