Grass alternative

[SHaRPS]

Currently I have a fenced off area that's about 30' x 10' for the 2 dogs (GSP's) to take care of their business or to spend some time outdoors while I am doing things around the house. My issue is that it used to be grass but its nothing but dirt now and I am tired of washing muddy paws after or during a rain storm. After some research it looks like pea stones are my best option. Do you agree and or recommend something else?

[shags]

Our fenced dog yard is about 50X80. It gets really muddy at times, and has areas where no grass grows anymore. We crossfenced a 10X30 area within that, right outside the door. 3 years ago I put down geotextile and covered it with riverstone ( don't know the size number, but the pebbles are around an inch long). I added a little sidewalk of pavers from the door to the gate so I'd be able to navigate the yard without doing the two-step. It works great! No more mud! No more wiping a gazillion paws a day! No more mopping the floor multiple times a day!

My stone drifts a little to the edges because of the dogs ripping around the run, but it's easy to shovel it back a couple times a year. I lose a little bit of stone when picking up poops, too, but that's not a deal breaker. The geotextile keeps most grass and weeds from gaining hold, and the few that pop up are easily pulled. It also keeps the stone on the surface and not getting run into the soil.

My little dog pen has a gate to the big yard. We keep the gate open when the yard is dry, and close it when there's mud. We also closed it night so the dogs do their business and come in, and not wander around sniffing and doing dog stuff at eleven at night or five in the morning. Odor hasn't been a problem at all; if it gets a little rank in the heat of the summer i dump a bucket of odor-ban water out there.

We've had 6 dogs in the run, now down to four. I'd do it again in a heart beat.

[Sharon]

??? Some dogs will eat pea stones.

I just accept the fact that during certain times of the year , my floors will get muddy . I keep it as tile and the dogs don't have access to the carpeted areas of the house. The joys of having dogs.

[SHaRPS]

I really don't think my dogs will eat stones. My local place does not have pea stone but they do have crushed stone that they said a local vet always uses. Do you think the crushed stone may be an issue?

[ezzy333]

I have used pes gravel or crushed stone for years when I was showing dogs to help keeping their feet strong and tight, without incidence, other than losing it when you clean the runs. At one time I used to pile everything when I cleaned and then wash it with a pressure washer so I could reuse the gravel.

[art hubbard]

Shags, what is odor ban water? where do you get it ? also is it good for washing down kennels ? Thanks

[shags]

OP,
Crushed stone could be nice firm surface if you compact it. Horse people use it as a base for stalls and around paddocks.

Art,
It's just a jug of water with a few ounces of odor ban ( or maybe odo-ban, IDK) dumped in. A gallon is about 10 bucks, i find it at Home Depot or Sam's Club but other retailers might carry it. It's a deodorizer with germicidal tendencies ( bacteria, some viruses, mold, etc). Use it in a spray bottle, garden sprayer, bucket of mop water, whatever suits you.

[cjhills]

I use pea rock in my dirt run. I have a cattle bedding fork with tines a inch apart. It works great for cleaning never lose any rock....................Cj

[greg jacobs]

OdoBan