Puppy proofing garden

[MightyMeerkat]

Hi. I am hoping to get a dog shortly and have started to think about puppy proofing the garden. The list of potentially poisonous plants however is a lot longer than I imagined! What did you do to make the garden safe? Or am I worrying too much and a bit of vigilance is all that is required? Thanks!

Puppies are lightening fast and will gobble down anything in a blink of an eye. I'd had Elfpup1 for a week before we had an emergency trip to the vet as he'd grabbed a grape from the vine as I left the front door with him. He was carried in and out for weeks after that!

What have you got that you are worried about? Fungi and berries are the main thing they go for. We will be using a puppy playpen for our new arrival when she isn't being very closely watched.

We put temp wire fencing around the flower borders. Just the stuff you get on rolls like www.amazon.co.uk/Amagabeli-0-65Mx25M-Garden-Rustproof-Landscape/dp/B07YKJ5FW9?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Oh, and LOTS of vigilence

Eyes in the back of your head level vigilance. Not a puppy, but even my rabbit knows to wait until my back is turned before heading for fencing to push over to get to plants she shouldn't nibble.

Temporary fencing around immovable plants. Removing/replanting plants that they shouldn't get to. Bulbs are risky - they love to dig them up and chew on them if you're not watching - so they're best left for hanging baskets waaaay out of reach!

There's a huge list here:
www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/factsheets-downloads/factsheetpoisonoussubstances09.pdf

www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/a-dogs-garden/9431012

We had someone put in a chicken wire 'fence' all round the inside of the garden, blocking access to all the wild flowers one side, and blocking access to the hedges so no digging under or escaping out.

I’ve got a .3 acre garden full of poisonous plants - foxgloves, yew, laburnum, daffodils etc. Pretty much everything on the list. We just didn’t let the dog go out unaccompanied and then blocked off a part of the garden with chicken wire.

I’ve never had an issue with plants tbh.... digging, stones, snails and slugs - general mayhem, yep.

But plants aren’t usually that interesting to them, and they’re never out there alone anyway.

Puppies are so, so quick - honestly, vigilance isn't enough. I've been stood right next to mine and he's stolen and swallowed something before I've even had the chance to stop him

You need chicken wire around/over anything poisonous - walls and fences just give them a nice obstacle to jump over and balance on!