If you’re a dog owner with a yard, creating a landscape that satisfies your desires and aesthetics but also addresses your dog’s needs may seem like an oxymoron. You want a beautiful garden — maybe even a space to grow vegetables — and a place to relax, entertain family and friends, maybe a play area if you have young kids, perhaps have a swimming pool.

Your dog, of course, needs to run around, potty, maybe dig or chew on things as well as relax in the fresh air. And she or he definitely needs to be safely ensconced in the yard with no escape options.

When it comes to creating a dog-friendly landscape — or “petscape” — you might think about what you need in four buckets: dog safety and security, landscape protection, your aesthetics and comfort, and dog play. I spoke with landscape design experts—and the president and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society—to get advice for how to make your dream dog-friendly yard come to fruition. Check out my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section to learn how to do it.