The Golden in the Garden

Tahoe

This might be one of my absolute favorite pictures of our Golden Retriever, Tahoe. Today I was outside taking pics of the garden, and found Tahoe in the herb garden. I quickly called his name and snapped this photo.

I've had a garden longer than I've had a dog. I was a bit concerned about how it would all work out. Would he dig everything up? Would he trample the plants? Would he pull out my plants? Would he eat the plants?

Digging: As a pup and young dog he was quite the digger! He'd find a bare spot of ground and in mere seconds we'd have a hole. We were diligent and got after him every single time. I did consider trying to train him to dig on command, but neither he nor I were smart enough to do that. Plants 1; Tahoe 0.

Trampling: I don't have a lot of fussy plants. I wanted to have a pet/kid friendly yard, so the great majority of my plants are perennials and can take a beating. I wanted little ones to feel welcome among the flowers. Tahoe has always been very careful in the yard, choosing to run on paths between the plants. The one exception is the half circle bed right in front of our swing. When we're in the swing, he wants that spot. Nothing will grow there. Plants 1; Tahoe 1.

Pulling: This was quite frustrating in the beginning. We were landscaping our yard at the same time Tahoe came into our lives. So every single plant was new. I learned that I could not plant anything if Tahoe was in the backyard with me. If he saw me put it in the ground, he'd pull it out right away. However, if he stayed in the house while I planted, my plants were safe. Thankfully we caught onto this quirky habit pretty darn quick! Plants 1; Tahoe 0.

Eating: I have been very careful not to plant anything toxic in the backyard. All the rhodies, grapes, foxglove, etc. are in the front yard. Thankfully Tahoe has never munched on my plants. He is quite the connoisseur of long, tall grass. Anywhere it pokes out he'll snack on it. Not all that great for him, but a habit we've not been able to break! Considering I don't care about any bits of long grass that sneak up on us: Plants 1; Tahoe 0.

All in all, I'm thankful that our rambunctious pupster doesn't give me much grief in the garden!