Top 5 Features Dogs Want in Your Outdoor Living Space
Every one knows dogs love running around freely. Every dog wants to run and play. A dream backyard for most dogs is a naturally inspired outdoor living space filled with much activity. Pet parents may be surprised to learn that just opening up the door and letting your pup outside to entertain themselves gets old pretty quickly. Being in the backyard, especially one that represents a well planned natural playground to explore, may give them sunshine but not necessarily something to do. Here are some naturally inspired things your dog wants in your backyard.
Water Feature
A lake, a pond, a pondless waterfall, or maybe a small bubbling rock fountain. Water features can be a natural ecosystem and habitat for wildlife. Fish jumping, frogs to chase, good sticks to pull and chew from the bottom and a fun area to splash or swim. If you don’t have a naturally occurring water source in your backyard, a nature inspired water feature built by a backyard expert can give your furry friend an active, naturalistic place to enjoy.
Area to Run
I live on a golf course with my fur baby, Heartly. The house faces the 11th hole on one side, the 3rd hole on the other and several surrounding sand pits. Every night when my husband comes home, he is greeted by Heartly, a 110 pound Mastiff - Lab mix, who is anxiously waiting to go outside and run on the course and more specifically in the back 40 sand pits. As they leave the house, Heartly grabs a ball from his stash, and runs to his favorite sandpit. He runs from sand pit to sand pit playing catch with his ball. He is still learning the meaning of fetch. At night he has a glow-in-the dark ball, which I highly recommend, especially in the winter months when the days are shorter.
Heartly is seriously going to miss this golf course when we move in the next month.
The new property is over 2 acres of open space land on a lake so he will have plenty of new places to explore and stretch his legs.
Trees
Natural sticks or bones to chew are pretty high on the list. Having some shade when it gets hot is also enjoyable. When Heartly is not in the front yard playing on the golf course, he is in the backyard pulling sticks from the pond or woods, dragging them to a cozy spot under a tree. Naturally occurring chew toys are always his favorite, but when they are not readily available we opt for a chemical free and biodegradable rope like this one.
Toy Box
A backyard wouldn’t be complete without a Toy box filled with games to play. Be sure to have a tug toy such as a natural braided rope for a tough game of tug-a-war and balls or frisbee for a good game of fetch. Just like for humans, play offers mental, physical and emotional enrichment.
Natural Agility Course
How about some exercise with a naturally inspired backyard agility or obstacle course? When most people hear the word agility course, they think of a dog show with uniquely trained dogs competing on a professional course. However, any dog can benefit from a naturally inspired backyard agility course.
The number one piece of feedback we get from dog owners is that the natural stone stairs we build provide hours of enjoyment for the dogs to run. Any activity where dogs learn a new skill, gets positive feedback and feels accomplished is going to make them feel good. It also provides physical exercise, an opportunity to develop their muscles and overall good behavior.
Some families go a step further and set out some obstacles as well. It’s a DIY project that requires very little materials. It’s easy to set up your own agility course. Agility equipment designed for a pet parent’s backyard is as simple as something to jump over and something to crawl under. If you’re not into the DIY projects, your backyard expert can build a natural stone sitting wall for your dog to jump over or strategically place boulders around that also serve as a creative naturally inspired outdoor living sitting area.
When it comes to fun activities to do with your dog while outside, there is no shortage of options. From sand pits to play fetch, or chew toys and agility courses for playing, to a naturally inspired water feature for cooling down, there are no limitations on naturally inspired outdoor living spaces for you or your dog. Let your imagination run wild and your dog will love you for it.
Bonus Games
Heartly loves hunting for his favorite snacks in a game of hide and seek. Dogs loves sniffing everything and anything. Good smells, bad smells, questionable smells—each one is worthy of a lengthy inspection. Let’s engage that curious nose with a fun backyard game, Challenge your dog’s curious nose to a game of scent work.
Here’s how to play:
While your dog is inside, place high value treats throughout your yard. Then, take your dog outside to explore the yard. When he detects a treat, praise him. It’s super fun for most dogs because not only are most of them driven by food, but once they find their treat, they get to eat it.
A naturally inspired backyard can provide an entire family with limitless options to play and explore. Most of all it will create a great backdrop to create memories and connect with those closest to you. Sierra can help you design and create the naturally inspired backyard you have been dreaming about. Click the button below to get started!