[Corky/Max]

Backyard Basics: Run Doggie! Run!
In an ideal world every dog would have his own backyard to run, jump, and play. Backyards are wonderful places for dogs to have some room to go crazy, and have a dog of a good time!

But not all backyards are created equally. Some are not safe for the dog to play in unsupervised, and other backyards are so dull and boring, that the poor dog would rather be in the house with you. How to make your backyard both safe and exciting.

Make It Safe: Doggy Proof the Backyard!

The first thing to do is to take an honest look at your backyard. Is it really safe? Imagine that you are a small four-legged animal who thinks with their nose, tongue, and stomach. Are there anything that if you were a dog you would find irresistible that could be either life threatening or mildly hazardous. Some hazards to look out for are paint chips, stray hardware, trash in piles or open containers, fertilizers, insect or rat poison, or other such chemicals and things lying about that could potentially cause your dog harm. Get a broom, a bag, and some good old-fashioned common sense and start cleaning.

The next step in pet proofing your backyard is to look around for things that might actually be in danger of being harmed by your dog. For instance, gardens and grass that you want to keep nice and free of dog chewing and digging. Keep your gardens inaccessible to your dog by setting up some sort of boundary. Select some type of wire mesh, low fence, or even a series of invisible fences, but be careful that whatever you choose won't harm your dog either. Make sure that they have no sharp edges or corners that jut out, so that your dog won't hurt himself. Especially if your dog is one of those breeds that are prone to be diggers or chewers, you will have a nightmare on your hands if you don't make sure you protect your backyard.

Pimp out your backyard—Doggie-style!

The first and most obvious thing you can do to make your backyard more exciting is to have some of their favorite dog toys outside. Now you can't just use any toy for an outside toy. Nothing made of cloth that will rot when exposed to rain and heat. You need some doggie toys that are made of rubber and plastic. These types of toys are safe and durable for continued outside use, and can be easily cleaned with a hose when they get to grimy. Keep them in some place special, like a plastic milk crate that can be used for a doggie toy box.

The next step is to have an area set aside in your backyard that is just for them. Ideally, this will be the entire backyard except for the parts you may have made off limits for your dog. But in places where this is impossible it helps to have a fenced in area where you and your dog can go to play. This can be a great place to go and play fetch, catch, or a variety of other dog games.
Pick up your dog's pooh too! Nothing will gross your neighbors or your dog even out more than a backyard that slowly becomes a landfill for dog crap! A good system is to have a trash can set aside just for dog feces, and a poop-a-scooper. Try and go out at least once a day and pick up those little packages that your dog likes to leave behind for you! Remember if your backyard is soiled with your dog's pooh, chances are they won't like playing there.

The final part of the "ultimate backyard experience" is the doghouse. Make sure your dog has some place to go to feel safe. Dog house's and outdoor dog crates come in a variety of shapes and sizes


Anybody got some good ideas to add to this subject--What have you done in your backyard for your dog that you can share!?

[LindaLinda]

Good article. My added 2 cents from experience: We have a fairly large city yard. We have a very good fence all the way around for Lily, but the next yard over is lower than ours and she was able to dig under the fence. My neighbor saw her doing it and thank God she landed in a yard that is dog friendly. They dont have dogs but love dogs anyway. What we did is put concrete blocks all along that side of the fence, and after two years she has never gotten out of the yard since! And the blocks dont look bad against the fence. You could even fill the blocks up with flowers as long as they are not poisonous! Concrete blocks are fairly cheap so if you have a big yard it would not ruin your budget. I realize many dogs dont even try to get out of their yards--I have had breeds that never tried to escape, but mostly I have had beagles and beagle mixes, and beagles do have that curiousity and wayward noses that can get them into trouble at times! I can probably think of more ideas but this is the one that stuck in my mind, and is time tested!