The whimsical cottage surrounded by an English-style garden looks like it came right out of a decorating magazine or a Merchant Ivory film. But this $9,000 landscaping project isn't the maid's quarters, a garden shed, or even a playhouse. It's a doghouse. And it's called “petscaping”.

“Petscaping is landscape design with pets in mind”, says Scott Cohen...“We like to incorporate petscaping into all our projects that involve families with pets”, Cohen says. “And while we've created designs for people with turtles and rabbits, most of the time, petscaping is for the dogs”.

Whether you're planting a garden, building a pond,or installing a footpath, fountain, or fence,you can design around and for your dog. Here's how.

In The Doghouse

Most people can't or don't want to spend $9,000 on a doghouse, but doghouses don't need to be fancy to be attractive and functional, Cohen says. An important part of designing a doghouse is placement. “Doghouses should not be placed in full sun. Put them in the shade of a tree or on the shady side of the house”, Cohen says. “They should be well-ventilated and comfortable”.

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