Grandma Loretta Was Planting Tomatoes. Cotton Started a Hole of His Own.
Planting day in the vegetable garden is underway, and the soil is dark and freshly turned. Grandma Loretta kneels in her mustard cardigan and denim shirt, glasses on, gently pressing the roots of a young tomato seedling into the earth with gloved and bare hands. Right beside her, Cotton has decided to help in the way dogs do best. His white front paws are deep in a hole of his own, dirt smudged across his curly legs, and he's grinning with his tongue just peeking out. Leafy plants, garden stakes and a pair of muddy tools fill the garden around them.
Digging is a natural behavior for many dogs, and freshly turned garden soil is especially tempting. If you'd like to protect your seedlings, try giving your dog a designated digging spot, like a small sandbox, and reward them for using it. It's also wise to know which garden plants are risky. The leaves and stems of tomato plants contain compounds that can upset a dog's stomach if chewed, and some fertilizers, mulches like cocoa mulch, and pest baits are toxic. Keep garden chemicals stored away from pets. A Bichon's white curly coat collects dirt easily, so a rinse and brush after gardening keeps it clean and tangle-free.
Cotton's hole may not be exactly where the tomatoes needed to go, but his enthusiasm can't be faulted. With a helper like this, gardening is never lonely work.
