Need groundcover ideas for dog yard

[Logan]

After Honey's multiple escapes, plus her desire to dig to China, we sectioned off a shady part of our backyard, built the fence higher on that section and made it the dog's yard. There is no grass (too shady, plus those digging feet wouldn't let grass stay anyway. There is "natural mulch" in the form of leaves and some pinestraw over part of it, but much of it is bare. Since there is so much plantlife, the bareness doesn't bother me too much, but the odor does. I can scoop the poop (and believe me there is a lot of it with 3 big dogs), but the odor is coming from the urine. Murphy is especially bad about walking down the steps and going right there. Sometimes when we are sitting out on the deck, which opens right onto their "yard", it smells like we're sitting in the middle of a barnyard. I guess that she has just peed so many times in the same spot that the ground is saturated.

Any good ideas about a dog friendly, but absorbent ground cover or mulch we could use?? Other than going out there and turning that soil with a shovel, I don't know what else to do. Keep in mind that this is a pretty big section of yard (at least 60 ft by 20 ft) that would probably require a truckload of whatever we choose.

[mruffruff]

Boy, do I understand.

I have the same problem in my cat pen. My neighbors haven't complained yet, but I can't open windows on that side of the house. I've been covering some of the more obvious areas with Arm & Hammer litter deodorant, but it only works for a little while. Your area would be impossible to do that way.

Short of paving, I haven't been able to come up with a cure.

My daughter has mint growing all over in her yard. It spreads fast. I might try that. At least it smells good.

I'll be watching for some suggestions. Surely someone can help us both.

Mary

[KYS]

I feel bad for you, and I really do not have to much
in the way of suggestions.
I have mostly grass, so I am lucky.
In the dog run, I have pea gravel, and I hose it
off once a week because of the pee smell.
I wonder if their are some sturdy lawns that
grow in shade? What about moss? I think
that is clumps of grass that like shade and
water. Not sure if St. Augestine will grow in shade,
but if that does, that will withstand any pee.
Be carefull with store bought mulch, some of it
has chemicals that can harm animals.
Any groundcover that has flowers will
attrack bees.

How about checking out you local nursury and
asking them for suggestions. I bet they
will have some good ideas.

[Logan]

I posted this question on several sites.

One dog/horse lover came back with some lime ideas, which I will be investigating.. I also will check out pea gravel, and the biweekly bleaching that goes along with it!!

Thanks!!

Logan

[KYS]

Logan,
What do you mean by lime?
Now I am curious. lol

[Rachel]

I had a pea gravel dog run once and wasn't too happy with it because the gravel would adhere to the dogs' feet and come in the house with them. I'm thinking the pine straw would work and to keep down the urine odor to try hosing it down to dilute it.

[Airedalekisses]

Ever try eucalytus bark? it's like the mulch but smells like Vick's Vaporub-it doesn't let the yard smell like a bus station mensroom. It might be difficult to find;but it does work!! The Vick's smell doesn't bother the beasties.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Logan ~

Call a Septic System Contractor / Installer and ask him to stop by and give you some ideas.

You might be able to dig a trench down the center of the run, and slope the ground toward the trench. Then cover with pee gravel, then mulch or some other "decorative" cover.

Then the trench has to "go" somewhere... like DOWN-hill! Could be directed to an area farther from the house - where you might be able to install a "French Drain" (BIG hole filled with rocks & stone). The drain catches the run off from the run area and trench, and holds it until it can permeate out into the soil.

All depends upon your soil types...
Septic System folks KNOW the local soil conditions.

/s/ Phred

[Logan]

Originally posted by KYS
Logan,
What do you mean by lime?
Now I am curious. lol

Well, Cindy, who suggested the lime, said that she had three dumptruck loads of limestone put in her paddock when she moved her horses to her house. She said that it helps to neutralize the odor from the horse urine. She also said that the use a powder version of lime in the stalls after cleaning to neutralize the odors too. Now I can imagine that horses would create a lot more smelly ground than my three dogs, so I'm thinking that it might work. I'm going to have to do a lot more investigation obviously and will start with my Feed and Seed store next time I buy dog food.

The problem with trying to grow something in that space is that I doubt it would have time to even take root before Honey dug it up!!

[Tonya]

I remember someone saying on another thread that they used a truckbed liner on the bottom of the pen. My dad did cement with a drain and a trench that leads to a french drain.