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Fake Grass and Dogs?

Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
in Problem solving
My son has a large dog which has trashed his back lawn over the last two years or so. He is now contemplating a fake lawn out of desperation, although he knows it will be expensive. Does anybody have experience on how durable fake grass will be in this situation please.
North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited January 2019
    Friends have two labradors and a small back garden ... they had a 'top of the range' fake lawn installed a few years ago and they're still happy with it.  Mind you, the dogs aren't young and aren't allowed free rein in the garden ... they're only out there 'under supervision' ... they're taken for one long and two shorter walks a day and any wee or poo on the lawn is immediately removed and binned and the area hosed down. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    So long as they don't eat something that disagrees with them😒
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Sorry, should have mentioned they also have 2 children of 10 & 7, so ball games, trampoline and pool also have to be catered for. He tells me that the better quality fake grass is permeable so hopefully fermented dog pee won't be a problem. I have advised him against it especially as it would be circa 5K (madness!). It's a very big hound as well.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    I'm on a dog owner forum and the question comes up quite frequently. Haven't tried it myself but from others who have, the consensus is that it will smell, regardless of how expensive it is. You have to hose it down with something like jeyes fluid regularly (especially in dry spells) and that takes it toll on the appearance. Most of them end up replacing it every few years unless, as Dove suggests, dog access is restricted and infrequent.

    Real grass is cheaper and more resilient
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    To me it's an outdoor carpet and a dog's toilet. Not a good combination.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237
    How about a grass mesh? I'm looking at putting in some of this on sloping corners where my robot mower churns up the ground but it should work for dogs I would think.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Take the dogs for longer walks.  They won't have energy to wreck a lawn.  Ours don't.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    It's an Austrian hunting dog - can keep going all day!  Does get two or more long walks every day, including running with my DIL  when she's out jogging. He can put his front paws on my shoulders - I swear it's bigger than me. It's a very gentle dog though, good with children.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Logan4Logan4 Posts: 2,590
    Train the dog not to toilet on the lawn. We take our dogs out 4 times a day and we always pick up their poo.
    Don't know about the artificial lawns.
  • Logan4Logan4 Posts: 2,590
    @raisingirl which dog forum are you on please. :)
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