Creating the perfect dog friendly yard is easy if you know which dog friendly shrubs to plant! We’ve got you covered with our favorite shrubs that will allow your yard to be beautiful while keeping your pup’s yard safe for them. From butterfly bushes to viburnum, there’s a shrub on this list that is perfect for every situation.
This is the fourth part of our series on dog friendly plants. Check out our other guides: indoor plants safe for dogs, dog friendly outside plants, and dog safe flowers.
Disclaimers and resources
To start, we are providing this information on dog friendly shrubs for educational purposes only. We are not veterinarians, scientists, or experts in toxic plants, and you should do your own research, too. Address specific questions to your veterinarian or another relevant professional.
If your pup has eaten something that you believe may be poisonous, call the Animal Poison Control hotline at the number listed on their page immediately. They are a great resource, and we’ve used them when one of our own dogs got hold of a toad. The experience was quite traumatic, even though we later found out there was no actual risk of any serious side effects except some minor GI upset. They talked us through what to do, and calling them was a requirement from our emergency vet.
Why do dog friendly shrubs matter?
Creating a dog friendly yard starts with knowing potential hazards that could be in your yard. Most dogs are naturally curious, typically exploring with their paws, noses, and mouths. Most of the time, this isn’t an issue, but they can end up licking or biting plants or plant parts.
Unfortunately, a lot of commonly sold plants are toxic to dogs. These can range from stomach upset to neurotoxins, which result in serious health issues or can even be fatal. By making sure your yard is safe for your dog, you can allow your pup to explore freely and enrich themselves without having to micromanage them.
A well-planned yard will allow your dog to sniff, explore, and play without the fear of toxic plants (or other health issues). Physical activity, like flirt poles or fetch, is great, but environmental interaction is important for their mental and physical health, too. If you give your dog appropriate outlets to entertain themselves, they are less likely to engage in inappropriate behaviors, such as escaping, or nuisance behaviors like fence barking. If you need help managing those, check out our post on signs that your dog is bored.
Dog friendly shrubs can play an important part in creating a dog friendly yard. Besides the aesthetic value, you can use shrubs to block off sight lines or areas where you don’t want your dog to go. There are plenty of shrubs that are visually appealing and still are dog friendly shrubs. We’ll be here to walk you through some of our favorites!
What to consider for dog safe shrubs
Besides being dog safe or toxic, there are other factors to consider when selecting dog friendly shrubs. One is the growing conditions for the plants. Trying to grow a sensitive tropical plant in the northeast of the US is most likely going to be doomed to failure. Similarly, if you only have full sun locations available, a plant that requires more shade will not do well.
Besides growing conditions, the size and growth habits matter are an important factor. In our neighborhood, people love to plant full-size trees 4 feet from their house. You don’t have to be a plant savant to see the issue with having a large maple that close to your house. Selecting an appropriate location for the adult size of your plant is a much better idea and will save you a lot of work later. Moving shrubs and trees is not enjoyable (at least for us) and we try to avoid dealing with that if possible.
Finally, maintenance and how animals interact with the plant are important, too. We tend toward low-maintenance and hardy plants, even if they are less attractive than some other options. We don’t enjoy pruning plants consistently to maintain a consistent shape, especially more than once a year. If you can’t trust your dog around bees, avoid planting flowering plants that attract pollinators near your deck or door. Choosing dog friendly shrubs (and other plants) to be lower maintenance will help keep your gardening fun instead of becoming just another chore.
Our favorite dog friendly shrubs
The part you’re here for: the list of our favorite dog friendly shrubs! These plants are all listed on the ASPCA’s Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List for Dogs unless otherwise stated, which is part of our criteria for selecting dog friendly bushes.
A good “leave it” command is a great option to pair with making your dog friendly yard! If you need help with that command, check out the Puppr app. They make it easy to teach new behaviors, and it’s been our favorite dog training app for years now.
As an additional note, if you think your pup may consume a plant, refrain from spraying pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides in the area. These typically function as various types of poisons, so it’s risky even if advertised as “pet safe.” We’ll provide links to buy these plants, where possible, but a lot of these will be cheaper at your local plant stores because of shipping. We’d recommend trying to buy them at your local stores first before ordering online, unless you’re looking for something specific or a rare color.
Butterfly bush
The butterfly bush is a great way to add some color to your backyard and attract some pollinators at the same time! As you likely guessed, the butterfly bush is a favorite of butterflies, but is also a hit with most pollinators. Even if your climate gets cold winters, this dog friendly bush will probably thrive in your climate as long as you make sure it doesn’t get too wet and gets a lot of sun.
One of our favorite dog friendly shrubs: the butterfly bush has a lot to like. We are fans of the butterflies, moths, and other pollinators that love this plant, but we also like the colors of the blooms. This shrub can have blooms that are blue, pink, purple, black, or white, with combinations of those colors, too. This plant is the only one we have listed that isn’t on the ASPCA’s non-toxic plant list, but we’ve yet to find anything to hint it may even be toxic. It’s listed on a variety of other sources as non-toxic and isn’t on the toxic portion of the ASPCA’s resource, so we feel good about it.
Camellia
Camellia is a diverse family of plants that have a wide variety of care requirements. The flowers tend toward red, pink, yellow, and white, with a few different shapes ranging from almost bell shaped to rose shaped. Most do better in warmer climates, but varieties exist that are better at dealing with wintery weather, too. These dog friendly evergreen shrubs prefer partial shade and are very receptive to pruning. You can prune them into hedges or tree shapes, which gives them a lot of flexibility in planting locations and use, especially since varieties exist with sizes between 6 to 14 feet tall.
We love evergreen plants to help give some color to our otherwise brown winter months, and Camellia is a great option. There are a few different species of Camellia that can even deal with our winters, which is rare for a typically tropical plant. As a bonus, they are deer resistant, but we find deer will eat almost anything, depending on how hungry they are.
Callistemon
Callistemon, or crimson bottlebrush, has red flowers that look like, you guessed it, bottlebrushes. This plant is native to Australia, so most of its traits are best suited for that climate. It’s drought resistant, likes full sun, and doesn’t do great in colder temperatures. There are a few types of Callistemon ranging from 5 feet tall and wide to 12 feet tall and wide, which means you can probably find one suited for whatever use you need. As a reference, zone 8 is usually the limit for this plant, which means we don’t get to have one.
There’s a lot to like about Callistemon if you’re in a warmer climate. It tolerates heavy pruning well, which is a great option if you have a full garden. We like the leaf shape and unique flowering pattern, which we don’t see very often. We’re always fans of dog friendly flowering bushes and the bright color of Callistemon makes sure that it’ll really pop in your yard.
Crape myrtle
The crape myrtle, or crepe myrtle, is a great option for dog friendly shrubs that allows you to pick a color and size that fits your needs. The crape myrtle can range from 10 to 30+ feet tall, green to dark foliage, and with blooms that can be white, pink, and red or anywhere in between. It does best between zones 6-10, but seems to do great with our occasional harsh winter. They can tolerate a range of soil conditions but prefer lots of sun.
We love this shrub because of the variety of options available. The dark foliage gives a lot of contrast with the bright blooms of this plant, which means it will always be a standout in your yard. If you’re lucky enough to be in a zone where they are evergreen, that’s even better! Whichever type you choose, the crape myrtle is a fantastic dog friendly option for your backyard that we think you’ll love.
Deutzia
Deutzia is a very versatile plant, which can range from ground coverage to a full-blown hedgerow. Deutzia is one of the dog friendly shrubs that can handle colder temperatures and is resistant to pests and diseases. This plant typically has white and pink flowers and is part of the hydrangea family. It’s rather accepting of growing parameters, but prefers more sun than shade. The deer in our area have little interest in the hydrangea family of plants, which is great if deer are an issue in your area.
We’re always looking for cold-hardy dog friendly plants and Deutzia fits this description! They’re a great way to border a garden and require little maintenance once established. Deutzia also has quite a few leaf and flower variations, which means you’ll be able to find something that fits your tastes.
Forsythia
Forsythia is one of our favorite dog friendly shrubs and we’ve had one for years. To start, the color in spring is a bright yellow, which isn’t common in our area. It does great in colder climates and can tolerate rough pruning without issues. Forsythia is typically one of the earliest shrubs to bloom and birds love the dense foliage. If you like low maintenance shrubs, we’d highly recommend Forsythia. They are around 10 feet tall and wide, with some variation based on the specific species.
Our favorite parts of Forsythia are the combination of bright colors and early blooming. Forsythia is extremely hardy, and we neglected ours completely, except for the occasional prune if it got too big. Our Forsythia never got messed with by the deer, which pretty much every other plant has for us.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a stunning dog friendly flowering bush that has large and colorful flowers. Typically growing in tropical regions, cold hardy varieties exist as well, which is great if you live in a colder region like us. Their flowers can be a variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow, pink, white, and purple. Most stay in the 5-10 feet wide and tall region, but some varieties can get outside of this range. Perennial and shrub hibiscus are the varieties that do better in colder regions, growing down to zones 4 and 5.
We love the large, colorful flowers and that cold hardy varieties exist for this plant. They’re easy enough to prune and hardy, which is perfect if you want to put a bit of extra work into your plant. Hibiscus is also a favorite of hummingbirds and pollinators, which is a great way to help our your local wildlife, too!
Jungle geranium
Jungle geranium is one of a family of exceptionally pretty evergreen shrubs native to tropical areas. They can get up to 12 (!) feet tall and are a favorite of pollinators. We love that they are low maintenance. They’re a dense, but slow-growing shrub that tolerates pruning well, which is perfect if you’re trying to fit it into a tight space. Jungle geranium has red or orange flowers with darker green leaves. You can grow them in containers, which is perfect if you don’t have tropical weather.
We love their stunning colors and how easily they flower, which allows you to appreciate them for a longer time. Jungle geranium is one of our favorite dog friendly shrubs, especially with how low maintenance it is.
Magnolia
Magnolia is a broad family of shrubs and trees that can vary from 10 feet to 60 foot tall trees that you’re likely more familiar with. They can range from hardiness zones 4-10 with blooms that are white, yellow, pink, purple, or red. They can be deciduous or evergreen, but most of the blooms look similar, with large petals in a double layer. Established plants are hardy and can handle a wide variety of conditions.
We’re huge fans of the beautiful flowers and leaves of the Magnolia tree. The large variety of species means you can find one to find wherever you need dog friendly shrubs (or trees!) to be. We especially enjoy evergreen plants to help provide some color during our winter season.
Mock orange
Mock orange, or Pittosporum tobira, is a great option for dog friendly evergreen shrubs if you’re in a warmer climate. This shrub maxes out at 13 ft tall and 8 ft wide and can even be pruned to be a hedgerow. This makes it a perfect option for blocking a sightline for your dog, if they get wound up about a specific distraction. Mock orange has green leaves and white flowers which are highly fragrant.
Similar to roses, there are multiple types of mock oranges that span different species. You’ll want to make sure you know what you’re getting, but most types are safe for dogs. They can be pruned into a hedge, which provides a lot of flexibility with where you can put them in your yard.
Roses
Roses are one of the most iconic plants and are dog friendly shrubs! Varieties exist from ground coverage up to 10 feet in height, which provides a lot of flexibility for planting locations. They’re offered in almost any color imaginable. They are cold hardy in the US, but may require a bit more maintenance and winter care than other options. Lots of ‘false roses’ exist, so make sure what you’re getting is actually a rose bush.
Roses are dog friendly shrubs, but you still may have to watch out for thorns, depending on the variety. We love the vast variety offered, specifically some of the more unique colors. Be sure to double check what you’re buying is actually a rose, or at least dog friendly.
Rosemary
Next up for our favorite dog friendly shrubs is rosemary! If you’re lucky enough to be in a warmer climate, it’s an evergreen perennial that can always be available for you to harvest. If not, it’s probably best to keep it mobile or understand it is seasonal for us. Rosemary has purple flowers when it blooms, but the primary reason for this plant is to have fresh herbs. This shrub stays around 3 feet tall and wide when full size and definitely prefers to stay drier rather than wet.
If you’re looking for edible dog friendly plants, rosemary is definitely a great place to start. Rosemary prefers lots of sun, and we find it easiest to keep it mobile, but that’s mostly because of our climate. This vigorous shrub can help keep your garden fragrant and your food tasty!
Strawberry bush
One of our favorite dog friendly shrubs are strawberry bushes. They’re a fantastic perennial, but they are a little touchier than some other plants on our list. For care, they need lots of sun, lots of water, and well-draining soil. This is tricky for us because of the heavy amount of clay we have in our yard. In addition, you’ll definitely want to make sure you protect them from your local wildlife, specifically rabbits and deer. If you can manage these care requirements, they’re a fun perennial plant, even in the colder regions of the US.
Besides the obvious benefit of eating strawberries, we like that the plant is attractive, too. It has tiny white blooms before your strawberries and they stay very compact. Most of the common types are technically not shrubs, but there are so many varieties that you can definitely find one that works for you. Let us know what your favorite variety is: we’d love to try it out!
Viburnum
Viburnum is another diverse group of plants that is perfect for some of us in the cooler areas of the US. The family is extremely varied, with a variety of different shaped leaves and blooms available. Similarly, options exist between 3 and 30 feet tall and can grow extremely fast in the correct conditions. Viburnum can be deciduous, evergreen, or somewhere in between and have pink, red, or white flowers.
Viburnum can grow down to hardiness zone 2, depending on the species. We love easily shaped plants, especially dog friendly shrubs, for the flexibility they provide in how we can use them! What’s your favorite type of Viburnum?
Other dog friendly landscaping ideas
Having dog friendly shrubs is a significant step to making a dog friendly yard, but we can go further! If you have the ability, dog proofing a fence is a great option to making your yard even more dog friendly. For shrubs, where we place plants can affect how easy it is for our dog to escape or restrict areas we don’t want them to be. Planting a dense, climbable shrub next to your fence makes your pup’s escape route easier while planting the same shrub around a shed can prevent your dog from tunnelling under the building. Check out our guide for more tips that range from digging to climbing!
Another option is to create a safe space to play or relax for your dog in your yard. There’s a few alternatives here, depending on what you and your dog enjoy together. If you have a potato (looking at you, Primmie), creating a spot where they can relax easily will help make your life easier. Placing waterproof or elevated dog bed (like this K&H elevated dog bed) in the sun with our DIY snuffle mat is Prim’s favorite option and keeps her from getting dirty. Check out our guide on how to clean dog collars if your pup loves digging in the mud!
This is Prim's favorite place and she's frequently outside basking in the sun on this elevated bed. We find the brown helps hide some of the inevitable mud that ends up on it. We love it since it's easy to clean & replace the cover if it gets ripped.
If you have a more active dog, keeping an area clear (if you need help with what to do with dog poop in your yard, check out our guide) for agility or play time is also a great option. Goomba loves playing, so we try to keep an extensive region of yard that is clear and flat to avoid any injuries. Depending on what your dog likes, dog agility tunnels and dog agility jumps are easy to make and are a great place to start. If your pup prefers playing, that’s even easier. Goomba’s favorite is this Hero boomerang, which holds up great considering how much he plays with it.
This is by far Goomba's favorite toy and it isn't even close! It's surprisingly durable, even with a power chewer like him. It's weather-resistant and he still loves it even after he manages to damage the squeaker. This is one of the toys we use for him as a reward for training and it works great!
Even if you just make a place to enjoy your dog’s favorite treat or food-based enrichment, your pup will appreciate it. Our dogs’ current favorites are Toppl recipes and Pupsicle recipes.
FAQ for dog friendly shrubs
Is there a complete list of dog friendly shrubs?
Yes, actually! Our favorite resource for if plants are safe for dogs is the ASPCA’s toxic & non-toxic plant list. They list both toxic and non-toxic plants for dogs, cats, and horses! One thing to be keep in mind is just because a plant isn’t on the toxic section doesn’t mean it is safe. There are a mind bogglingly large amount of plants and it would be almost impossible to list every single plant out.
How I get my dog to leave my shrubs alone?
We have two options to help discourage your dog from messing with your shrubs, even if they’re dog safe. The first is supervision and training, specifically a good “leave it” command. Our favorite resource is the Puppr app, since we’ve been using it for years.
The second option is management, which is valid, too. Basically, management in this situation is anything you can do to make it harder for your dog to fail. If your dog likes to dig at plant roots, put rocks or gravel around the base instead of mulch. If your dog likes to chase birds in the bush, put a fence or other barrier in front of it.
We highly recommend combining both for the best chance of success. We have a deer net fence around some ferns Prim likes to dig up and a decorative fence around another bush that birds like to loiter in.
Conclusion
With a little planning, it’s possible to transform your yard into a beautiful dog friendly yard! By prioritizing dog friendly shrubs and considering other factors that are important to you (for us, it’s maintenance and hardiness), you can create an appealing area for your dog to explore in. Our favorites are viburnum and magnolia, but we’re biased toward anything that’s evergreen.
Do you have different favorite dog friendly shrubs? Share your favorite dog friendly shrubs with us by email or on Instagram @TheRulyBully! If we like your suggestion, we’ll give you a shout out in our post.
Have fun!