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Episode # 71 Visiting to puppies ???? garden / puppies talking with new friends in miniature



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Small small cute puppies playing with kids and their new friends

A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies can weigh 1–1.5 kg (1-3 lb), while larger ones can weigh up to 7–11 kg (15-23 lb). All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier. Puppy refers specifically to young dogs,while pup may be used for other animals such as wolves, seals, giraffes, guinea pigs, rats or sharks.
How to Puppy Proof Your Garden – those cute eyes and squidgy nose are adorable, but unless you already have a small active dog, your garden may not yet be the safe haven for your puppy that you’d like it to be.

Read on for helpful tips on checking your garden is puppy ready, from the obvious, to the less obvious from your friendly Garden Consultant and Garden Designer. Who is also a puppy owner again. And let me say, their needs in the garden are substantially different to those of an elderly dog!



Questions to ask Yourself so You can Puppy Proof Your Garden

What breed of dog is your puppy?

This is about the size of your puppy, when you first bring him / her home and how quickly they’ll grow.

All puppies are small, but some breeds are ‘cat-sized’ for longer as they are smaller adult dogs. For example, compare the size of a Jack Russell puppy to an English Springer Spaniel to a German Shepherd Dog.

The dog breed also relates to the general characteristics which are likely to be found in different breeds. For example, Labrador Retrievers are notoriously food-orientated. For which you could read they’ll eat first and throw up later…

What time of year will it be when they venture outside?
For example, if its winter and cold, your puppy may not want to stay outside very long at first. This also raises the question about open doors in warmer weather and keeping an eye on your puppy as it runs in and out.

millie digging next to dogwood, border collie puppy, cornus, lavender

Millie, Padme’s litter sister, investigating how well the dogwood (Cornus) has been planted…

Do you already have an older dog?
Then you may think your garden is puppy safe. It may not be. Always check your garden with a fresh eye; the needs and habits of puppies and adult dogs can be very different.

How big is your garden?
I would recommend restricting a puppy’s free access to the whole garden unless it is really small. That way you can more easily keep a watch on what your bundle of cuteness is up to.
This can be done with fencing and / or on lead access.

Who else uses the garden?

If you have children who play in the garden, or have a bowling green lawn, you may like to restrict the puppy’s toilet area.



What is your budget for making your garden puppy proof?

It is a very good idea to look around your garden in puppy proofing mode some weeks before bringing home the fluff ball. You may need time to make the area safe, whether you’re doing it yourself or getting a landscaper in. For example, whilst you could patch up holes in the fencing temporarily, if the overall condition isn’t wonderful, it may be easier to get the whole fence replaced before there is a puppy to bounce into your neighbour’s garden and escape!

how to puppy proof your garden, dog friendly garden designs, plews



How to Puppy Proof Your Garden – Plan Ahead of Getting Your Puppy

Do you have cats and a cat flap?

If your cat has constant access to outside through a cat flap, your puppy is extremely likely to follow them through the cat flap and into the garden.
This will make it difficult to manage your puppy’s ability to access to the garden unless the cat flap is the locking type.
I would suggest getting your cat used to managed access to going out (free access back into the house) before getting the puppy. One less thing that’s different when the puppy actually arrives.

Poisonous Plants

Rather than repeating a list, I direct you to this section in Dog Friendly Gardens.



Garden Fences, Hedges and Boundaries

A few thoughts about the boundaries and possible escape routes from your rear and front gardens. These are likely to include: –

Garden fences (solid)
Trellis fences, horizontal slatted fences
Garden walls
Garden hedges
Gates
Garden Fences and Trellis

Critical point – puppies can squeeze through smaller spaces than you might think. Soft plants do not form a barrier.

When checking fences for puppy proof-ness, remember to check behind shrubs, trees, sheds and greenhouses. You’re looking for holes, loose bits of fence, and weak spots that could develop into holes.

Do you have a wildlife friendly garden? There may be a hedgehog sized gap in the fence that puppy can also get through. Easiest thing is to block off until puppy grows too big; which for many breeds won’t take long. Alternatively, you’ll need to section off an area of the garden which the hedgehog needs access to.

Height of fences – not generally an issue for young puppies, but some of them develop
Category
Garden
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