Our life has changed since adding our new puppy, Coco, to the family. For instance, Grady and I are subjugated to her bodily functions and puppy antics, and we can no longer walk freely around the house; it is a maze of toys and barriers. There are fences and gates everywhere in my home and yard. Coco is not allowed upstairs because, just like any unsupervised baby, she gets into trouble, and she’s not allowed out of the yard for the same reason.
One weekend, Grady and I bought and installed a do-it-yourself fence from Home Depot to quarantine the little imp in the side yard. She likes it, but it is a little cumbersome for the rest of us, especially the yardman.
Cleaning Coco’s Enclosure
To clean up Coco’s play area, the yardman wanted to spray roundup on the weeds. I stopped him because I didn’t want the poison on her paws or nose (she’s a digger). I remembered a safer weed killer recipe I read about on Facebook (from a classic: Martha Stewart):
- 1 gallon Vinegar
- 1 gallon of Water (I stretched my vinegar usage by adding water)
- 1 tablespoon Dawn
- And some recipes say to add 1 cup salt, so I threw in a little kosher salt, too
My yardman and husband scoffed at the idea, but I am happy to say it worked. It took longer than Round-Up to produce results; though it was slow to come to fruition, it really did kill the weeds. Full disclosure, I did have to apply the vinegar mixture twice to completely eradicate all the weeds, it could be because I diluted the vinegar. But, all in all, I was very satisfied with the results. And the best part: I felt like I was doing my part in helping our environment.
Even though Coco has upset my life in many ways, she has also enriched it, too. But, if anyone is asking, I wouldn’t get a puppy again.
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