Adventurous pups will love exploring your new landscape design as much as you’ll enjoy seeing it come together. If you’re a dog lover, you’ll want to make sure your landscape is as dog-friendly as possible. Here are some suggestions of plants to consider for your Goshen, NY backyard that your dog will absolutely love.

Grass

It’s hardly a secret that dogs love an open lawn. The space provides plenty of room to run around and play while the softness of the grass protects their paws and nails. When it comes to potty time, most dogs favor soft grass and will need plenty of space to do their business. Dogs are also known to occasionally eat grass as means of settling their tummies, fulfilling a dietary requirement for fiber, and even just because some dogs enjoy the smell and flavor. If you have a fresh patch of turf for your canine, you’ve already won half the battle towards a dog-friendly landscape.

Fruit and Veggies

Like humans, dogs can benefit from the vitamins and minerals contained in fruit and veggies, as well as the additional fiber. Unlike humans, however, dogs require only tiny amounts of vegetable matter in order to reap the benefits. Dogs are essentially carnivores so a little too much plant fiber and fruit acid can very easily upset your dog’s digestion. Some fruit and vegetables that offer beneficial effects in small doses include apples, berries, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin and sweet potatoes. If you have a vegetable garden in your backyard, consider adding some of the above to treat your dog to an occasional healthy snack, but you’ll definitely want to limit their intake and erect a fence around your veggie garden to prevent them from helping themselves.

Shrubs

While dogs are generally cautious around plants with thorns, you can save your furry loved ones some hard lessons by avoiding planting anything with thorns, prickles or spines. Barring spiky plants, dogs can handle a bit of rough play in the shrubbery, but your shrubs may not. Choose shrubs that are hardy and resilient to being rolled over. You’ll also want to ensure that the shrubs you select have strong, well established root systems if your pet is a keen digger.

Trees

Trees are an important addition to a dog-friendly environment. Not only do dogs need the shade provided by the trees, but every dog owner knows how valuable a throw toy a fallen stick can be. There are no hard and fast rules for selecting dog-friendly trees. Besides being sure that the tree does not bear any fruit or seeds that are toxic to dogs and that the wood itself is not toxic, dogs are not fussy about where their shade or their sticks come from, so long as it’s in abundant supply.

Plants to avoid

Some dogs will eat just about anything, and while this makes them handy for taking care of leftovers, it’s not always a good thing. These are a few plants are toxic for dogs, so avoid planting them at all costs: Autumn Crocus, Azaleas, Carnations, Cherries, Daffodils, Hosta, Oleander, and Tulips. Surprisingly, tomato plants are also toxic for dogs, but only the stems and leaves, not the fruit.

This is far from a comprehensive list of poisonous plants for dogs, so please double check with your landscaper or vet before introducing any plants that you are unsure of.