Dog path ideas
by
Mack
+10
We have a dedicated area for our Btittany Spaniels. At present it is a fenced in dirt path. I need surface material suggestions or ideas to make this path attractive. They destroy grass from running back and forth. We had to get a new lawn. They destroyed St. Augustine grass. Thank you for any ideas.
The dogs weigh 40 lbs each.
11 answers
-
First I want to say congrats on having two of the best breed of dogs ever! We have one Brittany and two cockers and have the same problem. Lots of people use pea type gravel over roll out garden cloth with drainage holes, concrete pavers like the ones shown, artificial turf which is pricey but it can easily be sprayed off and some use pulverized garden granite which does not work in my area (Texas) and really retains water in the low areas. Wish I had more ideas!
Vicky Weathers
on Aug 15, 2016
-
Wood mulch may be an option or even a mixture of sand and pea gravel. The sand and pea gravel would be a more attractive option, but if your dogs are chewers the mulch would keep them busy!
Stacy Hernandez
on Aug 15, 2016
-
I do not recommend mulch as it will harm the dogs if eaten,I would opt for maybe just sand as the dogs may decide to chew on the rocks. Another thought has come to mind. Outdoors rugs that are made out of a heavy plastic mesh material that I use for my campsite and have three dogs.
Janet Pizaro
on Aug 15, 2016
-
If you have access to a garden hose, artificial turf may proved a 'grassy looking' option. Its' not too expensive at the builder stores, provides a softer feel to the sweet pups and can be hosed down.
Barbara
on Aug 15, 2016
-
What about football imitation turf? We have it in our communal garden and the dogs seem OK with it, it's wearing well :)
Mad Chef
on Aug 15, 2016
-
Hi Mack, Beautiful dogs! I too have a dog run and a dedicated potty area that is fenced in. We originally started out with bermuda (beautiful and green), but that didn't last long in their area. I refused to allow the lawn service crew to treat their area with chemicals, so weeds quickly took over all the burned out grass areas. What I did was to remove all the sod and soil to a depth of 2". Lay landscape fabric to prevent weeds. Stepping stones placed strategically to create a geometric design. Spaces filled in with smooth pebbles (pea gravel will work). It looks very nice and they tend to go on the stepping stones. I maintain it by spritzing it every other week with a mild mix of simply green. Then hose it off. That flushes out all the urine odor before I begin to notice it. We considered artificial turf, but ended up going with this design. The fencing is edged with some nice (dog safe) shrubs. Whatever you do, I did want to point out some things to consider. (maybe you already have, but just in case). The biggest and most important is the sun. If the area is going to get sun during the day, really consider your material carefully. Step on the material with your bare feet after it has set in the sun for a couple of hours. You may find that it is very hot and painful. And you don't want to burn their paw pads. I chose light colored materials. My area is in a shady spot with the shrubs providing extra shade, but I still have to hose off the area 1x per day during the hottest days of the month (late July- early August for me). Also, even though artificial turf can be a good solution, many types do not have heat proofing. So the dark green can heat up very quickly. If going with that option, you may want to consider the type that is intended for pet use. It usually has that heat proofing. Some people like that brown rubber mulch. Again, it will get very hot. Plus, you may have dogs that want to chew on it (one of my girls will eat anything) ;-) That can be dangerous. Mulch can work, but it is not clean (if that is a concern). Also, they may want to eat that as well. Regardless, every material has its pros and cons. It's just a matter of determining which cons you can live with.
Rachel Lynn | queenbeeofhoneydos.com
on Aug 15, 2016
-
Mack, we would like to offer you the idea of going with a SYNLawn area rather than mulch or natural grass. We encourage you to look into the safety of both of those options and weigh your options. With a SYNLawn Pet System, not only is our product plant-based and completely safe for children and pets, we use an organic infill called Zeofill that controls odors. A SYNLawn Pet System will save you on water, use of potentially dangerous chemicals, and money on maintenance. We have a distributor in your area who can give you an idea of cost if that would be helpful. You can find us at synlawn dot com.
SYNLawn
on Aug 15, 2016
- See 1 previous
-
Tough question and I solved it (for me anyhow) with huge flat stones around the edges to give some dry area and keep any digging at bay. I did use cedar shavings and don't recall my dog ever eating any. As one responder mentioned the potential of. And, my dog devised her own potty spot. It made for easy clean up.
Lynne Webb
on Aug 16, 2016
-
I agree with the suggestion of artificial lawn - it is practical and will be easy to hose off.
Valerie
on Aug 16, 2016
-
I have to say that I have SYNLawn and lot it. No mowing, no watering, drains well, no exposing the dogs to chemical lawn treatment. Poop scooping is a breeze because nothing is hidden. Insect activity goes away dramatically. No more muddy footprints when coming inside. You do have to maintain the edges in that vegetation tries to grow under the fence from the neighbor's yard and leaves that fall on it need to be removed. I've had it for over 6 yrs.
RedDog
on Aug 16, 2016
-
Flat stones around edges then sand and pea stones. The dogs did make their own elimination area. Thank you to all the great ideas!Mack
Mack
on Aug 17, 2016
Sign Up to Answer
