Dog - ruined garden
dhardy91
Posts: 1
Hi everyone, new to this site, if this is in the wrong place please let me know, thanks.
I have a north facing back garden in north east england, more or less ruined by dog wee. It gets practically no sunlight during winter but plenty in the summer. Also the lawn has only been down for 2 years from turf, some of the sub soil is building rubble and it has settled really unevenly.
I would just like some pointers on what to do next, ideally i would like to regrow the grass where the urine has destroyed it - will it grow from seed or need new top soil?
Have other dog owners found success with a similar problem? I was thinking maybe a sandpit in the corner and training him to do his business there.
With it all being uneven, would it be a case of digging up and levelling off some new topsoil?
Thanks for any help given - Dan.
Posts
My relations have successful trained theirs to do so, but that was as a pup on bark in the corner. I don't think it's particularly hard but not pleasurable during this weather. I take mine out the front to pee on the grass, as it has started to destroy ours. The other option is getting artificial grass or fencing part of the lawn area off. Following mine round with a watering can to dilute pee soon got near on impossible and the patches haven't recovered so it'll be reseeded in Spring. The stones for their water I've heard works but you have to keep topping them up and they need to sit for 10 hours before consumption but lord only knows what it does to their insides long term
Last edited: 28 December 2016 17:17:21
Hi Dan - welcome
Any lawn which has been laid over uneven building rubble is never going to perform well. Any lawn which doesn't get sun for nearly half the year isn't going to perform well and will become very muddy in a wet winter.
I think you have 2 options: If you're determined to have grass you need to think about lifting the old turf, getting rid of bricks and other large bits of rubble and then putting down a level surface of topsoil before returfing.
Option 2 (my favoured option - especially if it's a small garden) is to do without grass altogether. A courtyard-style, hard landscaping and borders garden can be most attractive and does away with the need to cut & edge grass every week, own a lawnmower, store a lawnmower and feed and weed the grass. It doesn't need to be particularly expensive if you use sleepers, shingle and pebbles.
Whatever you decide to do - a dedicated dog latrine sounds like a good plan. I would opt for something which can be regularly hosed down (pebbles? / bark) for hygiene reasons.
Edited to add: I think that's nearly a "Snap" Tetley!
Last edited: 28 December 2016 17:48:21
We have 3 dogs and we always take them out round the back of the house and clean up the poo with bags. Never let them in the garden. So they have 4 walks a day. If they were puppies always take them out when they need to.
If they've got the runs, even more.
Yes that's right. I have a bum bag so I can put it in and take home if I can't find a bin. We have bins specially for it. Sometimes when it gets full people just leave it on top. They can put it in a ordinary bin.
'bum bag' how apt!
B3
Yes it's called something else, but can't remember. Bought it from a shop that sells camping and walking gear.
I knew there was a good reason we don't have dogs
In the sticks near Peterborough
Poo pouch
Portapoo
S@$ bag
Carryc##p