Most dogs love playing in a yard, but yards can also be sources of many hidden dangers. There are a variety of safety considerations to keep in mind to ensure your yard is as safe as possible for your dog. To protect your dog while they are in the yard, these are a few safety considerations to keep in mind.
Fence Security:
If you allow your dog to play off-leash in the yard, the yard must be securely fenced. This includes ensuring that the fence you have is an appropriate height for your dog. Your dog might surprise you and may be able to jump much higher than you anticipate. Your dog may also attempt to climb the fence, so having a fence as tall as possible is ideal.
When looking at the security of your fence, you should check the entire premier to ensure that there aren’t any gaps in the fence that your dog could squeeze through. Similarly, it’s essential to make sure that your fence goes all the way to the ground to ensure there isn’t a space for your dog to get under. Checking your fence should be a regular occurrence to ensure that weak spots don’t develop in the fence and that your dog doesn’t begin to dig in area areas. Any damage or weakness to your fence should immediately be fixed. If you have a gate, make sure that it securely latches, or even better, can be locked to ensure someone can’t accidentally leave it open and allow your dog to escape.
Water Safety:
If you have a pool, hot tub, or fountain in your yard, you’ll want to ensure that it is fenced off to prevent your dog from having unsupervised access to it or falling in accidentally. Even dogs who are strong swimmers can get overwhelmed and tired swimming or forget how to get out. For this reason, it’s important to make sure that the design of your yard prevents your dog from having access to water features if they aren’t supervised.
Dog Safe Plantings:
When adding new plants to your yard, make sure that they are flowers and other plants which are safe for dogs and not toxic. The ASPCA Poison Control is an excellent resource for assessing the safety of plants that might be in your yard before you purchase more plants.
For existing plants in your yard, if you need clarification on what types of plants they are, it can be helpful to hire a professional landscaper to identify the plants in your yard to allow you to determine if they are safe for dogs. Even if your dog doesn’t generally eat plants, it’s safest not to have any flowers, plants, or trees which produce fruits that are toxic for dogs.
Fire Safety:
If you have a BBQ, meat smoker, or fire pit, make sure that these are kept in areas of your yard that your dog cannot freely access. Dogs may need to learn that fire pits or BBQs are hot and could burn them. Especially if meat and other food is being cooked, dogs can be lured into contacting a BBQ or open flame, which could injure them. Use baby gates to secure decks and other areas of your deck or patio and prevent your dog from having access to areas where they could get burned. You can also give them their food in a separate area so they aren’t drawn towards the grill.
Provide Enrichment:
In addition to making sure that your yard is safe for your dog to be in, it’s essential to provide your dog with plenty of outside enrichment opportunities. Make sure that your dog has appropriate toys to play with while they are in the yard. Giving your dog toys to play with can help to reduce or eliminate destructive behaviors like chewing, to dig, or excessive barking. Toys are also a great way to engage your dog in active play with you while outside.
Supervision:
In addition to making sure that your yard is as physically safe as possible for your dog to spend time in, the best way to keep your dog safe outside is to supervise them. Even in the safest of yards, unsupervised dogs can become injured while playing, chasing wildlife, or being teased or tormented by people walking past the fence. Supervising your dog also prevents your dog from having opportunities to dig under, jump at, or try to climb the fence.
Giving your dog opportunities to exercise and play outside is important for dogs of all ages and sizes. If you have a yard, that is a perfect private space to allow your dog opportunities to stretch their legs and play. Unfortunately, yards can also be dangerous, but with some precautions, your yard can be a safe place for you and your dog to spend time together.
