I Spent $4,000 to Design My Yard Around My Dogs, and It Was Worth Every Penny

I bought my little Cape Cod-style home almost 15 years ago. It seemed perfect: close to my family and a great price with a big, open yard, which honestly was the real selling point. I immediately started picturing all the hosting I would do back there. 

Alas, after more than a decade of living in my home, there was still nothing back there except for a basic cement patio, a plastic chair, and a raised bed garden that was honestly kind of falling apart. But this year, I decided I wanted a yard I could be proud to host people in, even if it was just my family — including my two beautiful rescue huskies, Maya and Spruce. The problem was, I didn’t know how to work having two dogs who love to run, dig, and explore into a chic space for me.

To get started, I needed to find out what was even possible. I researched what other homeowners had done for their dogs in their yards on TikTok, and I found plenty of dog-friendly features, like dig pits and great enrichment ideas (hello, doggy ball pits and tug-of-war stations). I ended up making some additions for the dogs — and some additions for me — that amounted to a huge improvement for all of us.

One of the things I loved from my TikTok search was the dig pit. I opted for a wooden version to be a bit more chic and filled it about three-quarters of the way up with sand. I bury toys and other things in it for my dogs to find to make it really enticing.

The new dig pit is a favorite for my dog Maya, but it distracts both of my pups from making large craters in the yard. So far, maintenance has been easy. I haven’t had to refill it yet, and I cover it at night to prevent other animals from using their play place. 

I often joke that Spruce has a bed in every room, and now he has one outside, too. I settled on two elevated dog beds that can be moved around the yard depending on sun exposure. (Spruce loves to lay in the sunshine, and Maya prefers the shade.)

The patio space is the space the dogs hang on the least, and I wanted to make that the primary hangout spot for humans. I added a gazebo overhead and long dining table for friends and family gatherings. Lush greens, an outdoor rug with a beach vibe, a lifted cooler, water feature, and an herb planter turned a barren patio into an outdoor oasis that I love spending time in. 

While a dig pit and dog beds might have been at the top of Spruce and Maya’s wish lists, adding gardens to my yard was at the top of mine. Originally, I was dead-set on hydrangeas and peonies, but, it turns out, those plants are toxic for dogs. I wanted to make sure whatever I planted wouldn’t put them in danger if they happened to nibble on it.

Yard-proofing your outdoor living space for pets is like babyproofing an interior for a newly mobile toddler, notes Dr. Rebecca Krimins, DVM, MS, the medical director of the Express Radiology Research Lab and the Veterinary Clinical Trials Network at Johns Hopkins University. But “having a beautiful and safe yard for pets is possible,” she says. 

I found my local Lowe’s and their PETio program experts — plus the ASPCA’s list of toxic and nontoxic plants, which is updated regularly — helpful for figuring out what was safe for Maya and Spruce and what would flourish in my yard. 

Instead of my peonies, I went with lavender and an array of roses, which are both nontoxic to dogs and would still give me a gorgeous garden.

Lastly, I added a firepit thanks to this kit, which included everything I needed to build it out, and then I added my own chairs. You can add a ring barrier and stones to section it off even further, but since the dogs are the true heroes of this story, I left more grass — aka more room for zoomies, and honestly, the dogs pretty much stay away when we’re using it. (They’re huskies; the heat is NOT for them.) We do move the chairs back a little in case they want to sit near us, but they usually just sit behind us!

The total cost for my backyard came out to about $4,000 — a cost that includes my dogs’ beds, dig pit, and pool ($500 combined), as well as all the plants, mulch, gazebo, all the outdoor furniture, fire pit, and all the other landscaping odds and ends.

I know it might sound dramatic, but I would call my backyard project life-changing. I have spent more time out there than ever, both working and lounging. I’ve hosted brunches, dinners, and cocktail hours alfresco, too. I feel like I’ve finally reached peak adulting — and perhaps Maya and Spruce have reached peak pooching, too.