Page 4 | Artificial grass….how to train dog not to toilet on it?

NewMeNewUs · 2024-04-04T19:44:10+00:00

We are having our garden renovated in a couple of weeks which included artificial grass being laid. the gardener has advised me to train the dog (1 year old Labrador) not to toilet on the fake grass, she can do it on the patio instead. my question is how do I teach this!? Many thanks

LordSnot · 05/04/2024 08:01

We went with the artificial grass and it's great. Have had it for about 10 years and it still looks lovely.

It never looks lovely.

Rosesanddaisies1 · 05/04/2024 08:02

Overthebow · 04/04/2024 21:05

You’re going to have wee and poo covered plastic in your garden that heats up the wee and poo in summer and you’ll have to spend all your time trying to clean it. Lovely.

This. Your poor neighbours. And poor dog.

K0OLA1D · 05/04/2024 08:02

saveforthat · 05/04/2024 07:58

OK then. I wouldn't fancy cleaning either up myself. Especially poo of the loose kind.

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Kettle and sorted. Easier than a proper lawn. I think because ours is built up rather than level with the rest of the garden helps as it all drains away.

ItalianBike · 05/04/2024 08:03

viktoria · 05/04/2024 07:59

We have a very small garden with relatively large raised flowerbeds around three sides. Initially we had a lawn. Covering about 3x4 meters. It was a nightmare. Always brown, muddy patches, constantly trying to re-sow grass (and not walking on that patch for that time, which meant we couldn't use the garden at all)
Our realistic options were decking, tiling or artificial grass.

We went with the artificial grass and it's great. Have had it for about 10 years and it still looks lovely.
We also have a dog - he loves finding a sunny spot to sit on there. And he wees on it - and it's only ever once been smelly when we didn't have rain for weeks.
Apart from that we never smell it.

The flowerbeds around it attract plenty of animals - my neighbour texted me a few weeks ago saying that there were parrots in our banana trees (we are in London). There are other birds - and frogs (no idea where they come from).

Sometimes our dog goes crazy when there is a fox visiting.

Some of Mumsnet loves being snobby and paint a picture of lazy uneducated fools who have nothing better to do than ruin the environment with carpeting their back gardens with plastic. (While potentially driving SUVs and flying away on holiday)

For us artificial grass has worked very well.
For everybody else who hates it - enjoy your lovely gardens!

Looks like we x posted.

Forgot to say we have raised beds which are bee friendly. I love our garden. Oh and yes to sunbathing hounds. Never gets too hot!

K0OLA1D · 05/04/2024 08:05

ItalianBike · 05/04/2024 08:03

Looks like we x posted.

Forgot to say we have raised beds which are bee friendly. I love our garden. Oh and yes to sunbathing hounds. Never gets too hot!

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Ours has never got too hot. For us and kids. All barefoot. We have a 10ft pool in the summer and all the neighbours kids come and use it, no mess or yellow patches where it's been.

Ours still looks fine years after being installed and we have no plan to get rid of it

viktoria · 05/04/2024 08:12

LordSnot · 05/04/2024 08:01

We went with the artificial grass and it's great. Have had it for about 10 years and it still looks lovely.

It never looks lovely.

... didn't have to wait long for a confirmation of the existence of the "snobby" Mumsnet fraction.
Feel honoured that it's by a Lord. Hahaha

Elebag · 05/04/2024 08:17

The answer is to not get dirty plastic grass.

JJathome · 05/04/2024 08:20

viktoria · 05/04/2024 08:12

... didn't have to wait long for a confirmation of the existence of the "snobby" Mumsnet fraction.
Feel honoured that it's by a Lord. Hahaha

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It’s not snobby not to like artificial grass. But if you think it’s snobby then it means you think artificial grass is low end. So maybe revealed more about your own thoughts than you wished.

artificial grass is very bad for the environment. It only ever looks good from a distance, up close and personal it looks plastic. Always.

and to have a situation where you want your dog to piss and shit on your patio is utterly grim. How anyone can think that’s a good idea is beyond me.

IndecentPropolis · 05/04/2024 08:20

I have fake grass.

It doesn’t stink at all. It’s got a proper base and drainage holes so as soon as it rains the wee is washed through. Just like with real grass. If there’s a dry spell we hose it. Just like real grass.

ETA - I remember now that it stunk FAR more in hot weather when it was just grass - the wee took ages to sink into hot earth.

It always seems odd to me that people get so angry about fake grass. Paving slabs wouldn’t attract wildlife or butterflies either but nobody would have a problem with that.

Tbh if you teach your dog to wee on the patio she’s going to get more wee on her feet which will then come in the house than if you just let her wee on the grass.

MaryFuckingFerguson · 05/04/2024 08:23

Just don’t get plastic
grass. It’s hideous. You’ll regret it.

SquashPenguin · 05/04/2024 08:23

At least in the summer it will be too hot for your dog to walk on anyway, so unlikely they’ll wee on it then.

Rest of the year you’re going to have a stinking garden.

Toomuchgoingon79 · 05/04/2024 08:24

When we had dogs they were walked 3 x a day and only evert pooed in the garden when they had an upset stomach. Weeing though- if they had to go they had to go!

They hunt for the best place to wee, so unless you fence it off (which you should do for the summer anyway as it gets to such a high temperature) you will have your dog weeing on it.

Hate the stuff so bad for all animals and the environment.

JJathome · 05/04/2024 08:24

IndecentPropolis · 05/04/2024 08:20

I have fake grass.

It doesn’t stink at all. It’s got a proper base and drainage holes so as soon as it rains the wee is washed through. Just like with real grass. If there’s a dry spell we hose it. Just like real grass.

ETA - I remember now that it stunk FAR more in hot weather when it was just grass - the wee took ages to sink into hot earth.

It always seems odd to me that people get so angry about fake grass. Paving slabs wouldn’t attract wildlife or butterflies either but nobody would have a problem with that.

Tbh if you teach your dog to wee on the patio she’s going to get more wee on her feet which will then come in the house than if you just let her wee on the grass.

Edited

How odd. Thay goes against all laws of science.

SquashPenguin · 05/04/2024 08:25

IndecentPropolis · 05/04/2024 08:20

I have fake grass.

It doesn’t stink at all. It’s got a proper base and drainage holes so as soon as it rains the wee is washed through. Just like with real grass. If there’s a dry spell we hose it. Just like real grass.

ETA - I remember now that it stunk FAR more in hot weather when it was just grass - the wee took ages to sink into hot earth.

It always seems odd to me that people get so angry about fake grass. Paving slabs wouldn’t attract wildlife or butterflies either but nobody would have a problem with that.

Tbh if you teach your dog to wee on the patio she’s going to get more wee on her feet which will then come in the house than if you just let her wee on the grass.

Edited

Paving slabs don’t degrade microplastics into the environment.

fieldsofbutterflies · 05/04/2024 08:27

Paving slabs wouldn’t attract wildlife or butterflies either but nobody would have a problem with that.

Paving slabs don't leak microplastics into the environment.

K0OLA1D · 05/04/2024 08:29

SquashPenguin · 05/04/2024 08:23

At least in the summer it will be too hot for your dog to walk on anyway, so unlikely they’ll wee on it then.

Rest of the year you’re going to have a stinking garden.

It probably won't be. As said. We've never had an issue.

FillyourPothole · 05/04/2024 08:30

Parrots and plastic grass

The epitome of wildlife and gardens gone wrong.

MrsMitford3 · 05/04/2024 08:37

I am absolutely astonished that people are still laying artificial lawns based on what we now know about them.

My neighbours have one and it is horrible.
Smelly, tatty and an eyesore up close. Tacky AF.

I can not imagine covering my garden in plastic.
It is an awful thing to do to the ecosystem and world.

Have a rethink @NewMeNewUs let your lovely dog go out and sniff the grass and have a snuffle to decide where to go naturally.

TinselSniffer · 05/04/2024 08:42

Apart from all the environmental reasons, my dh fell and scuffed his leg on artificial grass and ended up with a nasty infection that required antibiotics. The doctor at the hospital told him the stuff is notorious for harbouring bacteria.

otherwayup · 05/04/2024 08:44

I don't think op will be back.
I pity their neighbours - that hot dog shit fake grass smell is disgusting 🤢

K0OLA1D · 05/04/2024 08:45

otherwayup · 05/04/2024 08:44

I don't think op will be back.
I pity their neighbours - that hot dog shit fake grass smell is disgusting 🤢

People on here must live next to some really disgusting people.

I think if my neighbours had such a huge problem with our garden they'd not send their dc round to play, barefoot, on our grass 🤔

Labtastic · 05/04/2024 08:46

The Earth really is screwed. Imagine ripping up wildlife sustaining grass to lay a plastic carpet outside. It's insanity.

Crowgirl · 05/04/2024 08:47

Yorkshireknitter · 05/04/2024 06:54

If you fence off the AstroTurf the dog will end up going on the patio out if necessity, but I’d really think twice if you want dog wee on your patio. Our patio is fenced off and when we’ve had stuff going on in the garden that we needed to keep the dogs away from, like a boundary wall being replaced, we just kept them on the patio when they needed to go outside. Never again! A pool of urine on the patio is just disgusting! 🤢

So do really think if you actually want your dog using your patio as a regular loo. It won’t be a place you’d want to barbecue on or sit out on if you do.

Haha yeah minging fake grass or minging patio
Poor dog

Maneandfeathers · 05/04/2024 08:47

otherwayup · 05/04/2024 08:44

I don't think op will be back.
I pity their neighbours - that hot dog shit fake grass smell is disgusting 🤢

It really is rotten. We had a small patch in the side garden which is mostly paved but I fancied a bit of ‘green’. My female dog would occasionally wee on it when we had the gates shut to the real grass, maybe once or twice a week when it was raining.

Within a year it was stinking and that was with the odd use. It was also boiling in summer and disgusting when we jet washed it. We could smell it in the house through the patio doors.

Worst decision ever, Im glad we only had a tiny bit and not the whole thing!

I also have slabs which have never smelt.

Elebag · 05/04/2024 08:50

There was a lovely thread on here a year or so ago (in gardening?) where a poster replaced the grotty plastic and put fresh grass back down. I'm sure she had a dog.