Garden path and area for dogs to toilet

n1st

My plan is to build a small picket fence around the lawn and surround it with a gravel path. Then allocate and area of mulch for the dogs to toilet and train them somehow.

I've struggled with the 2 small dogs this winter in the back garden, they made a muck of it due to the bad weather over the christmas and as a result I fenced off most of the lawn and layed mulch on nearly all of the remainder. The mulch is now turning mucky.


Our garden is small enclosed garden, end of terrace house so the lawn is probably twice the size of an average semi ds.

Additionaly we have a newborn which will probably be on the lawn during the summer so we'd prefer to keep the dogs off the lawn as much as possible.

I'm about to implement a permanent solution but there are 3 things on my mind:

1.What kind of path is suited to the 2 dogs, which they wont dig and which is dry in bad weather?
2.Is there any way to create an area where they will toilet only?
3.Is there enough space for 2 dogs if I enclose the lawn?

My plan is to build a small picket fence around the lawn and surround it with a gravel path. Then allocate and area of mulch for the dogs to toilet and train them somehow.

kylith

Without knowing the size of your garden and your dogs it's impossible to say whether there'd be space for the dogs.

You can certainly train them to toilet in a certain area. Decide where you want them to go, bring them there and wait for them to go, then treat and praise. You'll have to take them until they cotton onto the fact that this is where they're to go. The good news is that dogs are creatures of habit and tend to mark in the same spot, you can even get a pee-post - a plastic spike you can stick in the ground; to us there's no smell, but to dogs it smells like other dogs have peed there and it'll stimulate them to mark over it. It mightn't help with poo, but again I find mine have two or three spots in the garden to go, so once you've established their toilet area they'd be likely to keep using it.

Knine

I just moved house too & I had concrete put down & proper dog run panels. This is the best option long term.

I have the lawn area free for the kids. I don't want dogs toileting in an area the kids play in.

n1st

kylith wrote: »

Without knowing the size of your garden and your dogs it's impossible to say whether there'd be space for the dogs.

The garden area in total is about 10m x 10m.
About 2m x 2m is under garden sheds.
Another 2m x 2m is patio paving.
The remaining 4m x 4m is lawn and I'm planning on enclosing this apart from a pathway around it.
Leaving only the patio 2m x 2m , the path around the lawn.

The dogs are small, mini schnauzers.

kylith wrote: »

You can certainly train them to toilet in a certain area. Decide where you want them to go, bring them there and wait for them to go, then treat and praise. You'll have to take them until they cotton onto the fact that this is where they're to go. The good news is that dogs are creatures of habit and tend to mark in the same spot, you can even get a pee-post - a plastic spike you can stick in the ground; to us there's no smell, but to dogs it smells like other dogs have peed there and it'll stimulate them to mark over it. It mightn't help with poo, but again I find mine have two or three spots in the garden to go, so once you've established their toilet area they'd be likely to keep using it.

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Sounds great.

kylith

Will they be kept in the garden during the day? I've heard from many people that their dog's don't do a lot in the garden unless they're there so being in a smallish are wouldn't make much of a difference to them as long as they get the opportunity to stretch their legs on their walk.

n1st

kylith wrote: »

Will they be kept in the garden during the day? I've heard from many people that their dog's don't do a lot in the garden unless they're there so being in a smallish are wouldn't make much of a difference to them as long as they get the opportunity to stretch their legs on their walk.

Yes in the garden all day, for the most part when weather is fair.
When weather is good they be in and out of the house as the doors are open.
When weather is bad they'll probably be indoors.
This time of year they're outside when its dry.