By Erica Browne Grivas
Author’s dog Mojo enjoying Agastache at Seattle’s Center for Urban Horticulture. Image, Erica Grivas
What’s better than watching a happy dog romping outside? We delight in our dogs – especially in dog-friendly Seattle, which according to the census, has more dogs than children [Source: seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-is-getting-5-new-dog-parks-heres-where] – but they are hard on landscapes. So, whether we are designing outdoor spaces for homes or pup-friendly offices, how can we design landscapes that support and withstand games of fetch, rolling and digging? When clients include four-legged family or interns of the canine variety, project designers face unique challenges and opportunities, from design elements and layout to sourcing non-toxic and resilient plant choices. We asked two local designers for their best tips.
“Dogs are hard on a landscape no matter what,” says Landscape Architect Kryssie Maybay, of Lake Stevens-based Kismet Design, LLC , and she says the impact on the land goes up relative to the size and number of dogs. For example, one client has two Saint Bernards who like to “shrub surf,” so it’s a given that the boxwood hedge needs replacing every few years. Another client’s dog insists on digging out a shady seat under a beloved Japanese Maple. When many large dogs use the property, she relies less on plants and more on hardscape.
With younger dogs, clients can more easily train them to avoid certain areas and behaviors with dedicated practice. But with entrenched patterns and personality quirks in adult dogs, like boxwood shrub surfing, it’s easier to design with them in mind as a constant.
Just as you’d consider the personality and lifestyle of your human clients, you need to design for the specific dog(s) who’ll be using the space.
Design Considerations
Whenever clients live with a dog, “There’s an in-depth conversation about the personality of the dog,” Maybay says.
“Some are super territorial and like to run the perimeter of the property. You need to know how they get along with other dogs and passersby. You also want to get insight into how the dog uses the space– is the dog going to be unattended over long periods of time or in and out with their owner’s supervision? If left alone, they can get bored and start chewing on things.”
Fencing
In dense areas, most dog owners will desire a secure fence to keep their dogs safe. But the questions above will inform whether you use a solid fence or a semi-transparent one. For some easily stimulated dogs, the sight of passing dogs and neighbors will rile them up – whether they want to meet or deter the outsiders. For these, you may want to limit that reinforcement by closing off their access to the view.
For other dogs, watching the passersby is just a fun way to pass the time. Maybay says many dogs love an elevated lookout, which she creates with boulders for a naturalistic look. In my Green Lake neighborhood, an elder Golden Retriever holds court on a second-story lanai labeled “Pippa’s Perch,” while another property has a glass porthole installed in the fence at their dog’s eye level. These are often called “pet fence windows.”
Portholes positioned to give each dog in the house a view of the street. Image, Kryssie Maybay
Dogs love a promontory to survey their kingdom. Image, Erica Grivas
Pathways, Mulch and Groundcovers
First, Maybay notes the area around the dog’s exit door to the outside. She says many dogs create a create a launch pad outside their primary door.
“I always make sure that space has a pretty good buffer zone of hardscape before they run into the landscape,” she says. It’s ideal to avoid a step or wall at that point because they might hurt themselves as they age.
Once launched, dogs like to check the edges of their property taking the shortest path to do so – especially when a squirrel or rabbit is involved. By incorporating existing “desire paths” or creating useful ones, you’ll avoid the dog blazing their own trail through the new bed you just made.
“Especially for dogs that run the perimeter, we like to put in an 18-24”-wide gravel or mulch path” at the edge of the fence, she adds.
Brenda Snyder of Burien-based Salix Sea Studio has helped design both dog parks and residential gardens for dogs and their humans. In a North Seattle garden, she flipped the traditional city garden template to accommodate Walter, a young Golden retriever. “In a typical landscape, you might create a planting bed in the perimeter. In this case, it was turned inside out, with raised beds on the interior and chunky wood chips surrounding them.” She kept a “dog loop” open on the outside edges. Since “no plants from prior planting efforts” had survived Walter’s romping, the raised beds made of 14” high Corten steel also help protect the shade-loving hostas, ferns, and Hakone grass (Hakonechloa spp.).
Golden retriever Walter's favorite lounging spot in the Wallingford garden design by Brenda Snyder. Corsten steel beds protect plants and chunky wood chip paths give him a perimeter path to patrol. Brenda Snyder design, image courtesy of owner Elizabeth Breakstone.
Maybay avoids fine bark mulch, preferring gravel or large-scale wood chips for paw-friendly paths or and groundcovers as a living mulch for planting beds. When dogs lay or dig in the beds, the shredded bark easily catches on fur, especially in winter, creating a grooming mess. “Larger woodier chunks are less likely to attach to longer-furred dogs while fine bark shredded will act like Velcro,” she says.
“A lot of groundcovers like ajuga and thyme can handle a good amount of foot traffic,” says Maybay, depending on the usage.
Comfort
Shade from summer sun and ready water sources will help keep dogs comfortable in the heat. Maybay prefers incorporating trees and shrubs for shade to the cost of cleaning a doghouse. When it comes to water features, she says, “Just know they are going to drink it,” and be ready to clean them more regularly for the dog’s safety.
In this design by Kryssie Maybay, a small water fountain does double duty as a water source for the dog.
Plant Choices
There are several considerations when it comes to selecting dog-friendly landscape plants. The primary one is the toxicity of plants toward your dog. Many common plants in Northwest gardens are toxic on some level, such as rhododendron species, but you can choose to avoid them in your own yard at least.
Maybay has noticed dogs tend to be attracted to certain textures like many grasses. Hakone grass for example, is a popular dog delicacy, but dogs often avoid very thick or fibrous plants. “Taxus is one I’d avoid because the berry looks delicious and is very toxic.”While not all dogs are prone to chewing, if you want to be as safe as possible, you can research the toxicity of plants on the ASPCA’s online list (https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants), which describes the level of toxicity and which pet species are affected.
Then there are the dangers of dogs to the plants. You want to select plants that can take paw traffic, noshing, and roughhousing.
Maybay recommends skipping plants at dog height zones that are super brittle, especially where they are going to be playing. “Things like Daphne and Choisyaare very brittle, but rosemary and mahonia are things that are going to be pretty safe and not easily broken,” she says. Spiky plants like mahonia discourage dogs from using them as sofas. Among perennials, she recommends Rudbeckia as “pretty stout.”
Ajuga like this new cultivar 'Fancy Finch,' can take some paw traffic, Maybay says. Image Erica Grivas
Spiky plants like mahonia act as natural barriers. Image, Erica Grivas
Lastly, there are the effects of urine on a lawn, for instance. Snyder strategically places large boulders to attract the dog’s attention and block more sensitive plants. While clients may ask about artificial turf, Maybay says it’s not practical to maintain. Unlike lawn or groundcover, which filter toxins naturally through the soil, synthetics do not. Faux turf needs to be cleaned right away after use, just like an indoor carpet. Experts say if you see your dog pee on the lawn, and you rinse it quickly, you can mitigate the effects on the grass.
Dog Runs
Looking to create a designated space for your dog? Maybay recommends it be easily accessible from the house, have a secure “non-jumpable” fence with a locking gate that opens only from the outside, and an easily cleaned surface, like gravel.
Once you’ve employed these strategies, both clients and their dogs will be happy in the garden. As a bonus, they’ll likely have fewer visits from rabbits, deer, and other urban wildlife.