Using Treats to Teach Your Dog to Be Safe in the Garden

Happy DogWe all love to pamper our pets whether it’s through spending quality time with them by keeping them active or feeding them delicious treats for rewarding good behavior. Giving our pooches treats is more than expressing our love to them or making them feel special, it’s also an important aspect for dog training too.

When we think about creating a dog friendly garden, we usually think about in terms of worrying about if our dogs will do damage to our flowers or eating toxic plants. By training our dogs to be safe in our gardens, we’re not only letting them have the space to explore the outdoors but encouraging positive reinforcement at the same time so you and your dog can share the space together. The idea isn’t to confine your dog but to ensure they’re happy to play in a designated area.

Think about space

Wherever you choose to have your dog’s play area, ensure the space has enough shady and sunny spots and different sections so your dog can have its own places to hide, explore and play. If your dog does love to dig, consider hiding an assortment of treats around the area where you want them to dig to encourage them to do so only in those places.

Keep it clean

We all know that having a dog means dealing with the business end of what it entails! So, it’s important to train, and reward your pet with treats to go to a doggy toilet area, preferably a sandy spot away from the house. If you have a lawn, consider using a durable grass seed which can withstand the local climate and the high nitrogen levels in urine which can cause patches on your grass.

Adding little extras

Dogs love to amuse themselves so having plenty of toys in the area is essential to keep them busy while they’re out playing. By putting treats inside chewable toys, you’ll keep your pooch entertained for hours, even when you’re not outside with them. Build or buy a kennel specially designed for your dog for the area, even if it’s not kept outside the whole time.

Once you’ve established a safe area your four legged friend can play in, it’ll free up your time to spend on other aspects of the garden and allow your pet to spend more time having fun outdoors. Who said a garden, a gardener and a dog can’t live in harmony?

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