On many weekend mornings in the summer, my dogs and I often awake to the sounds of lawnmowers, weed-whackers, and roto-tillers from people hard at work in their yards and gardens with the goal of growing delicious tomatoes, beautiful blooming gardens, and deep-green lawns.
Like my neighbors, I wish for a bountiful garden and great looking lawn. But I don't like the idea of creating a hazard, using commercial weed killers and fertilizers, for my dogs who roam the yard and garden. So I usually use organic insecticides and fertilizers to instead of herbicides to battle the weeds, and usually achieve better results than my neighbors.
However, for pet owners who want to spruce up their yards and prefer to use commercial lawn care products, reading the label and using the products properly is the key to helping keep pets and their owners safe. Problems usually arise when people apply lawn care products incorrectly, or when a pet or children are allowed to roam too soon on a freshly sprayed lawn. If you find your pet or children walking or rolling in a recently sprayed area, immediately wash the toxics off.
Insecticides tend to be more toxic to pets than herbicides or fertilizers. There are a some insecticides for use in the garden, especially those for roses and molluscicides for snails, that can be very toxic. Be especially careful with these products around animals.
Follow instructions and use common sense with commercial lawn care products. Keep pets and children away from the area of application. Store all fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides where pets and children cannot gain access. Keep all products in the original container and make sure the label is intact and readable before using. Then, always read the label and follow directions exactly. And finally, make sure a treated lawn is completely dry after waiting the maximum period recommended on the label. To be extra safe, consider watering down the lawn after application and letting it dry before allowing pets and children into the area.