There’s nothing more enjoyable than spending quality time outdoors with your family, including your canine companion. Here are some tips to create a backyard oasis that is safe and inviting for your four-legged family members.

• Create a hardscape that you can your canine companion can enjoy together.
  Dogs and lawn grass don’t mix well. For small areas, consider switching from a grassy expanse to hardscape. Choose materials that won’t get too hot, should be easy to walk on and ideally should not cling to fur and feet. Concrete, brick, flagstone, pebbles and smooth rocks are all good choices. Mulch (except cocoa mulch) and small bark chips are dog friendly. Stone and masonry are especially useful for landscaping with dogs, because they minimize the mess dogs make through urination (dog spots), digging and plain old wear and tear.
• Can’t give up your green grass?
  When you see a dog urinating on the grass, rush to the garden hose. Turn it on and bring it over to the area where your dog has just urinated. Douse the area with water, thereby flushing it and diluting the harmful elements in the dog urine.
  
• Create a shady spot for sunny days.
  Excess sun exposure could give your dog a sunburn and even heatstroke, which may lead to severe injury. Planting a large tree or dense shrubbery will give Fido a respite from the sun.
• Switch to a turf grass that can handle some wear and tear.
  A tired dog is a good dog, whereas an unexercised or bored dog will look for trouble. Provide space where your dog can run and chase, and you will have far fewer problems. Some grasses hold up better to paw and foot traffic than others. Among the warm-season grasses, St Augustine grass  is among the toughest. If you need a cool-season grass for landscaping with dogs, try  Elite fescue grass.
• Get to know your canine’s patterns.
  Rather than fighting it, plan your yard around your dog’s predictability. Install stone walkways over existing dog paths. Now everyone will be happy: the dog still has its path, and you get to have a better looking yard. Stone walkways exude charm and are a desirable addition to your landscaping regardless of dog problems.