Your outdoor area should not only serve as a place for family and friends and gatherings, but also a place for your dog to relax and explore. Creating a pet-friendly outdoor environment requires that you carefully consider factors such as practicality, comfort, and safety.
This is to make sure the outdoor space is nurturing and welcoming for our pets, just like it is for your family and friends. Below, we will explore tips to help you create a dog-friendly outdoor space and ways to keep them comfortable in an outdoor environment. Let’s begin.
Make safety a priority
When creating an outdoor space, say, for example, a patio for your pets, you should think about how to keep them safe. You will treat balcony spaces differently from how you treat a dog-friendly deck that leads to a fenced yard. Additionally, you should also consider the climate of your area when customizing your outdoor space. When thinking about temperature, offer cooling or shade options during summer and warming options in colder weather.
Ensure that water is readily available. A piece of equipment like a raised dog bed can keep the air flowing for comfort on hot summer days, while a heating unit keeps your dog’s house warm during colder seasons. If you intend to create a fully enclosed space for your pets, like cats, to roam freely, then add plastic or fine wire fencing to prevent them from slipping out in between the rails. Additionally, you can also choose to construct other barriers to make sure your pet does not find a way out of the enclosure. This is very important if you are not on the ground floor.
Create a practical resting and feeding zone
Choose a resting and feeding zone in your preferred outdoor area. You can use raised feeding bowls to avert spillage and ensure your pet’s food remains clean. An excellent location for a pet’s nap after playtime can be a shaded spot alongside a comfortable custom bed cushion. Custom covers for storing pet supplies neatly can help you keep the resting and feeding areas organized by keeping everything within your reach and making sure your outdoor space is tidy.
Maintain a tidy and clean pet-friendly outdoor space
Maintenance is a crucial investment in ensuring that your outdoor space is both hygienic and welcoming to your human visitors and pets. One such maintenance culture is regular cleaning. Ensure that you create a routine of sweeping, vacuuming, or hosing down your outdoor space to remove pet air, debris, and dirt and maintain a clutter-free and clean environment.
You should also promptly clean up pet waste and use waste disposal systems like outdoor pet waste stations to keep your outdoor space odor-free and hygienic. However, if you don’t have the time for this, you can employ the services of companies like Doo Good Pooper Scoopers to ensure you don’t spend most of your time cleaning up after your pets.
Add plants
Consider growing pet-friendly plants such as catnip or cat grass for kitties or establish a dog sensory garden with barley grass or wheat grass that helps with digestion, energising rosemary or mint and lavender or chamomile plants which have calming effects.landscaping options such as yew and Sago plan can be toxic to pets. Ensure you identify the plants in your space and be aware of their toxicity.
However, you must note that pot plants can be damaged and plants may be tipped when your pets play. It is essential you choose greenery or flowers that pets can access even when they are grown, especially for pet consumption. Consider using hanging plants to keep precious or questionable plants out of reach. Remember that you can also consider asking for recommendations via a local garden center to know the best plants for your outdoor pet area.
Create an interactive play area
During summer most pets want to play outside as they derive joy from the action. Thereof, you can design an outdoor pet area to keep them entertained. It could be a climbing structure for cats, agility equipment for dogs, ramps or tunnels. While you might be tempted to not take action due to the costs, it is quite easier to create a dog friendly outdoor space on a budget.
Repurpose pallets, crates, or old tires to create play structures. You can also put down a custom outdoor rug to create a non-slip and safe surface for your pets. They are perfect options for establishing specific zones in your outdoor space. Remember that pets such as dogs like to dig by nature. You cannot really do much about that, but you can discourage them from ripping off your potatoes if they do move to your garden.
Endnote
A dog-friendly home environment is an excellent way of spending the summer. A pet friendly environment does not need to be expensive or compliant. With some thought out planning and creativeness, you can design an outdoor space that is functional and beautiful for your pets.