10 dog-safe plants you can add to any yard

If you’re a big fan of your dog and gardening, you may have wondered about adding dog-safe plants.

Everybody knows that these four-legged friends of ours love to sniff in the dirt and chew on leaves. While the majority of common shrubs are edible, some may be dangerous for your pup.

Gardening benefits include boosting your mood and immune system, plus reducing stress and protecting your memory. But to be safe, you need to make sure you don’t plant anything that can harm your dog. 

We’re going to take you through what you need to know.

Limit exposure to plants

Whether you have safe shrubs or not, you don’t want your dog to dig around them, so it’s a good idea to keep your pup away from your plants. There are several things you can do:

• Create lines of demarcation using chicken wire or fencing.
• Hang your houseplants out of reach.
• Teach your dog commands to leave plants and shrubs alone.
• Place any houseplants on stable shelves out of reach.
• Keep your puppy on a leash when outside.

An important point to consider is to avoid invisible fences. They may keep your dog in, but they don’t keep anything else out. Physical barriers work best.

Avoid toxic plants for dogs

Unfortunately, a wide range of houseplants can be dangerous for your animal, especially if your dog puts everything in his mouth and likes to eat what he finds. It’s essential to avoid any poisonous plants or shrubs.

Even if your dog doesn’t chew on leaves or stems, drinking water from a container that holds a toxic plant is enough to injure your dog potentially.

Keep these plants out of reach: 

• Chrysanthemum
• Iris
• Daisy
• Hyacinth
• Parsley
• Daffodil
• Morning Glory
• Azalea
• Hydrangea
• Carnation
• Geranium
• Tomato
• Begonia
• Lily of the Valley
• Aloe Vera
• Mint

Grow dog-safe plants

Now that you know what to avoid, let’s look at plants and flowers that are safe. Some of these plants are great houseplants, though there are also several that also work well as outdoor plants.

In no particular order, here is our carefully selected top 10:

• Roses
• African Violet
• Zinnia
• Snapdragon
• Marigolds
• Aster
• Thyme
• Daylilies
• Hibiscus
• Sunflowers

Keep your dog healthy

While this is a shortlist, they provide a nice variety. See what works best for you, your home, and, most importantly, your four-legged friend.

There are a wide variety of different heights and colors amongst these, so we hope these dog-safe plants provide a starting point for gardening plans. Good luck!

Tommy Rosenfield is a dog lover, writer, and part-time blogger for homeexpertreviews.com and resumewriterreview.net. He often writes articles and posts on different animals. He has a lovely German Shepherd, which he says inspired him to write his articles! Tommy has featured his puppy in the UK show Crufts.

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