How To Make Your Garden Safe and Pet Friendly (and Update)

I've always talked about dogs before... Today, I want to talk about pets in general. After all, we have crazy pigeons and a pond filled with shubunkins and kois.

This is our fish pond at night!

We are a nation of animal lovers without doubt. Pets are almost as important to some people as their children, and they will go to any expense and effort to keep their furry friends safe and happy. You can find cats and dogs with diamond studded collars often being carried everywhere by eccentric masters. I often wonder if their feet ever touch the ground. This attitude completely dumbfounds other people. I guess being an animal lover is just a part of your genetic make up.

Siamese Cat 01 by Tigikrak, CC-BY-2.0

Keeping pets can be an expensive business. Take for instance, veterinary bills for inoculations or illnesses that can run into thousands of pounds. The cost of a pedigree animal to begin with is astronomic. It can be an emotional and financial disaster if harm comes to your pet. We will address here, a few things you can do to keep your pet happy and safe in your garden.

Dogs

Your pedigree pooch is probably your best friend too. What can we do to make his life a little better? Well, if he spends a lot of time in the garden, he will be glad of a drink and somewhere to cool off occasionally. A shallow pond is ideal for this. The pond will need to be filtered to some extent and biological filters can be found in aquatic centres or online for a low price.

A suitable area of shade from the sun should be arranged, dogs aren’t keen sunbathers and suffer readily from the heat. The shade can be provided by a tree, bush, or a purpose built shelter. It need not be a complicated affair.

Dogs love to dig so an area of unplanted ground may save your lawn from devastation. It is best if the ground is not too compacted so may benefit from being turned over occasionally.

Jackson, Lawn Ornament by Greg, CC-BY-2.0

Good quality and sturdy garden fencing is a vital part of your scheme. Dogs can scramble over high fences, but you are usually safe with a fence of six feet or more. This is achieved with 1 foot gravel boards and 5 feet panels. The gravel board could also be half buried to prevent your dog digging a way out.

Avoid thorny planting in the garden for dogs, they are not as agile as cats and can cut themselves. If the cut becomes infected, it could lead to more vet bills.

Cats

Cats are far less demanding than dogs but still need a little consideration. If your cat is the love of your life and you wish to keep it enclosed in your garden, adaptations are available for your existing fence and are easily installed.

It is always a good idea to provide your cat with an enclosure into which a dog could not fit, if one gained access to your garden. A bolt hole, if you will.

A clean water source should be kept in the garden at all times, though the cat doesn’t need to cool off in a pond.

I Luv Catnip by barockschloss, CC-BY-2.0

Investing in some catnip plants could give your cat a constant high. It is probably best to keep these plants in pots and just put them out for a treat occasionally.

Fish

The poor fish will be under attack from cats, dogs, and birds. If your situation requires it, a mesh cover will need to be placed over the pond. Koi carp and other fishes are very expensive and need close care. Ensure that your fish have the best filtration system you can afford. That is, of course, unless you have a natural, self-sustaining pond.

Planning your garden correctly need is a one-time expense. With a little imagination, and by using the tips here, you will be able to keep your best friend healthy, safe, and happy. We owe them that at least.

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6 Reasons Why Your Dog Needs a Wireless Dog Fence (Guest Post)

So this is my third straight guest post feature. I'm supposed to insert a funny picture of the dog's 'reindeer mischief' but that'll have to wait for the next time.

Today's guest post if brought to you by Rohit for Petsafe.

Dogs are considered to be the best animals to keep as pets, making the relationship between a dog and humans is one of the most widespread form of interspecies bonding. Dogs not only make good guards but also provide us humans a companion that we will never find as dogs are the only species other than humans that are capable of displaying ‘acts of selfless love’. We have all tried many old fashioned and modern methods of pet containment and as the world is going wireless, why not containment systems for pets like dogs. 

By Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The revolutionary underground fence has further been evolved through the use of modern technology into an even better product called the wireless pet fence. It involves plugging in of a simple transmitter that emits GPS signals which determine the perimeter of the fence. If the dog gets out of the signal’s defined proximity it delivers a mild static shock via the collar worn by the dog which is totally harmless to the animal. Let’s discuss the advantages of using this amazing product. 

1. More Freedom To The Dog

With the system being totally wireless and doesn’t involve the installation of a physical boundary, the length of this invisible leash and the perimeter can easily be altered by the owner, thus providing the dog with a functioning area that is almost entirely devoid of boundaries. More area to play will definitely make a happier dog and the owner tension free that the dog might accidently cross a boundary as the range of the collar is under the owner’s control.

2. Easy Installation As Compared To Other Methods Of Containment

The apparatus involves plugging in of a transmitter and adjusting the range according to your needs. It doesn’t need any sort of physical installation of any wires or fences to mark the boundaries of containment, the system is totally ‘do it yourself’ and is easily installed with the involvement of any trained personnel thus making it far more effective than the underground fence.

3. Cost Effective As Compared To Other Containment Methods

Real fencing isn’t cheap, as the pricing will depend on the material you choose to build your fence with, not to mention the regular maintenance costs you will incur at regular intervals. Even when it comes to underground fence for pets, the apparatus isn’t entirely maintenance free as the wires used are susceptible to breakage and physical damage. You might also need to pay some really heavy installation costs in order to get these other containment methods to work. Wireless pet fence totally excels the other methods in this area as all you need to do is plug in transmitters and the operation is totally ‘do it yourself’, making this a great product that is actually easy on your pocket. 

4. Better Mobility As Compared To Other Method

If your work makes you move locations or you simply want to do some renovations to your house, the wireless pet fence is the best way to keep your worries away from your pocket. As there is no physical installation of any wires underground or a proper physical fence, you simply need to carry the transmitters to a different location making it a onetime buy product. You can also take it with you in case you want to go to a holiday with your dog (happens with some). 

5. The Actual Virtual Fence

The wireless pet fence is an actual virtual fence that has no physical boundaries. It is an instant install which doesn’t need you to bury some wires underground. Thus solving your zoning law troubles and maintaining the look of the house as many times a fence degrades the look of your house and most of the times installing a fence might attract some disapproval of your neighbours. You can wave all such troubles a big goodbye with the wireless pet fence. 

6. Loophole Free System

The best part about the wireless pet fence is that you can eliminate any sort of loopholes with the use of this product, 2 or more transmitters can be added for this. The easy and instant installation is a major advantage, all you need to do is plug in a transmitter and make sure that their proximity range overlaps thus getting rid of all the loopholes that your cuddly pooch can use to access areas that you don’t want him to. This not only adds protection for your dogs from unwanted places like your garage, swimming pool and trash cans. 

It is our duty towards this wonderful and cuddly companion that we protect it and give it comfort within our abode. We should provide the canine with plenty of room for its day to day activities that will benefit it in return. There are many brands that manufacture this product like PetSafe’s - PetSafe Wireless Instant Fence, havahart’s - Havahart’s Wireless Radial Shaped Dog Fence and many more. The wireless pet fence is the perfect product that will suit both the owner’s and the pet’s need. 

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