Beginner Gardening: Landscaping with dogs II, 1 by Twincol

Twincol wrote:
Ack, it's been nearly 30 years since I had a puppy, so I don't remember what kind of digging behaviors I had at the time. I think that the last time there was a little tike here I had 3 other dogs, adults, who likely taught her how to behave through pack behavior.

But, I've heard, heard and confirmed with my own "smartypants," that the best way to keep dogs (read: adults) from digging up the mature-ish plants you bring home from the nursery, is to make absolutely certain that you don't plant them with the dogs nearby. Keep your work out of eyesight . . . don't let them watch you. It seems that they want to bring them back out of the ground for you . . . or play with them like you did . . . or take out what you put in . . . or who knows. Many, most under these circumstances will just leave those little fluffy things alone.

I took that 8-foot space we Californian's have between our houses and the property line fence, the entire length of the house, a doggie door in the garage wall, built a slat (2X2" wood) top between the two vertical surfaces, and two end-cap fences/gates at each end of the house . . . thereby building a kennel for mine. So when I'm away I just kennel them in the garage/kennel and they are protected from the elements by Star Jasmine atop the kennel. And, since my house is a corner lot and I was worried about the dogs having access to the street-side of the lot, visible to people walking by, vulnerable, locking them up in a space in which they can run and are not visible from the street leaves me feeling that they are safer, if that makes sense. Aaaaaah, more than anyone is likely to want to know. ☺ Aaaaanyway . . . .

The poodle list I've been on since 1999 continually validates the cautionary statement as true. It likely won't make a difference with all dogs, but it seems to with many.

Here's a pic of the entrance to the kennel . . . ☺

My best,
Linda