The yard's looking great, plants are coming up and the grass is sprouting green. Then the hound digs up the new flowers, the cat pulls the bark off a tree, and the guard dog has worn a dirt path doing his duty.  

Pets can devastate any landscape plan. But a new breed of landscape designers specializes in considering how they will use the yard.

 "Let your pets be your muse," says Elizabeth Bublitz, owner of Pawfriendly Landscapes in Golden. "Whatever they are doing, don't fight. Most dogs are habitual, so find a way to work with their habits."

Jill White, sales manager for Fossil Creek Nursery in Fort Collins, agrees.

"Remember, it is their domain and they will go where they will go," she said. "They like to run around the fence and protect their territory, so give them room to do that. You will have a path, so work with it."

For example, the dog's normal path can create a nice visual when filled with rock. Just make sure it's the right rock.

"Be careful with rock like granite or anything crushed because the pieces can be sharp," White said. "Make sure it's round rock so it's pet-friendly."

Unless you want to keep pets out of an area.

"Cobble is a huge deterrent to all dogs, so if you want them use it, use one-and-a-half-inch river rock," Bublitz recommends. "But make sure they won't eat the rocks."

Garden sculptures can be used as a deterrent to rock-munching mutts. "If there's a space you are fighting over with your pet, you can use inanimate things that won't die, like pots or garden art or ornaments," she said.

Bublitz, author of "Pawfriendly Landscapes - How to Share the Turf when your Backyard Belongs to Barney," wants humans and their pets to get along.

"What we've learned in the past 10 years is all about the materials to use," she said. "If we use the right materials, we don't have to redo it every year."



Work with triggers

Dogs are typically destructive because they're bored or because there are triggers like foot traffic, other dogs, or the sound of the sprinkler coming on, according to Bublitz.

"If the dog is destroying the yard, are you walking it, giving it attention?" she said. "Dogs tend to be as good as their humans and they need affection and exercise."

If Fido is not in need of an intervention by the Dog Whisperer, changing the environment can change his behavior.

"For example, we might change out the sprinkler head," Bublitz said. "They eat risers because they think it's a toy so we change it to a drip - they can't see it or hear it."

In a garden where risers are needed, putting up a gated fence will keep the sprinkler system safe, she said. "The point is not to have to keep redoing your yard. That can be very discouraging."

Plants can be used as a growing fence, too. "You can build hedges to keep them out because they get pretty dense," said Gary Eastman, owner of Fort Collins Nursery and a certified nursery professional.

It takes time for the hedge to fill in, so a temporary fence may be needed until the shrubs become thick enough to discourage wandering pups.

"Barberry hedges are thick and dense and thorny and they grow well," Eastman said. "Privets are good for screening and privacy and they get very dense."

Again, the choice of materials is important. "Always use textured plants, plants with thorns or junipers. One poke and they tend to stay away," Bublitz said. "Use plants they don't like. Use deer-resistant plants like sage - they hate sage. Animals also hate lavender and they don't like alpine currents."

There's a line between unpleasant and toxic, however.

"Make sure you stay away from those plants that are poisonous to animals, like cherries and all pit fruit," White said. The pit's the problem, but she adds that if dogs chew on the bark, it can also make them sick. "Daffodils, and tulips are a problem. Even the garden can be poisonous. Garlic, onions and tomatoes are definite issues for dogs."

Check with your local nursery, Colorado State University Extension Service or one of a gazillion plant-reference Web sites about specific plants.

Eastman also suggested using organic lawn and garden products to control insects and weeds.

"There's a slug bait called Sluggo that can be used around pets," he said. "And for weed control, there's a product made out of corn gluten that works as a pre-emergent herbicide so it gets seeds before they germinate but it won't hurt plants that are already established."  



Neutralize lawn spots

The places where the dog goes because he has to can be made more attractive, Bublitz said.

"No plant is urine-proof, so if they keep lifting their leg on a plant, pull it out and put it in a container," she recommended. "They'll keep lifting their leg on it but it won't do any harm. You can also neutralize the area with wood mulch. The changes will also provide a nice winter feature area."  

Urine spots are a particular problem with Northern Colorado's heavy clay soils, according to White, because the urine can't leach through, so it sits on top and kills the grass. Her suggestion?

"There's a product called Guard Dog. It opens the soil so the urine can pass through," she explained. "Spray it on and water it in and animals can go right back out."

Water features have become popular with homeowners who want to add to the look and sound of the yard. They can also provide water for wild birds and be pet-friendly, too.

"A lot of people think a pond wouldn't be good with animals, but just make sure there's a shallow end so they can get out if they happen to get in," White said. "And they will drink from it, so keeping it clean is important."