We have heard some really good lawn dog stories from our customers over the years. At 2 J’s we know you can’t keep your dog supervised in the lawn all the time. Keeping our dogs happy and entertained does help make a huge difference in the amount of destruction they cause. So keeping food, water, and toys out for them is pretty easy. Unfortunately, we are very busy people and I am sure you are too. When 50 hour or more workweeks crop up our furry friends suffer for it a little too. Walking the dogs a mile a day is the last thing on the to-do list. That’s when holes in the lawn or funny-colored grass start to appear.

keep hoses and other items in your yard picked up for a more dog friendly lawn — Water hoses that aren’t properly put away are begging for your dog to chew on them.

Table of Contents

The Basic Lawn Dog Necessities

Backyard dog basics can be a little more in-depth than just providing food, water, toys, and a climate-friendly place to stay out of the elements.

Here are some tips for saving your lawn when the dog gets bored and has been left outside to their own devices. For anyone who has ever come home to the new garden hose shredded, siding eaten off the house, or a new collection of holes that need to be filled. The first one is easy a garden hose reel is a quick fix. Be sure to also make sure that everything left outside has a home and gets put away at the end of the night. That included all the outdoor tools and don’t forget the kids’ toys.

Food and water
Dog House
Plenty of toys, bones, and other treats
Exercise

Dogs have a great imagination and trash cans contain loads of doggy ideas. If you have that trash can diving pooch be sure to keep your outdoor trash cans secured. Uhhh we never had this problem with our old dog, actually, when he was on a chain for a while and we left him in reach of the trash cans to keep other animals out of them. A bungee cord works great for keeping the trash can lids secured. A sturdy trash can hide is an even better idea and keeps the can and its contents out of sight.

Tips To Help The Lawn Chewing Dog

Keep everything put away
Hose reels are a life and money saver
Keep the trash picked up and trash cans secured

choose the right grass for your dog friendly lawn — Build hardscape paths to keep areas with high traffic from deteriorating and becoming an eyesore.

Dog-Friendly Grass Tips

Has your dog left your grass looking thin and terrible? Do you have yellow or brown patches in the lawn? Especially the brown spots caused by the dogs doing their business. Watering these spots helps to dilute the nitrogen that is being added to the soil. A pH test is a great idea in those areas. Spikes in the pH can be a quick fix in those areas by spraying them down with a simple water and vinegar mixture. A simple household spray bottle or hose attachment filled with vinegar will do the trick. It is best to hose down after your dog goes out first thing in the morning when their urine is most concentrated. Regularly water to dilute and spot treat the rest of the day is fine.

Choosing the correct grass type such as perennial ryegrass and turf fescue can make a big difference in the lawn’s ability to handle the traffic and pH changes. Artificial dog turf in your dog’s favorite spot may be worth the cost in certain situations.

dog prints in mud — choose the right type of grass for a more dog-friendly lawn

Best Type Of Grass For A Lawn With Dogs

Perennial Ryegrass is great for high-traffic areas and recovers quickly from the damage caused by urination. Perennial Rye is a 2 J’s & Sons favorite. Fescue grass is our 2nd favorite pick for dogs. Fescue is more drought tolerant which is great here in Northwest Arkansas. Fescue doesn’t have a problem growing in our poor soil.

Artificial Turf For A Dog Friendly Lawn

Artificial turf is a great option for dog owners. There are even types of artificial turf that were designed specifically with dogs in mind. It is very durable and washes off easily with a garden hose or power washer. Adding hardscaping like a native stone path or paver walkway in an area where the dogs like to walk the most can help add more texture and depth to a dog-friendly lawn.

Shrubs and ornamental grasses are also a great and hardy choice. Shrubs and tall grasses are more dog-friendly be sure to check to make sure that the species of plants you choose are safe for your dog first.

Dog Friendly Lawn Care Tips

Choose the Right Grass for the lawn. Perennial Ryegrass and Turf Fescue are great choices
Walkable Ground Cover Plants may hold up to heavy dog traffic better than some grass
Shrubs and Ornamental Grasses
Artificial Turf
Pathways and other Hardscapes
Water stressed lawn brown spots where your pets like to do their business
Dilute urine spots with a water and vinegar mixture

Dogscaping-plan your landscaping with your dog in mind. Hardscaping the paths your pet likes to walk will help save the grass.

Ultimate Dog Lawn Proofing

Fence off garden areas
Invest in a Kennel
Exercise
Toys
Food
Water
check soil pH
spot amend soil Ph
Choose the right type of grass for your lawn
secure garbage cans
keep toys and tools picked up
consider your dog when making landscaping choices

A dog-friendly landscape can be a chore and takes some ingenuity to create. The overall effort is worth it to keep ourselves, our lawns, and our dogs safe and happy. Studies show that about 30% of dogs that end up in animal shelters are given up because of destructive behavior. Your family dog and a healthy lawn can be a good fit.

Give us a call at 417-772-4181 to discuss turning your yard into a dog friendly outdoor space.