Dog Safe Weed Control
For years, we navigated through weed control’s challenge versus keeping the yard safe for our dogs. When you also add the unpredictability of afternoon showers rinsing off the spray, it’s enough to make you give up and surrender to the weeds.
Most of the current weed killers sold have explicit instructions to wear protective clothing during application. When dogs come into contact, they will potentially clean themselves with their tongue, thereby—ingesting these harsh chemicals, which can cause vomiting, lethargy, even seizures.
Studies have shown dogs that routinely come into contact with chemically treated lawns have a greater risk of respiratory distress and incidence of cancer.
This year, while scrolling through Instagram, I happened upon a clever gentleman spraying his weeds with what I thought was a salad dressing ingredient, and it was working! Through further investigation, I realized it wasn’t my treasured balsamic but a very potent form of vinegar.
Naturally, I hopped on Amazon, and within days my Concentrated Vinegar was here. I used a sprayer for application, and within days the weeds were dead. I avoided grassy areas that I wanted to preserve because vinegar takes its job quite seriously. There are vinegar-based weed killers on the market; it was my choice to follow that clever guy on Instagram.
Boiling water is another non-chemical alternative. It won’t harm the soil; however, I had more space to cover than a kettle could handle.
Salt makes it difficult for plants to grow. Prepare your spray with two parts water to one part salt. Again, be careful around the lawn; it will kill the grass.
Adding a little liquid dish soap helps the weed spray adhere to the plant.
A tremendous preventative to getting weeds in the first place is cornmeal. It’s safe to use in flower and vegetable gardens and is the active ingredient in Preen.
Summer Haircut
Your dog’s coat protects during the summer months; it’s not the best time of year for the summer shave. The movement of their coat in even a slight breeze helps keep them cool. Their fur helps with:
- protection from UV rays
- creates a chamber that blocks heat conductivity
- helps prevent dehydration
A better option than a shorter haircut is to time walks or exercise for morning and early evening. Make sure they have plenty of shade. If they enjoy the water, a kiddie pool is a great way to cool off.