Dogs + Houseplants: How to Keep Your Pup Safe (and Your Plants Intact)

Author: Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness
Published: Tue 02 Sep 2025
Episode Link: www.growingjoywithmaria.com/podcast

If you love your dog as much as you love your monstera or other houseplants, you’ve probably run into this dilemma: how do you keep your plants alive without putting your pup at risk? This has been a problem for plant parents who are also pet parents. Some plants are toxic, some dogs are curious nibblers, and sometimes it feels like your plants and your pets are destined to clash. To figure this out, I talked with Dudley, the plant lover behind Pablo’s Plants on Instagram and TikTok. His brand centers on his golden retriever, Pablo, and he’s here to share with us how to keep both plants and pets safe at home.

In this episode, we learn:

[00:00] Can dogs and houseplants really live in harmony?
[02:06] What does Dudley’s plant setup look like
[02:53] Who is Dudley (aka Pablo’s Plants) and his golden retriever (Pablo)?
[06:45] Who handles the plants better: the cats or Pablo?
[08:18] How do you actually train a dog to “leave it”?
[09:38] Which common houseplants are secretly toxic to pets? (Lilies, pothos, philodendrons)
[12:10] Living with toxic plants: know your pet's personality
[13:20] Bitter apple spray and other deterrent tricks
[14:53] Wind River Chimes
[16:39] Non-toxic plants for pet parents
[18:07] Dudley’s gardening journey
[19:15] Pablo's one toxic plant incident!
[23:06] How did Dudley’s plant business evolve?
[25:59] The hoya love-hate relationship
[28:24] Fragrant orchids (coconut-scented orchids)
[29:31] What does Pablo’s Plants look like today?
[31:55] Craziest deals buyers have taken during auctions on Whatnot & Palmstreet
[33:05] How plant shows turned into a global friend network
[34:57] Plant show strategy: shopping vs. selling vs. networking
[36:16] Where to find him next: PlantCon NYC & IAS Miami
[39”02] Where to shop Pablo’s Plants and join his “coffee & swiping” lives
[40:13] Visit growingjoywithmaria.com/palmstreet and save on your first purchase!