Animals in the garden: how to choose a dog-resistant lawn

It is very common to believe that having a well-kept and attractive garden with pets is absolutely impossible. It is clear that having a four-legged friend on the lawn is not particularly good for the health of the garden, but there are some eco-friendly alternatives to traditional lawns that, combined with some precautions, make it easier to achieve a lawn resistant to dogs, cats, and other common pets.

Keeping your dog out of the garden seems not only impossible but also cruel. After all, man's best friend needs plenty of space to run and play, and there is nothing better than having your own lawn at their disposal.

However, you don't have to think that having a happy dog means giving up on a well-kept garden: there are a few tricks you can use to make your lawn dog-proof. The important thing is to find the right compromise between the health of your four-legged friend and the appearance of the garden. If the choice of the right lawn is combined with good training of your puppy, you will have nothing to fear.

Are pets and gardens really incompatible?

The answer to this question is never straightforward and, in fact, may be uncomfortable: it depends. It depends on how energetic your dog is, how well-behaved your cat is, and your turtle's personality. In theory, there is no real incompatibility, but it is clear that a large dog or a puppy that loves to dig will not be your beautiful lawn's best friend. For these reasons, the most suitable pets to keep in the garden are certainly small and medium-sized dogs, indoor cats that are used to doing their business inside, and all the small animals that are often kept on the balcony or terrace, such as land turtles. The important thing is to follow a few tips to preserve the appearance of your garden.

4 tricks for a dog-resistant lawn

Whether you have a beagle or a chihuahua, love Persians or prefer Siamese cats, if you want to preserve the health of your lawn, all you need to do is follow a few simple tips.

1. Do not restrict the area

Most guides for a perfect lawn recommend restricting the area your pet can access to prevent them from destroying the entire lawn. But we couldn't agree more! Restricting your four-legged friend's movements will only leave their area sparse and clearly damaged compared to the rest of the garden. On the contrary, especially if the area is large enough, if the dog or cat in the garden walks along different paths and does not always stick to the same spot, the lawn will not tend to get damaged, and will always remain uniform.

2. Teach them not to dig

Pits inevitably ruin any garden. You cannot stop many animals from digging, but you can teach them to do so only in certain areas. For example, cats dig to relieve themselves, which is why if you train your cat to always use the litter box or a limited sandy area, it will not ruin the garden. For dogs, however, you can provide a fenced area where you can train them to dig holes, so they do not do so across the entire garden.

3. Create a play area

If having a dog in the garden worries you because of your puppy's energy, know that even the liveliest pet can be trained to play in a specific area. Teach them that their toys cannot leave the house, or take them to run and have fun at the park, so they understand that there are places to run around on the grass and places where they need to be more well-behaved.

4. Choose the right lawn

However, the most important choice remains the right lawn. A resistant lawn is a lawn that can withstand dog urine, which may turn yellow but will not die. To choose the right lawn, read our tips on the best types of lawns for dogs.

The best types of lawns

The ideal solution for a lawn resistant to dogs, cats, and all their needs is alternative lawns. This is an eco-friendly type of lawn that only needs to be watered once or twice a year, even in the driest climates. The characteristics that make this lawn low-water are also the same ones that make it more resistant to pets.

If you have ever had pets in the garden, you will have noticed that wherever your four-legged friend urinated, the grass eventually turned yellow. Contrary to popular belief, dog urine does not burn the grass, but its pH ruins and yellows it. The problem with common lawns is that the roots are often very exposed, do not go very deep, and urine does not only damage the leaves above ground, but also affects the roots, compromising the health of the lawn and effectively killing the plant.

Low-water plants, on the other hand, have very deep roots, several dozen centimeters below the soil. This characteristic is what allows them to be watered rarely, as they are nourished by the moister soil found deep underground.

This characteristic therefore allows the roots to be protected even from your pets' urine. The lawn is resistant to dogs because its roots are not damaged. The leaves will obviously turn yellow, but within a few days, instead of dying, the plant will grow back and that area of the lawn will turn green again.

The golden rule for making a lawn resistant to dogs

Whether you choose Verbena hybrida, Zoysia tenuifolia, or Achillea tomentosa aurea, to make it pet-proof, you must make sure the lawn takes root before letting your dog run around on it.

Once planted, however, these lawns need 2/4 weeks for their roots to adapt to the environment. Once this period has passed, your puppies will be free to run everywhere. Before then, however, it is best to keep them away!