Nice Gardens and Dogs are not Mutually Exclusive!

There was a time when I thought my dogs and my flower beds couldn't co-exist, but Cheryl Smith, the author of Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs, taught me otherwise. Smith, a master gardener and a dog trainer, comes at the Fido-garden issue from both the planning and dog behavior angles.

Smith offers advice on planning your yard and garden, on choosing plants that can withstand a dog, and on plants to avoid because they're poisonous to pets. Her book, which has sections on lawns (which should be chemical free, of course), vegetable gardens, orchards, and patios, can be helpful no matter how big the patch of dirt you share with your dog is.

If you are a vegetable gardener, Smith writes about growing vegetables for the whole family - even the family dog.

Smith's dog-training advice is positive and easy to understand. I love the idea that not only can I train my dogs to behave well in the garden, I can also get them to help me out there. (I'm still working on getting one of them to fetch my garden gloves!)

Post a Comment