I have been in my home almost 2 years, and last year with the addition of a new pup, my yard has gone from a sad thin grass-cover to absolute mud and dirt. I don't mind wiping paws and I have accepted that a pristine home does not a happy dog make. The problem I have with the mud and erosion (I have a 3degree incline), is what is coming up from beneath. My home was built in 1900 over what was once a concrete factory. The earth is filled with small glass shards and sharp, small stones. The glass is not too sharp, but I do occasionally find sharp small pieces. This is especially problematic because the grass held the "nice" soil, now going and I am afraid this crap underneath will injure my dogs paws--I know it will. I think replanting grass in my yard will be a huge wasted effort. Are there safe alternatives that may help keep my dogs safe? Pea-sized gravel over the entire yard? Stinky rotting mulch? Concrete is impractical and hard on the dogs? Ideas appreciated.

I've found that you can do either of two things.

1. Mulch the yard, putt down new dirt, and then plant new high quality sod. Sod that is grown in mesh nets stands up to dogs pretty well. There are a number of different types of grass, ask for the most traffic resistent type available in your area.

For example, we have put down sod grown in a black mesh that doesn't decompose and is a type of grass that has been grown for sports fields. It is pretty tough and grows fast. The downside is I have to mow more than with other lawns, but it does grow thick and replenishes itself after taking a beating in the wet Pacific Northwest winters.



2. Gravel the yard. It has to be more than just a few inches of coverage. If it's a big space, I'd put down pavers or a cement walkway and then gravel what's left.



Gravel yards suck, so I was happy paying out the azz to put in good sod.

The grass that seems to be most common here in Florida is pretty thick stuff, I don't know what it's called but there's certain types of grass that will hold up to your dog's torturous efforts. My dog looks like a lawn mower when he takes off, all you see is grass kicking up behind him, but the stuff is so thick n tough that he doesn't even try to dig thru it.

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... I don't know what it's called but there's certain types of grass that will hold up to your dog's torturous efforts.....

Depending on where you live, coarse fescue is rough and tough. It's as determined as crabgrass! And I just figure if it's green, it's good enough. I can take my glasses off and pretend it's Kentucky Bluegrass. Almost.

I think the dividing line for where it does well and where it's too hot for the fescues is maybe the bottom (southerly) fourth of the U.S. So Mike's tough grass would probably be something else -- maybe Bermuda grass?

Anyway, there *are* grasses that can stand up to a dog or two, planted the way Robert VanCamp describes.

I am in the same boat as you (in my new house for almost 2 yrs)had one dog there for 1 1/2 yrs & now 2 dogs for almost 6 months. My yard was nicely grassed when I moved in & now after almost 2 years alot of that has been worn down. I have found that living in rocky new england means that there are always rocks close to the surface & will begin to push thru to the surface with the help of a little wear & tear & erosion. With the addition of a 2nd dog with all the chasing around & roughhousing on the grass in the fall & all thru the, warmer than usual, winter here in the northeast, along with a heavy hickory nuts crop that blanketed a good deal of the yard and killed allot of the grass...I have mostly mud in the higher traffic areas. I have broken down & added wook chips to the heavily trafficed areas. The dogs love to chase around the 10 x 20 kennel in the middle of the yard & have created a 'racetrack' around it. I good layer of the woodchips (replenished as needed)has at least held that area from becoming a mud pit. I have chipped other traffic areas as well. It is not the most ideal solution, but it beats having the entire yard nothing but mud. In the spring I will reseed & I will kennel the dogs in the spring & allow minimal open yard freedom until the newly planted grass at least has a chance to take hold. Fortunatly, I do not 'work' my dogs in the yard very much. (I did occasionaly do this to some degree when I only had one dog)Most of the time I use a school field on the next street for training. I have dogs that are trained to a level that I can work them anywhere with all kinds of distractions so the school field no matter what kind of school activity is going on there works for me. I think that little by little more & more wood chips will be spread out into the yard. It will be either that or mud. I also feel that wood chips give the dogs a softer, sounder footing than the muddy ground surface would offer and are biodegradable. My dogs really tear around & it would surely be only a matter of time on the slippery footing before one of them would be injured. Just my solution to the mudd. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I suppose if you had enough property you could section it off & rotate the use to rest areas for regrowth of grass but I only have 1/3 acre... with my side & back yard totally enclosed with a 6 ft stockade fence, so that is not an option for me. I'm sure that there are others on this board with a solution to this problem. I'd like to hear some other solutions that have worked for extended periods of time.

Isn't there a zoysia (sp) grass that is very thick & able to stand up to heavy traffic? I don't know if if is available as sod or not. My yard would have to be resoiled & then planted....more work & $$$ than I could afford to do at this time.

I'd agree w/robert. Sod will be one of your best bets.
get w/a local landscaping company, and talk w/them about your needs, and also getting on their fertilizer program. I work for one here in souther illinois, and the yards we've put sod in are the nicest by far. They seem to hold up to fenced in dogs too!! a big part is fert. and water.

Just to add to what Mike said. Us Floridians have Saint Augustine grass that is available in sod form. It doesn't seed like other grasses and grows out into a interweiving net. When it's healthy it gets extremely thick and lush and I can't imagine any "normal" use making a mess out of that stuff. I'm not sure how available it is up in the northern states as I thought it was mostly a southern grass type.

I tend to agree with everyone else. Grass would look way better than gravel or something. VanCamps idea of a mesh backed sod sounds very promising. I was thinking the same idea. Put down some of that black yard bed netting (to protect from the glass and such), then soil, then any sod you want. But you'd have to dig up your whole yard.

Welp, that's my $.02. Let us know what you choose.

because i live in a cold climate and the grass does not grow very fast, i put down a graveled area. in the cold the dogs would get about 5 feet out the door and pee. Over the winter, this pee would concentrate and kill the grass in the spring. the yard would turn to a mud pit, and the mud would be all over the house. I dug out all the dirt and what remained of the grass, down to the sand that was underneath. (3inchs, off the top, for about 20 square feet) I then placed garden ties to retain where the grass met the dug out area. I put landscaping paper down (the good stuff) and then filled the area with gravel. I then trained the dogs to pee on the gravel (at least most of the time they do) Because it is gravel and then sand, I rinse the area when i water the lawn, keeping it clean. i do have to rake a bit before mowing the lawn as the gravel does migrate a bit, but for the most part the garden ties keep it in place. i could post a pic, but that would have to wait until april or so! darn snow!