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Sensory Gardens have become quite popular in overseas pet shelters as a way to help de-stress the dogs in their care and the idea is now starting to spark interest here in Australia. Local business Balancing Act Adelaide, a consulting firm that specialises in Pet Friendly urban planning has recently announced a new project looking at dog-friendly streetscapes & a sensory garden for dogs in a shelter environment.
Most gardens have a visual appeal and are great for humans, but a sensory garden is one designed to appeal to the other senses. By design and plant choice we can create a garden that stimulates not only visually, but also via smell, touch, taste and sound. The garden can appeal to all species, humans, dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds and the best news is that you can create something at home and it doesn’t have to be on a grand scale.
Well, it has been proven that sensory gardens can provide stress release for all species, including our pets. As well as tantalising all of their senses, sensory gardens encourage dogs to interact with their surroundings and provide physical and mental challenges. Dogs particularly have amazing noses that are meant for sniffing; they possess up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to about six million in ours. And the part of a dog’s brain that is devoted to analysing smells is, proportionally speaking, 40 times greater than ours.
To find out more as to why sniffing is so important for your dog – whether at home with a sensory garden, or out exploring on a walk, check out Why Sniff Time Is so Important to Your Dog.
Likewise, the domestic cat’s sense of smell is about fourteen times stronger than a human’s. Cats have twice as many receptors in the olfactory epithelium (i.e. smell-sensitive cells in their noses) than people do, which means cats have a more acute sense of smell than humans. Cats also have a scent organ in the roof of their mouths called the vomeronasal (or Jacobson’s) organ. When a cat wrinkles its muzzle, lowers its chin, and lets its tongue hang a bit, it is opening the passage to the vomeronasal. This is called gaping, “sneering”, “snake mouth”, or “flehming”. Gaping is the equivalent of the Flehmen response in other animals, such as dogs, horses and big cats.
If you create a sensory garden for your pet, you will also benefit from it and with the right plant selection, some pets even self-medicate by selecting certain plants to chew on. Plants such as chamomile, lavender, marigold or hops may help with pets that have anxiety. Clary Sage, Hops and Valerian can assist with hyperactivity and calming pets down. Pets with stomach or digestive issues may self-select meadowsweet, marshmallow, or thyme.
As mentioned earlier, you don’t necessarily have to have a whole garden dedicated to different plants; you can create a mini garden in a plant pot.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Wabb and her dog Malcolm – Malcolm is partial to Lemon Balm!
List courtesy of a post from The Mayhew Animal House in the UK: The Stress-busting Sensory Garden
Catnip: not just for cats! This has relaxation properties and stimulates playfulness in dogs
Chamomile: dogs suffering from anxiety or skin/stomach upsets will be attracted to this plant’s scent
Clary sage: good for highly strung animals and those with hormonal imbalance
Garlic: (GRASS ONLY) is a well-known immune booster. Garlic grass is easy to grow, indoors and outdoors, and can be started from a bulb bought at your local grocery store. Just push the cloves under quality soil, pointed side up. Keep in mind that garlic cloves, eaten in large amounts, can make your dog ill, and are toxic to cats. Garlic cloves should not be given to your cat under any circumstance, but the grass that grows from the clove can be nibbled on as your cat feels the need.
Lavender: helps to reduce anxiety and other nervous conditions
Marigolds: dogs experiencing grief or emotional distress will often sniff out this plant
Marshmallow: known to help animals with delicate stomachs
Meadowsweet: often selected by dogs with digestive problems, arthritis and rheumatic conditions
Mimulus: used as a remedy for animals that are nervous, timid and shy
Mint: good for cooling properties and will often be selected by dogs who suffer from skin irritations
Plantain: helps gastric irritation and inflammation
Rosemary: another immune booster and is ideal for the indoor gardener, as long as it is trimmed regularly. Rosemary is one of the hardiest of the perennials, but it is prone to root rot if it is overwatered. Care must be taken to keep the soil balanced.
Thyme: chosen by animals with bacterial infections, skin irritations and diarrhoea
Valerian: often selected by anxious dogs for its calming effect
Vervain: valuable for treating and nourishing nervous system disorders such as depression
Violets: Nervous dogs or those who have recently changed homes may enjoy sniffing this plant
Yarrow: offered to animals with inflammation, urinary problems and internal and external wounds.
Sensory Gardens are not just about plant choice either there are other things that can be placed in a garden for a dog (or cat) to enjoy.
Digging pits are always great fun for dogs and you can bury a special treat in the sand for the dog to dig up. You can use a simple child’s clam shell as a digging pit …. And turn it into a little swimming pool in the summer months!
When mowing the lawn, leave a long patch so you can throw dry food or treats in there for the dog/cat to go foraging or just for them to roll around in and play.
Got an old log?
Drill some holes in it and place a scent trail in with either food or essential oils
Those dogs that are bred for their scenting abilities would love this sort of enrichment.
You can even create a mini agility run with whatever you have at your disposal for your pets to run around in. Ramps are always great fun for dogs.
Many dogs (and cats for that matter) love water and a simple fountain would not only enhance your garden and life but also your pets (being ever mindful of their safety of course).
Some animals may even appreciate a fish pond (or bowl) where they can see the fish swimming around (place a safety barrier over the top to prevent drowning)
If you need help in the imagination department (like I do), I can highly recommend you get your paws on this book:
Dog-Friendly Gardens: Garden Friendly Dogs by Cheryl S. Smith
Published by Dogwise Publishing, Wenatchee, WA ISBN 1-929242-07-7
If you have any questions for Gillian about creating a sensory garden – why not ask her in the Comments section below?
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to connect with your veterinary clients. Even if you’re not exactly what you would term a ‘romantic
Hi Judy and Gillian. What a great blog post!
I would love to share it with my pet people at Active Pet Rehabilitation, and my own pets too!
Thanks Carmel – I love the ideas in this post too. Glad you think your clients and pets will appreciate it as well. 🙂
Thank you Carmel –
It is one of my most favourite things for behaviour and environemental enrichment. It is so beneficial for every being in the household
This was a really helpful article, thank-you for all of your tips, and ideas.
Thanks Penny, I’m glad you enjoyed Gillian’s post!
Hops is highly toxic for dogs and can cause death and seizures. You may want to take it off the list
Thanks for bringing that to our attention Amanda. We’ve now removed hops from the list and will make contact with the original authors in the UK to advise them as well. – Judy & Gillian
Hi Judy and Gillian,
Thia is such a good blog. I currently volunteer for a dog rescue and we are looking at creating a sensory space for our more nervous dogs. We can definately use some of these ideas. If you could offer any more tips or helpful info please drop me an email, i would love to hear from you.
Thanks
Nina
Thanks Nina – Gillian is the expert in this area so I’ll make sure she sees your comment and will also pass on your email address to her 🙂 Regards, Judy