Hardy Grass

[RedClayGardener]

Hello!
I have a 2 year old lab who is tearing up our lawn. She doesn't dig but we do play alot of frisbee with her and as she tries to catch the frisbee her claw rip up our "grass". I wrote "grass" because my DH and I could care less about grass and so our lawn is a combination of clover, grass and other groundcovers that I cant identify. Unfortunately now it also has big bald patches. Also we have a strip of lawn were she uses the bathroom that also needs a great deal of patching.

Does anyone have suggestion about a groundcover that is hardy enough to withstand a rambunctous puppy?

 

[patandchickens]

What you've got already is probably the most wear-tolerant option. You could overseed with a GOOD QUALITY (i.e. likely to be higher-end) high-traffic-area grass seed to try to thicken it up but I would not hold my breath.

One thing that can help a bit is to get the lawn in the best health possible... that may mean serious aerating and adding some compost or compost-and-sand, maybe a soil test to see where it stands nutrient-wise.

As for the pee spots, if you have ample water available, sluicing them of well a couple times a week will help disperse the nitrogen etc, and/or you could train her to 'go' in a designated area.

But, truthfully, a big dog running around a lot on a smallish area of lawn, especially with frequent stops and turns like when catching a frisbee, is real tough to expect lawn to hold up well, sorry

Good luck,

Pat

 

[RedClayGardener]

Thanks Pat! I will keep patching and try adding some compost. I think the best strategy is to just to make the whole yard a garden.