South Africa has the largest number of pets in Africa, with numbers totaling 7.4 million for dogs, and 2 million for cats. If you are one of these many lucky pet owners, you probably love nothing better than spending time in the Great Outdoors playing, walking, or just relaxing with your pet. Both dogs and cats love running and jumping in the garden, and dogs also benefit from at least one walk a day. Keep your lawn safe for your dog by removing the biggest risks and toxins, and stopping your dog from escaping.
 

De-Cluttering Your Garden
 

Your dog will probably run at lightning speed from one end of the garden to another, pouncing on leaves and rolling in the grass. Reduce the chances of injury by keeping the yard completely free of sharp tools and machines your dog can fall on or trip over.
 

Store all chemicals and cleaning products in a garden shed, to avoid ingestion.
 

Avoiding Toxic Plants
 

If your garden is filled with various species of plants, it is always advisable for a gardening professional to pay just one visit to point out any species that may be harmful to your pet. Toxic plants, ingested in even small doses, can cause kidney failure, seizures, vomiting and, in the worst case scenario even death.
 

Sadly, many toxic plants, trees and flowers are common in South African gardens. These include various types of lilies, the syringa berry tree, delicious monsters, oleander, and clivia miniata. Meanwhile, some grass seeds such as rooigras, spear grass, and bur bristle grass have seeds that can penetrate the skin and cause swelling.
 

Mowing and Keeping Your Lawn Green
 

To keep your lawn looking beautiful and green, mow it regularly for a slick look.  When deciding which mower to go for, cordless varieties are good, as our silent motors, so as not to annoy pets. If your pet enjoys being with you while you are mowing the lawn, keep them in a crate so as to avoid accidents.
 

For greener looking grass, try to stick to organic fertilizers, since conventional varieties are poisonous to pets (manufacturers recommend keeping dogs away from the garden for a specific time frame after application).
 

Cocoa mulch, often used to help retain moisture, meanwhile, contains theobromine, a chemical in chocolate that is toxic to pets.
 

Try homemade recipes for keeping pests away, including sprays made from diluted neem juice or citric essential oils blended with water.
 

Build Your Dog a Dig Pit
 

For many pooches, digging comes naturally. Build Fido his very own dig pit by providing him with a sandbox filled with soft sand, burying his favourite toys beneath the sand and encouraging him to dig them up.
 

To avoid escapes, plant thick shrubbery between the fence and the garden, since dogs can quickly dig up the soil beneath fences.
 

Another idea is to build a cement construction parallel to your fence, which you can fill with attractive pots. Finally, large-scale pots can be placed in a row to act as a barrier between the fence and lawn.
 

Building a safe garden requires a few changes but the good news is that few of them are costly or difficult. Building a shrub (or cement) barrier between your fence and garden will probably only be necessary if you have a dog who loves digging. With most other pets, your main aim will be tidying up the garden and ensuring all plants in your garden are safe for your pets.