7 Tips for Designing an Amazing Dog-Friendly Backyard

Here at Tilly, we’re all about planning the perfect landscape design for your family. For some clients that includes rambunctious kids or entertaining for their friends, but an increasing number of clients are asking for landscaping ideas that cater to their dogs! Our design team loves creating dog friendly backyard concepts that will make both the pups and pet owners happy.

When Melanie of Hello Ruby Doodle came to us looking for a backyard makeover for her courtyard that would cater to her and her four legged friend, Ruby, we were more than happy to help. After working with an expert Tilly landscape designer to create their perfect outdoor space, Melanie reflected on her priorities as a passionate dog mom and everything she learned from the process. She used that experience to come together with our designers and compile the Tilly & Hello Ruby Doodle’s top seven tips for planning a dog-friendly landscape renovation!

Safety

You know how the saying goes: safety first! You might have dreamed up the coolest doggy play area ever, but it won’t matter if your pooch can slip through a hedge or fence to roam the neighborhood without breaking a sweat. Anticipating any potential problems will help you create a backyard dog friendly landscaping plan that provides plenty of fun for your dog and fewer headaches for you.

#1 // Fencing

If you want to let your pet run free in your yard, fencing is going to be essential. A good fence will keep your dog inside and secure from roads—and the temptation to chase down every bicyclist they see. It will also keep unwanted visitors out, including skunks, porcupines, and coyotes. If you’re concerned about fencing being an eyesore, you can choose from a range of attractive styles or cover it with climbing greenery for a lush, private backyard oasis.

Fencing can also be used to protect areas of your landscaping that you might want to keep dog-free. No matter how well-mannered your pup is, why risk the temptation of digging in your prized flower beds or chowing down on your vegetable garden? Instead, plan your layout so sensitive areas are outside the primary dog run and shielded from any aspiring canine gardeners. You can also create a designated digging area if that's something your dog would enjoy.

#2 //Plants

Selecting plants for your brand new landscaping requires a little extra research when you have a pet who’ll be sharing the space with you. For the most part, plants are safe unless consumed in large quantities. If eating in extremely large amounts, there’s a surprising number of common landscaping plants that can be toxic to dogs, including hydrangeas, tulips, chrysanthemums, peonies, hostas, and boxwood. However, you know your dog and know how prone he will be to explore or try a bush or branch - many will pass right by them and/or a little nibble is okay.

A few plants we highly recommend avoiding including Sago Palm, Oleander, and Lillies (which are very bad for cats), cocoa bean mulch, but you can view a comprehensive list of toxic plants for dogs on Chewy's website. Again, remember most pets aren't going to be munching all the plants in your yard so this may not be a point you need to worry about too much, unless your pet is the mischievous type.

There are safe plants that can also directly cater to your pet! You can plant herbs like lavender to help repel fleas from your garden (and it smells nice!) and keep your pooch flea bite-free. You can also grow dog-friendly plants in your vegetable garden for them—pups might just be the biggest fans of a crunchy, garden-fresh carrot.

And don’t forget: if you’re going to be keeping any existing plants after a renovation, check that those are dog-safe too!

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#3 // Fertilizer & Pest Control

Your dog is going to be rolling around in the grass and sniffing every plant in your landscape! That means they will also be in very close contact with any fertilizer or pest control you use in your yard. Many of these products can be harmful to dogs—especially dogs who might give your plants an exploratory nibble.

Always opt for pet-safe treatments for your landscaping to keep your pup safe! Double check all labels and consult an expert if you’re ever in doubt. You can also choose hardy plants that will require less fertilizing and pest control to keep things simple. We recommend including native plants, which are already perfectly suited to your climate, resistant to local pests and will generally not need fertilizer.

Practical Considerations

Next up is thinking about the things that will make your outdoor living space as functional as possible for you and your dog.

#4 // Durable Materials

Dogs play hard, and their hangout areas need to be able to keep up with them. Soft wood decking can get claw marks, potted plants might be hit by a wagging tail, and your outdoor furniture will definitely be covered in dirty paw prints. Make sure to choose durable, easy-to-clean materials whenever possible so that your brand new backyard won’t look like a wreck within a week.

#5 // Your Lawn & Ground Cover

One of the biggest things to consider for dogs is your ground cover. Conventional grass can get worn down quickly by a dog with the zoomies, and potty breaks on green lawns can leave spots of yellowing grass all over your lawn.

If you like the look of a green lawn, look for a hardy turf grass, grass alternatives like clover, or even sturdy artificial grass. Silver carpet, miniature stonecrop, creeping thyme are also a very durable ground cover. Kentucky bluegrass and buffalo grass are firm options that are able to recover from foot traffic quickly. Ground cover plants are very low maintenance so a great dog friendly backyard idea.

Synthetic turf is also a dog friendly backyard favorite! It's very low maintenance, which is an added benefit.

If you want to skip the lawn altogether, you can create an amazing dog-friendly backyard with no grass! Choose ground cover materials that are gentle on your dog’s paws, like a cedar mulch, but which won’t have them tracking dirt everywhere.

Pea gravel or river rock can make for a dog run or potty area that’s comfortable for your dog and visually appealing for you.

#6 // Dog Care Zones

Some great features to include to make life a little easier for you and your dog include:

Fun Features

Alright, we’ve covered all the basics! Now it’s time to get into the fun stuff: your dream backyard ideas for your furry friend. You can go wild with a full blown agility course or keep things low-key with a cozy dog bed for the couch potato pup out there. It’s all about knowing your dog and choosing the features they’ll love.

#7 // Play Areas

Our favorite dog yard ideas are:

Keeping all of these considerations in mind helped us turn Melanie’s small backyard courtyard area into Ruby’s new favorite hangout spot! We hope it will do the same for you and your canine best friend. If you’re looking for a helping hand, send us your dog’s dream backyard wishlist and we can design the perfect dog friendly backyard for you.

And be sure to follow Melanie and Ruby for fun dog friendly ideas!