It’s that time of year again! Hooray!
Mud is subsiding, spring is springing, and we want to get out into our gardens.
And if you have a new puppy, you’ll already be spending plenty of time in the garden, monitoring the all-important housetraining!
Need a bit of help with that?
Here’s a Housetraining Cheatsheet for you. Follow this, to the letter, and you’ll remove all frustration from this valuable bonding time.
But while you’re standing there, on the end of the lead, as your puppy sniffs and circles and tries to focus on what he’s doing, cast a critical eye over your garden.
You need to look for all the puppy hazards!
What’s dangerous for my puppy?
Holes in the fence would be a first thing to check. Though you will not be leaving your puppy alone in the garden for a long time yet, you don’t want to find out the hard way how easily these slippery little creatures can squeeze through the tiniest hole!
Once you’re confident your area is secure, then you’ll want to look at obvious hazards like uncovered water, sharp drops off a path, hanging risks, slippery steps …
Only when you’ve sorted this lot out - and ensured your garden is free of cat-poo - can you turn to the actual things growing in your garden. (After all, your puppy is still heavily supervised when out, still.)
Plants poisonous to dogs
There’s a huge list.
But I wouldn’t worry too much if your puppy is not one of the few who like to live dangerously by hoovering up gravel and nibbling every leaf or stick.
Don’t panic!
As I say, your puppy will always be supervised when in the garden (got that yet? 😊 ), so you’ve plenty of time to teach what can be investigated and what not.
The folks at Skippers pet foods have put together a handy list for you …
.. but just before you go there, be sure to sign up here for a 30% discount on all their terrific fishy foods and treats! As you probably know, I only recommend products that I use myself - my dogs get through a lot of Skippers treats and chews!
And their comprehensive list can be found here, once you’ve clicked that link above. By the way, no rush - you can come back to use that discount any time.
No need to panic over your puppy!
As I say, there’s no need to go overboard and destroy your garden!
Some things may need to be fenced off, if they are really dangerous. Once your pup is older and more sensible and has demonstrated that they don’t chew plants, you can unfence them.
If you have a laburnum tree, you’re going to have to manage the fall of the seedpods in season. And if you have Yew … perhaps you need to consider removing it
Otherwise, enjoy your garden, enjoy the time you spend out there with your puppy - teaching him how to play with you, and what he needs to avoid.
Just like with small children, you monitor and teach, rather than take dramatic measures!
