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Original poster

I cannot cope anylonger with the mud.

34 replies

hercules1 · 19/01/2007 09:44

We have 2 dogs , one which is giant breed and my garden no longer exists. It is a mud pit and apart from a few patio slabs leads straight into the house and into the kitchen/dining room. We have mud everywhere in these rooms and cant let the dogs elsewhere in the house. THe mud goes on the cooker, work surfaces, everywhere. Constantly.

We've looked into doing various things to the garden but the only thing that I think would really deal with it is to patio the whole garden. My fear then is how easy it will be to resell in a couple of years time.

WHat do people do?

OP posts:
ItsMeMellowma · 19/01/2007 09:46

Mine is the same atm. I am hoping to put slabs down this year when weather is a bit nicer.

At the moment as soon as dog comes in she goes straight into her cage for 30 minutes until her feet dry off (well we try)

Kelly1978 · 19/01/2007 09:47

is it jsut on their feet? My mum's dogs have always been trained to wait at the end of the kitchen and she dries their paws off with a towel.

Original poster
hercules1 · 19/01/2007 09:50

The trouble is they are in and out all the time and the larger dog is the type who really needs to be in the garden lots. The wiping feet would be as bad as the towel situation would become a nightmare too. Hard enough to keep up with washing their bedding and I fear I am going to block my drains agian with the mud. ALready had a plumber out because of this.

Arfe you going tyo slab your whole garden?

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules1 · 19/01/2007 09:51

We had a crate in the dining room and did that for a while but it meant we couldnt have our table in their as the crate is the largest you can get. It was like living in a dog kennel and I had to change it back.

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules1 · 19/01/2007 09:51

Trouble is it's not just wet it is mud and lots of it.

OP posts:
Kelly1978 · 19/01/2007 09:52

my parents did pave their garden too, but then they haven't got kids to worry about. While we were still young they actually created a little paddocked lawn with rustic poles and paved the rest and the dog was taught not to go on the lawn. A lot of work though.

Original poster
hercules1 · 19/01/2007 09:54

We have about 3 grand to spend doing something. The kids cant use the garden as it is anyway.

OP posts:
Kelly1978 · 19/01/2007 09:56

mm, but it is also the work in training the dog not to go on the lawn. How old are the kids? DO they still need a lawn?

SisterOfSoapbox · 19/01/2007 09:57

hercules

I have two dogs one which is a puppy who is deaf so the garden is her only area of freedom without being on a lead. I had my entire garden slabbed last year for the same reason, couldn't stand the mud, apart from a small triangle which has forest bark in it and they use that as their toilet area.

Everyone loves it now, my friends kids have booked it for playing basketball and cricket in the summer, the dogs love having an even surface to play on with their toys, and I have a huge area to put out my patio set and lots of planters (that's hoping that the puppy doesn't dig them all up like she did before).

I think that it has enhanced the value of my house now as the garden is so much more versitile and easy to keep tidy!

HTH

winestein · 19/01/2007 10:05

If your giant breed needs to be out a lot, can you not leave him out for a set amount of time (weather dependant obvioulsy). I found my small breed appeared to need to be in the garden an awful lot, but then discovered it was only down to the thrill of getting me to open the doors for him. When I started just leaving him out there he started to not think it was such a great idea. If your giant breed needs to be out a lot, perhaps he will get used to being out for long periods of time rather than "in and out" IYSWIM. Then it may be just a couple of towel dries a day rather than constant.

(The best laid plans always go end-up though. Little sod slipped past me with something which looked like brown wellington boots on his feet but was obviously just accumulated mud).

Macdog · 19/01/2007 12:02

My dog has a kennel in garden with a run.
Kennel is shed bedded down with straw. Run is slabbed.
Straw is brilliant as it gets him clean and dry with minimal effort from me

CountessDracula · 19/01/2007 12:04

Could you fence off the grassy area and put a gate in so you can use it but not the dogs?

We have a small garden and we paved it all a couple of years ago for this very reason

MummyPenguin · 19/01/2007 12:15

This is interesting, as I've encountered similar problems. Our garden is like the surface of the moon, when my dogs used to go out there, they would tear round and round in circles chasing each other, hence the lawn being ripped up, and when it was wet it was all muddy, and they dragged it back through the house. I don't let my dogs in the garden, and haven't for a long time, perhaps in the Summer when the ground's harder and dryer, but otherwise not. We are having the lawn returfed this year, and the dogs won't go out there as I want it to be the DC's play space without the dogs crapping everywhere. For pees and poos I let them out the front, supervised, which is shingle, and we are fortunate to live opposite a large common and woods, so they get plenty of exercise on grass etc. I wanted the whole lot slabbed, but DH was very against due to the re-selling issue.

Wags · 19/01/2007 12:16

I would definately go with the idea of fencing of part of the garden for the dogs and paving it over. Do they use the garden as a form of excersise or are they just taking the P**s and just wanting to go out constantly to bark at the cats or whatever? Anyway you can put a gate up in the house so they can't get to the main part until they have dried off. Are they coated breeds? I really do sympathise with you. I have Dalmatians but they do dry off quickly so not so bad. In the winter they don't go out in the garden much, just a quick wee then back in but they get plenty of walks so they don't need the garden to burn off steam. Having said that they spend all summer out there when they can! Can you walk the legs off them to reduce the amount of time they want to go out? Sorry so many questions, just trying to think of something that might help. Poor you, I used to have horses as well so I also used to bring mud in, never mind the dogs. Gets on your nerves though after a while doesn't it.

Original poster
hercules1 · 19/01/2007 17:20

Thanks for the answers. Lots to think about. Ds is 11 so not a big deal and dd is 3 but we go out to the park everyday anyway so not depriving the kids of grass.

The giant dog is the sort who cannot stay outside as an outside dog but likes to be able to go outside and come in frequently. I dont want to risk keeping her out for long periods of time due to being semi detached and dont want her barking to annoy the neighbours.

The patio slabs we have now only take up a small part of the garden so not sufficient room for them.

We have to drive to take the dogs out as giant one cant be pavement walked or really lead walked at the moment. I have a front garden but too small to be practical to let them out there and not enclosed sufficiently.

i am considering paving one side and fencing it off so that they can have that and only go on the lawn when it is summer.

I would like to do if fairly cheaply as my plan was to spend the money buying a second hand caravan this year and may still be able to do this if enough money left over.

Anyone else solved a similar problem?

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules1 · 19/01/2007 17:21

Does the paving not get too hot in the summer?

OP posts:
nuttymum1 · 19/01/2007 17:31

our garden was like a jungle when i moved in with dp we have decking out the back door and down the side and the rest is shingle and we are getting a dog tonight infact she will be here soon! and ds can play on the decking in the summer it cost less than £800 to do ourselves

FioFio · 19/01/2007 17:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Booboobedoo · 19/01/2007 17:44

I know how you feel hercules, and I only have one small one.

tbh, she asks to go out alot (mainly to chase foxes), but I only let her out every few hours for a wee, and wait at the door with towel in hand. She gets two good walks a day in the park with lots of doggy-socialising.

Some dogs like the 'power' of being able to get you to open the door whenever they like. Do you think this could be the case with your large breed?

Original poster
hercules1 · 19/01/2007 17:51

No, she is still a puppy and this breed are known for being out in the garden but arent outside dogs to be kept out iykwim. If she doesnt go out she wees and poos inside...

My cocker has to be forced out.

OP posts:
CountessDracula · 19/01/2007 17:52

if the paving gets hot just hose (or watering can) it down

Booboobedoo · 19/01/2007 17:52

Poor you! It will get better when she gets older - promise

Original poster
hercules1 · 19/01/2007 17:57

Thanks

I think I might look into fencing off the patio area we have now that runs along the back of the house. Running the fence up a third of the garden so that they can still access grass if it is dry and we have a fenced off grassed area for ourselves free of poo and wee.

I worry that I am denying them space to play in the garden.

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules1 · 19/01/2007 20:40

Any more ideas?

OP posts:
Pixel · 19/01/2007 21:58

How about something like these , maybe in part of the garden? I think the grass grows through them so it still looks like you have a lawn but the dogs can't churn it up into a mudbath. I'm quite tempted to try them on our lawn (although we don't have a dog) because it gets very wet and is being ruined by us going to and fro the shed. In fact, it gets very patchy even if we don't walk on it despite our best efforts to drain it.

BTW I was trying to link to 'field and path mats' but for some reason it has gone to the home page so you'll have to click on it yourself.