How to keep your lawn AND dog

Having a nice lawn and a loyal pet dog is extremely difficult when your pet has to go on the lawn. Consider the recent case of a small residential lawn.

The lawn was beat up from excess dog urine. The grass just can’t absorb the daily stream of urine and burns.  It’s extremely unlikely that the owner will hose off the spot every time the dog uses the lawn.

More lawn

So the owner fought back by digging up the lawn, installing new top soil and over seeding. It didn’t help because his dog still used the small lawn patch.

Permanent solution

I am not a fan of artificial turf but in this case it was a good choice. There will be very little maintenance and the dog will not ruin the green uniform look. Bella turf sells a cleaner called Turf Renu. You can use it to keep your new lawn looking great.

Steps

Here are the basic steps.

1. In step one we need to remove top soil to make room for four inches (4″) of fine crush. According to my new friend Kevin, who did this install, 3/4″ crush is a bit harder to rake.

2. In step two we will install fine crush to a depth of at least four inches (4″). Then we’ll rake it and even it out with a compaction machine. This will form the base for our new artificial lawn.

3. In step three we install artificial turf. If there is a wooden border then the turf can be nailed to it. Otherwise it’s anchored with turf nails. My new friend Kevin (ProTurf, 778-552-2580) swears by Bellaturf. There are nine different turf products to choose from. The cost depends on your lawn area. For example, this small patch will most likely cost $5-7 per square foot; large lawns will run between $11-14 per square foot. Call Kevin and ask.

I personally dislike artificial turf because it’s a petro-chemical product and the soil underneath is destined to die. However, in the case of the above small yard with a dog, it’s a neat permanent solution. The artificial turf allows the owner to keep his pet dog and enjoy his green lawn patch.