A Canine Sensory Garden

Poochie Garden is a complete canine sensory-garden experience. The garden design thoughtfully incorporates elements that captivate all five senses.

Shade, sun, sand, and a wide variety of plants and walking surfaces, plus seasonal water play and crunchy leaves offer tactile stimulation. Dogs’ sense of smell is around 10,000 times more powerful than humans’, and we cater to that! In addition to sniffing where other dogs have visited, dogs smell birds and other creatures who share the garden. Dogs enjoy their own herb and strawberry gardens, and other dog-safe plants also appeal – both to their noses and to their sense of taste. Did you know dogs’ eyes are optimized to see movement, and the colors they perceive best are blue and yellow? Poochie Garden is decorated with plenty of blue just for them. The motion of wind chimes, ornamental grasses and leaves, and resident birds and squirels is sure to catch attention. To appeal to the final sense, wind chimes, feathered friends, and seasonal water features also provide soothing sounds.

Enrichment at a Canine Sensory Garden

Enrichment is defined by Bender & Strong as “learning what an animal’s natural needs are and then structuring an environment for the animal that allows, as much as feasible in captivity, them to meet those needs” (Canine Enrichment for the Real World, 14)(sponsored link).

Instinctual Behaviors at a Canine Sensory Garden

As a canine sensory garden, Poochie Garden naturally touches on instinctual behaviors by helping to meet dogs’ sensory needs. We also provide the Digging Garden to enrich another instinctual behavior: digging! Our curated selection of hard rubber and nylon toys can enrich for chewing, and we have plenty of pinecones available for dogs to shred and destroy under supervision.

Emotional Needs

Scent, sound, and tactile enrichment – as well as chewing – are elements of calming enrichment naturally integrated into the canine sensory garden. Other calming enrichments that fit right in at Poochie Garden are naps and safe spaces and relaxation training.

Safety and security are necessary enrichment components. We select and cultivate the plants at Poochie Garden with dog safety in mind. We curated our selection of toys while prioritizing the ability to sanitize them. Our 6-foot wooden privacy fence provides security for even the smallest of dogs. With the assurance of safety and security, exercising the important enrichment aspects of agency and independence is easier. Exploring new spaces off leash provides both!

Mental Stimulation

Mental stimulation is amazing at Poochie Garden in the form of foraging! Large beds of tall ornamental grasses make superb natural snuffle mats for foraging kibble or treats. The herb and strawberry gardens and other dog-safe plants are fair foraging game, too. Mental stimulation as enrichment can also look like utilizing the space for training basic behavior or fun tricks. It can mean using the space for grooming handling; we even have a Self-Serve Garden Bath available. Mental stimulation also comes from Agility Walk practice or from using the flirt pole. Interactive food puzzles and puzzle stations are among other available mental stimulation enrichment activities.

Social Interaction

Social interaction is one aspect of dog enrichment that Poochie Garden is designed to address specifically. Because the space is for private use and by reservation only, visitors customize the experience for their dogs’ sociability. Dogs who are dog-aggressive can enjoy their reserved time without risk of encountering others. If a dog is dog-social, dog-tolerant, or dog-selective, each guest can choose other dogs to invite along – or not! Poochie Garden is a perfect venue for social interaction enrichment by playdate. We even offer Garden Pawties to help you celebrate special occasions with intimate dog-friendly gatherings.

Physical Exercise

Did you know that allowing your dog to explore with its nose for 20 minutes will provide more enrichment than an hour-long utilitarian walk at a strict heel position? Don’t worry! Physical exercise is possible in Poochie Garden’s small space. We provide a flirt pole, Chuck It, Jolly Balls, and other curated toys to encourage it. There is room for zoomies around the yard, and dogs even like to zoom under the garden tables like a tunnel! The stump walk is great for a little parkour, and the Agility Walk offers practice jumps, practice weaving poles, and a balance rocker board. Dogs who explore Poochie Garden are pooped when they leave!

Nature at Poochie Garden

The National Wildlife Federation recognizes Poochie Garden as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. We sustainably provide wildlife with food, water, cover, and places to raise young. Our Pawlinator Garden is both dog-safe and recognized by the North American Butterfly Association as a Certified Butterfly Garden. Birds, rabbits, toads, butterflies, spiders, bees, and other friends share our space, and we do no harm.

Humans at Poochie Garden

All of Poochie Garden’s sensory and enrichment features that benefit dogs also benefit humans! Well, maybe not the foraging, but we do offer great seating on the deck if you want to bring a meal. Humans can rest or explore the garden while your pooch plays. You can even include a human friend or two and their dogs in your reservation if you’d like to share the garden experience!

Reservations at Poochie Garden

Poochie Garden is available for private use and by reservation only. It provides an off-leash alternative to public dog parks for dogs and humans who prefer to limit interactions with others. We can accommodate up to 4 dogs of any size per visit.