Spring Cleaning For Your Dog

Most people have some form of a spring cleaning event in their home, and it is designed to get rid of all the dust and debris that builds up over a winter of people and pets being stuck indoors. 

While interior spring cleaning is a great way to make your house look, feel, and smell fresh and ready for the summer, it is not all that you should work on if you have a dog. This is the ideal time to check out the yard and get it dog-safe and ready for the summer months as well. 

Spring cleaning your yard is a task for the whole family. Everyone can find something they can do to make the yard a safer place for their beloved pet. It is a great way to teach kids ownership responsibilities, and it can also a lot of fun to have the whole family, including the four-legged family members, outside and working together. 

The Fence

After a long winter, checking to make sure all of the fencing in the yard or in the kennel area is undamaged is an important step. Look carefully for areas of rotting boards or posts, particularly in areas where the soil holds water or where there is shrubbery, trees, bushes, or landscaping next to or against the fence. 

The spring is an ideal time to check at ground level in these areas before the vegetation gets too lush and leafy to be able to see the area. Replace any old boards or boards that are becoming rotted or damaged. 

Keep in mind, even a small area can be discovered by your dog, and he or she can dig or chew around the opening to make a place to get out of the yard. This is also a factor if there is another dog in the next yard, as that dog may get into your yard, posing a risk of injury to your pet. 

Get Rid of Old Toys, Bones, Sticks, and Other Things 

Most dogs love to have favorite chew toys, sticks, rope toys, or other types of objects in their space, including in their yard. While many of these are durable, they do need to be replaced when there are signs of damage, chewing, or breakage of the surface or parts of the toy. 

Cleaning up old sticks, toys, and other things from the yard in the spring gets rid of items that pose a choking hazard for your dog. These old items may also harbor bacteria, mold, or viruses that can be a risk to your pet. 

Yard Debris 

Cleaning up piles of old leaves, winter grass clumps, and even dead plants from flower gardens help to make your yard healthier for your pet. Mold and mildew spores are common in yard debris, as are some types of fungal materials that may cause respiratory or health issues for some pets. 

Raking the lawn and removing the debris is a simple way to avoid these types of problems, making your backyard and kennel area safe for the busy summer months ahead.