Dogs love to let off steam, but for those who’ve been mistreated, abandoned, or born into a rehoming centre, play is particularly important for building confidence. Sensory gardens are interactive play areas designed to provide a fun and stimulating environment for these dogs, giving them an exciting variety of surfaces and smells to explore.
As well as giving the dog somewhere to run around and discover lots of new smells, sensory gardens have a vital role in teaching rescue dogs to cope with new environments. Lost or abandoned dogs can find joy in being able to relax in these gardens, while young dogs who’ve been born into rescue centres can learn about the world around them and get used to a variety of new experiences. Whatever the dog’s background, a sensory garden helps them adjust to novel situations so that they’re better able to adapt to their future new home.
What’s in a sensory garden for dogs?Sensory gardens incorporate a variety of smells and textures to challenge the dog both mentally and physically. Dogs love to explore the world through smell, and sensory gardens are packed with smell and other features to stimulate their brains. They typically feature numerous types of dog-friendly plants (avoiding those poisonous to them) along with several interactive areas of different textures, such as sand, grass, wood-chips and gravel.
Elements such as tyres, cardboard boxes, tunnels, dens and bridges add extra interest, and are often enhanced with toys or edible treats hidden or smeared over them. Water features such as paddling pools or sprinklers create extra fun for the dog. Split-level sensory gardens work particularly well, allowing dogs to climb and gain different vantage points. These can be created with features such as railway sleepers, steps and benches.
The Petplan Charitable Trust has given generously to a number of dog rescue and other dog-related charities to enable them to develop sensory gardens to support the rehabilitation of the dogs in their care. Some of the organisations who’ve benefited from this funding so far include:
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