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Step 1
Watch your dog's normal route through the yard and only plant in those areas rarely trampled. Dogs will normally patrol their yards in set pathways, so stay away from these areas when planting flowerbeds or a vegetable garden. Fence in the entire yard or roaming area with cyclone or privacy fencing at least 6 feet high to make it pet friendly and safe.
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Step 2
Insert stepping stones or pavers in areas of high pet traffic. Don't become frustrated by pet pathways of trampled grass and mud during a rainy season. Incorporate these pathways into your landscape with pavers or stone, and then flank them with flower appropriate shade gardens, flowerbeds or shrubbery.
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Step 3
Encase vegetable gardens with inexpensive fencing to keep your pet out. You don't need to have professional installers build a brick wall to keep your pet out. Simply pound in metal garden stakes every 3 feet or so, then unroll and attach poultry fencing to the metal stakes around the garden.
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Step 4
Become knowledgeable about what plants are healthy for pet friendly landscaping. Many plants are toxic to dogs, cats and other animals, so be sure not include such items in your yard. Many types of bulbs, ferns, garden flowers and perennials (including lilies) house plants, succulents, trees, shrubs, vines and other plants are poisonous to pets. If your dog is a digger and a chewer, be especially astute to what you include in your yard.
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Step 5
Be scrupulous when choosing and placing a water feature in your yard to keep it pet friendly. Most ponds require maintenance with chemicals which are toxic to pets, and some aquatic plants are potentially hazardous as well. Know what your pet may and may not do with a water feature and plan accordingly, opting for pet safety first.
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Step 6
Include pet friendly items you landscape your yard. Plant some catmint for your cat, leafy greens for a pet rabbit and plants that produce seed that birds love such as sunflower, black-eyed Susan, coneflower or millet. Since dogs are omnivores, they'll enjoy a bountiful harvest of mashed fruits such as apples, pear, grapes and mango mixed into their daily ration and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, carrots, celery, carrots and capsicum.
