Blog:Do dogs and dirt mix is the question

Dogs NOT welcome?

Dog fans may hate to admit it, but there are a lot of issues associated with dogs in the garden, and owners need to consider whether the two should mix. A New York Times article today highlighted a number of potential problems, some of which I'd never even heard of.

From the simple holes that dogs love to dig, which caught one owner's foot and sent her into rehab, to the diseases that can be spread to you by your dog and dog "mines" (feces) in the garden, you have your own personal health risks to consider.

In terms of your garden, you have to worry about urine burning of plants, which can kill some, the munching on the plants some dogs enjoy, and the digging up of plants and beds as well.

Your dog needs to worry about catching things from worms to giardia. In addition, dogs are notorious for eating chemicals and poisions in the garden - such as snail bait. One dog, (comically? predictably?) ate some cocoa mulch that was newly laid in the garden, and went on a caffeine induced high that had him "bouncing off the wall".

That's a summary of the issues raised in the article, and some serious food for thought! If you do mix the two, it's worth visiting the article linked to below.

--Raffi 16:45, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

• New York Times: Dogs: Not a Gardener’s Best Friend

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