Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Small back yard Solutions

Hi Everyone
I have a small backyard that is grass and 1 labrador she is retired now, I'm looking to get a pup, asking for ideas on how to keep it easy to clean up I was thinking maybe gravel it. What ideas have you done to make this workable.

Shoot the pup.

Scoop.

I have a big yard, but I still scooped when my Lab was still around. Put it in Doggy Walk bags and into the trash. I tossed it in the wild rasberry patch I allow to grow for the birds, but the trash works too, just like in parks.

Fine or pea gravel should work. Or course sand, tho that might track in too badly.

I have a lawn, 2 dogs, and hundreds of acres of woods around. You know where the dogs go, unless on walks.

If I scoop the poop within an hour or so, it doesn't do more than turn the grass deep green there. Much longer and it is a kill spot. At least with the 45 lb spayed female Lab-mix. The 8 lb male Dachsund pup has more time leeway, probably due to volume. Or hormones

I keep a small shovel (clam) and a plastic bag from 30 Lb water softener salt out there, so it only takes a minute or less. The bag of poop gets disposed of with other trash at need, when we go to the transfer station (big dumpsters that when filled, get taken to the land fill) every week or so.

I have not found that pee spots (dogs or mine) do more than introduce nitrogen (again deepening the green) without killing the grass. The lawn between dogs was a nice even green for 2 years - back to being mottled with dark spots, and a few kill spots.

By small, do you mean a typical town, suburb type yard? Our dogs prefer specific spots. If yours does too, maybe gravel or landscape those particular areas.

We have two miniature schnauzers. Pee just turns lawn a dark green. No kids in yard, so in the grass growing months, mulching mower does the trick. Winter time with no snow on the ground, frozen poop isn't much of an issue . Toss it in the trash like one does when walking the dogs.

Concrete and or pavers. Make sure whatever you do provide for drainage and grading before anything else. As well any underground work such as irrigation, electrical even if its just preplumbing or crossings for future projects.

As Dess said, start training the pup to go in one area from the start. All my Lab pups learned really quick that it was the spot that they were to use. Takes a little time but saves on having them use the WHOLE yard for a potty. My Bro-in-law has 3 Labs with NO training in any area and his whole yard is filled with land mines(yes, he is lazy about scooping)

Neighbors take their dogs on walks and use my yard
Our old female Heinz still roots like a bull. Keeping a manicured lawn and large dog dont go unless you have a dedicated run. I don't

The yard is 40 feet by 50 feet. and I scoop just thinking how much 1 dog goes now. Also I use quality dog chow the cheap brands go right through the dogs. I'm going to get a male lab and from past experience they use the same area.

40 x 50 feet ? Holy crap that's funny. Teach them to go in the neighbors yard, assuming they have one. I wouldn't even have a dog with a "yard" that small. Borders on animal cruelty.

It is my experience that it is not the poop that burns the grass (unless you leave it too long).

It's dog urine (especially females) that burns grass.

Look it up. They even recommend you give your female a bit of ketchup in their water.

Science, man.

Feed the best high protein food that you can find, and keep the dog at the low end of healthy weight.

That eliminates about half the volume of poop right from the start.

Male dog's urine will often 'burn' desired landscape shrubbery and flowers (if any) as well, usually eventually killing sections of a plant urinated on most frequently.

Kidding right? My yard in the back is about double that. With the 6ft vinyl fence I can shoot my bow 25 yards, my air rifle and teach my lab basic obedience and hand signals. 40x50 isn’t bad, how many serious dog owners have kennels outside anyway and take the dogs elsewhere for serious training.

My next dog will be a setter and I’m putting in a kennel for the days I have to leave her.

Gravel and lawn mowers - always a bad idea. Now and for years to come. I just scooped as needed. Pick a nice day - not that big of a deal.

Never had a problem with brown spots from males or females. But used Nutrasoft pelletized gypsum. Internet experts say that doesn't work. Honestly I don't know, but no brown spots.

get a bigger back yard.............

jeezly crow,

first world problem. Seems that yard should be plenty big enough for two dogs. Getting out and picking up after them every day or two isn't that big of a chore. If you don't like bagging and tossing it, get a Doggie Dooley septic deal, assuming your yard has enough percolation/drainage.

Enjoy the new dog, don't worry about the lawn, after all, it's just grass. You can always buy seed, or do like I do every spring and allow some to go to seed. Yep, I'm cheap, and free grass seed floats my boat.

Geno

PS, My "lawn" will never be featured in Sunset Magazine.

No I'm not kidding. My back yard is about 1.5 acres and there's thousands of acres of woods behind that with a 20 acre horse pasture to the side between me and the neighbors. My dogs are never tied or fenced in. I wouldn't have dogs with what amounts to no place for them to run.

My labs shît in my mother in law's yard down the road

After they vacuum up all her feral cats' food.

Some [bleep] likes to drink beer and then take a piss behind the Weber.


Major dead spot.