6 Ways to Make Your Yard More Dog-Friendly

This article is brought to you in partnership with High Profile Green, an all-natural lawn services company in Minneapolis.

Doggos lurve to be out in the yard: chasin’ squirrels, sniffin’ bushes, and sunbathing naked. Here are six ways to make your yard a safe and beautiful dog-hooman haven.

1. Fertilize and prevent weeds safely. Serious news, pups: a jury has found that Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. Roundup’s active ingredient is glyphosate, which is among the most widely used herbicides in the U.S. This means it’s critical to make sure the stuff you’re putting on your lawn is safe for you and Fido.

Fortunately, a handful of lawn care companies are dedicated to keeping humans and pets safe. Minneapolis-based High Profile Green is a shining example of this commitment to safety. High Profile Green offers all-natural fertilizer, weed control, landscaping, and maintenance without EPA-registered chemicals, and its mission is to get the chemicals out of the lawns for pets, people, and the environment. (Pup yeah!) The ingredients in its effective fertilizer and weed-busting solutions are even safe for dogs and people to eat. They are made from beet byproducts, so they’re vegan, Kosher, and GRAS, which means a gorgeous lawn that’s totally safe for rollin’ on.

2. Choose plants wisely. Some plants, like tulips, azaleas, and lilies, can be toxic to dogs if ingested. If your pup likes to chew on the garden, sniff out the ASPCA’s comprehensive lists of dog-toxic and dog-safe plants ‘n blooms. Basil, for example, is safe and beneficial for dogs to eat since it’s loaded with antimicrobial properties—great for poo connoisseurs (ew). Another option: Install a decorative fence.

3. Eliminate pee spots (without eliminating spots to pee). You can train your dog to go on the wood chips, rocks, or other non-grass area, but sometimes a dog’s just gotta go, which can pose one heckuva headache for lawn perfectionists. Many lawn care companies offer products designed for just this reason. High Profile Green offers Doggy P-Spot, a natural, safe soil amendment that combats the high nitrogen content in dog urine and helps restore the pH balance of your grass and soil. In other woofs, it keeps your yard from looking like a Dalmatian. (Psst: Twin Citizens can win a summer’s worth of High Profile Green’s Doggy P-Spot treatment in our Minneapolis-St. Paul Facebook group on April 19!)

4. Encourage digging. Yep, you read that right. If your dog’s a digger, his pawfect summer day might include uprooting your geraniums. Instead of punishing your dog for digging, encourage it! The trick? Designate a “dig zone” in one section of your yard (doesn’t have to be big.) To create the zone, cover it with sand (because dirt is dirty) to create a heavenly playground for your pup. Train your dog to “go dig” in his designated spot to avoid an uprooted rosebush. Voilà, a dog sandbox!

5. Throw some shade. You know, in the yard. To keep your furry gardening supervisor comfy and cool, make a habit of throwing treats in the grass beneath trees to encourage sits in the shade, or let ‘em bliss out in a raised, shaded, dog bed.

6. Water your woofer. Don’t forget to water your dog when you water your plants. On hot days, many pups ruv a good dip in a baby pool. Designate a place in your yard to keep an outdoor water bowl that’s always clean and filled so your buddy knows where he can go to get hydrated. For an on-demand (and supes fur-cute) option, let your dog drink from a doggy fountain that attaches right to a hose.

High Profile Green in Minneapolis offers a series of organic, all-natural lawn services that are leading the pet-safe landscaping and lawn care industry, helping deliver yards that are as safe as they are beautiful for hounds and humans alike. Give ’em a call at 763-703-3207 to learn more and get a quote here. Remember to say that Sidewalk Dog sent you—you’ll get $40 off!

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