# My yard - full of dirt, and little grass - Solutions?



## AdrianVall (Dec 16, 2009)

Hey guys,

I have a quick question. My backyard where I let my dogs play in is full of dirt. Whenever they go out there, there paws and coat get full of dirt. Then they come and track the dirt in the house. DRIVES ME NUTS!!

So, with that said.. what would you suggest for my situation? I've contemplated just laying out some type of mulch threw the whole yard, or wood chips, possibly even sand!! LOL. 

I just don't know what to do. I own the house, so I can pretty much do whatever I want.. I'm just not sure what would look best, and be more effecient (less messy!). 

Any suggestions would be fabulous!

Adrian


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## dixieland (Aug 14, 2009)

Hmmmm.Do they have run of the full backyard or just certain parts?I think I read somewhere before that if a dog ingests mulch it's not good for them.But I could be wrong.Sand may be your best bet.That's what's in my backyard right now and it's way easier to take care of it getting tracked in then dirt.


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## Indigo Bully Connection (Dec 21, 2006)

I guess grass seed is out of the question huh? Astro turf in a sectioned off area would be nice. IDK I like green when i look out in my back yard. I seeded a yard once, after filling the holes that the dogs dug with cinder blocks and dirt, I seeded... haven't had a sparse back yard problem sense... but that doesn't mean all dogs are the same... have you considered concrete surfaces... minimal tracking in, hose it down/pressure wash, but at the same time the concrete is hard on the dogs over an extended period of time. Rocks might be sucky to walk on for yourself...


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## GTR (Mar 5, 2010)

They have that special "dog turf" stuff,but I bet it is expensive... :/


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## beccaboo (Dec 27, 2009)

get rid of ur dogs.  JOKING!!!! gosh. be glad u don't live up here. put the dogs out ten minutes yesterday while i was gettin ready n it started rainin. their paws where so dirty i coudln't see the white feets. had to carry them thru the house to the garage one by one to kennel them til i got home to finish cleanin em up. i dunno about sand bein any easier to clean. i imagine it would get tracked into the house the same way... if i had bark in the lawn they would just lay down all day and chew on it... not sure i actually have any solutions for you except the first month i lived here i got really good at givin the dogs quick little foot baths cuz that was pretty much all that got dirty... i'll keep an eye on this thread to see if anybody else has any good ideas


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## dixieland (Aug 14, 2009)

Indigo Bully Connection said:


> I guess grass seed is out of the question huh? Astro turf in a sectioned off area would be nice. IDK I like green when i look out in my back yard. I seeded a yard once, after filling the holes that the dogs dug with cinder blocks and dirt, I seeded... haven't had a sparse back yard problem sense... but that doesn't mean all dogs are the same... have you considered concrete surfaces... minimal tracking in, hose it down/pressure wash, but at the same time the concrete is hard on the dogs over an extended period of time. Rocks might be sucky to walk on for yourself...


I left the front yard and the back half of the backyard for grass.The rest of the area where they mostly play is sand.I tried grass seed there too.It did alright for a little bit,then just died away from them always playing on it.


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## dixieland (Aug 14, 2009)

beccaboo said:


> get rid of ur dogs.  JOKING!!!! gosh. be glad u don't live up here. put the dogs out ten minutes yesterday while i was gettin ready n it started rainin. their paws where so dirty i coudln't see the white feets. had to carry them thru the house to the garage one by one to kennel them til i got home to finish cleanin em up. i dunno about sand bein any easier to clean. i imagine it would get tracked into the house the same way... if i had bark in the lawn they would just lay down all day and chew on it... not sure i actually have any solutions for you except the first month i lived here i got really good at givin the dogs quick little foot baths cuz that was pretty much all that got dirty... i'll keep an eye on this thread to see if anybody else has any good ideas


Our other house had dirt.Trust me,sand is way easier to keep stuff clean.Dirt they track in and make dirty little pawprints.Sand mostly falls off of them before they get in and doesn't stain the floor the same way


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

mulch will eventually turn to dirt, and if all wood, will bring you nasty insects.

dixielands sounds pretty doable, sand is cheap, as well.

how about a giant hamster wheel?









hardy, traffic tolerant grass would be nice, but it takes weeks to set in and within a few years youll have plenty of patches.

in the winter i let mine run amock, but now that its growing season they have their disposal spots and thats all its used for. i take them out for long walks and runs almost every day.

can wait to get me some acres.
im done with the city.


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

ps ive lerned to live with a little dirt in the house, my house is doggy proof now, no carpet, just wood, tiles and only with vinegar and water, or else id be poisoning myself every other day.


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## cEElint (Oct 6, 2009)

spread grass seed and water a lot.. you'll get a nice turf before you know it.. might need to rototill first though


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## cEElint (Oct 6, 2009)

NinaThePitbull said:


> ps ive lerned to live with a little dirt in the house, my house is doggy proof now, no carpet, just wood, tiles and only with vinegar and water, or else id be poisoning myself every other day.


werd... i have wood laminate through out the house except bedrooms.. vinegar and water is what i use too


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

cEElint said:


> werd... i have wood laminate through out the house except bedrooms.. vinegar and water is what i use too


best thing in the world. vinegar and baking soda, or combination therof is almost all you need for all household cleaning. keep bleach handy for the super mean stuff, but other than that , thats all one really needs. and it wont poison you or your dog. i quickly rinse my dishes and spray them down with vinegar if i need to get back to them later on. i could go on and on, i got a million uses for the stuff. cleaning a crate, shiny coat plus insect repellant ( 80-90% water
clogged sink ( baking soda, vinegar combo) etc.etc.


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