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Please
note: Media Relations is unable to answer questions about pet health
problems. Contact your veterinarian.
Source:
Charles W. Marr, 785-532-1441; e-mail: cmarr@oznet.ksu.edu.
http://www.mediarelations.k-state.edu/WEB/News/MediaGuide/cmarrbio.html
News release prepared by: Keener A. Tippin II, 785-532-6415
Thursday,
March 4, 2005
K-STATE
HORTICULTURE PROFESSOR OFFERS TIPS ON HOW TO DEVELOP A BACKYARD
SANCTUARY WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND IN MIND
MANHATTAN
-- With the approach of spring, if there are two passions that may
be most at odds, it may be being a gardener and being a dog lover.
Digging, running and chewing aren’t often compatible with a
carefully tended yard. In addition, some plants are poisonous to
dogs, and many lawns turn to mud or yellowish-brown ick after an
afternoon with the pups.
But
there is good news. A Kansas State University professor of horticulture
has some tips on how to create a garden hardy enough for animals,
but delicate enough for your nurturing soul.
According
to Chuck Marr, two things come into play in developing your outdoor
oasis -- the age and breed of the dog. Marr said puppies tend to
be "very precocious, do crazy things, run all around and are
pretty hyper." As they get older, however, between 1 and 2
years old, they settle down dramatically. Marr said the breed of
the dog also makes a "tremendous difference in terms of some
of the lawn and turf issues."
Along
with those breed issues is the question of whether the dog is a
"digger" by nature. Marr said that behavior can be controlled
-- either through behavior modification or a small alteration to
your garden. Lay down a sheet of chicken wire over the soil surface
and allow plants to grow up through it, and you will prevent the
dog from digging through it.
According
to Marr, the biggest problem with dogs in a garden situation has
to do with the urine and the high level of salts contained in it.
The problem is compounded by the sex of the dog.
"Female
dogs tend to squat and leave a puddle in a concentrated area,"
Marr said. "Male dogs tend to lift their legs and spray all
over the place."
Marr
said in places where the urine is concentrated, the salts levels
can build up and cause brown spots in the lawn.
"Depending
on the fertility level of the lawns, what you usually have is a
nice green ring right around that waste area because the fertilizer
has kicked up a little bit," Marr said.
Marr
said this problem can be dealt with by washing down the area with
water every two to three days.
"Fortunately
dogs tend to go back to the same area, so you don't necessarily
need to water the whole lawn," Marr said. "Usually you
can focus on that one area where they tend to mark."
The
spray from male dogs, however, could provide enough concentrated
salts to cause the leaves to brown on shrubs and bushes. Marr said
this condition is probably more acute on evergreen plants than broadleaf
plants, primarily because evergreens tend to hold their leaves all
the time and dogs tend to go to those spots continually. Broadleaf
shrubs loose their leaves in the winter.
With
regards to feces, Marr said dogs tend to go in a fairly a concentrated,
consistent spot. As that material dissolves and breaks down it will
have some fertilizer value and will tend to turn the lawn a dark
green color in spots. He said the feces probably should be cleaned
up on regular basis for sanitation purposes.
If
making your own compost, Marr has one strong recommendation: Do
not use feces from your dog or cat in the mixture, but instead dispose
of it in a sanitary landfill.
"Theoretically,
if composting is done properly, the mixture gets up to 140 to 150
degrees, and that will pasteurize and kill many harmful disease
organisms," Marr said. "But some people don't compost
properly. They just make a pile of stuff and it may not get sufficiently
hot enough, and diseases such as E. coli can be transmitted in the
feces."
In
Marr's opinion, plant material issues are "a bit over done,"
with regards to common landscaping plants but he agrees that there
are "a few" plants that are toxic to pets. One such exception
is the yew plant, which produces a small, round, red berry that
is toxic. Not all species of the plant, however, produce the berry.
"Dogs
tend to be carnivores, they don't eat plants by nature, Marr said.
"They'll eat plants if they're bored; puppies will often just
chew on them. But normally dogs won't eat plants."
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