what ground cover/grass best for poop spot?

[Breezy]

Greetings. I'm a newbie on the forum. I'm lookng for suggestions on what type of grasses or ground cover might be best for planting in the north east for an area where my pup will do her pooping. I'm concerned to encourage the best plants/grasses and discourage the digestive troublemakers. Any ideas? Where does one go to post a doodle picture? My 18 week old Persia is a beauty extraordinaire!

[lauren46]

you can post the picture right here. sorry i dont know anything about the grasses

[Jac]

Hi Breezy! Welcome!!
I am excited to see those pics of your beauty! Just go to the main menu of the forum, click on photos, then click on upload, select your photo and click on upload again. It should work, unless your pictures are oversized, then you would need to downsize them...but I think that there is a forum thread to explain how to do that. (I have never had to so I don't know.)
You are wise to plan ahead for a ground cover...and I am sorry but I don't know of a good one. We live in the mountains and have mostly dirt and bushes...and when we lived in the city we had only regular lawn.
When you do find something you like, please let me know...I am trying to think of what I can plant for my dogs too.

[SeattleDoodle]

My Dood likes lounging on the Blue Star Creeper in our backyard. We have an urban yard that consists of perennial beds and slate patio and NOT ONE blade of grass. (We are across the street from a city boulevard / park.) Quin's potty area is a 4' x 4' dirt area where I never got around to planting anything besides a Buddleia - no ground cover. But when he's done his business he goes over to where the lavender & rosemary are which is covered with Blue Star Creeper. I have been asking myself the same question - what to use as a ground cover where he "goes." I had thought maybe a vinca - but alas, highly toxic. Here's a site that I've been browsing: http://classygroundcovers.com/ Good luck!

[Breezy]

thanks for suggesting that site. I'm in NJ and I don't have any grass in my yard either. Someone has suggested it and I hurl at the thought. I'm not an expanse of green lawn person.

[gracielou]

I'm so glad to hear that someone else has this problem. Right now it is raining outside I just had Tejas Groomed on Friday for our Romp on Saturday he was beautiful well I took a picture of him last night that is totally not well groomed. Mud all around face and all the way up to the elbows. I would post right now but I've never figured out how to do it. I would like for you all to see him well groomed and muddy. Anyway back to the grass Please Please if someone has a good answer for this step in and give it I'm tired of sweeping and moping everytime my 4 dogs come in. We want to do the back yard but were wondering what to use it gets real hot here sometimes in the summer so Fescue grass is hard to keep alive I welcome any suggestions to this answer!!

[Jac]

Hey, I've even been so desparate as to consider artificial turf!

[keywee]

Where we live it is very hard to grow grass so we have pea rock/gravel in the areas where Sawyer goes potty. It is very easy to pick up poops and even if he digs there is not a whole lot of dirt. It is very sanitary if not as lush and pretty as grass. Some friends here grow Zoyza (sp?) grass (they do not have a dog) and they say it spreads like a weed. I don't know what the growing zone is for Zoyza but it feels like carpet on your feet!

[Jac]

Thanks Susana, I am going to try to find out about the Zoyza...pea gravel is good and a lot of kennels use it...but for those who have dogs that eat everything...be careful. My vet told me that he did surgery on a Lab once that had nearly 2 lbs of pea gravel in its stomach! Yikes!
I know that my dogs would eat it...they used to eat rocks from our yard when we were in the city...the previous owner spred those beautiful, smooth river rocks over the place for landscaping...my dogs ate them! *sigh*

[keywee]

That is astonishing that they can swallow rocks whole! I have a friend whose lab pup had to have rocks removed from her belly by the vet. Yikes!

Sawyer does the funniest thing where he scours the yard and finds the most unusual rock he can find (a smooth river rock, or a piece of coral, for instance) and brings it and drops it at my feet like a jewel. One time after we had some construction done on part of the house he brought me a piece of concrete! I think it is amazing that he distinguishes the textures and brings it to me as if to say "This one is special." And you would think, by how excited I get, that Sawyer just discovered a buried treasure!

[Jac]

Susana, that is so sweet! I can just imagine little Sawyer finding special rocks for you!
Every time I hear these amazing stories about our doods, I just sigh...they are such magnificent dogs!
Sawyer is very wise to recognize the differences, and to pay attention to your joy when he brings them to you.
Very sweet story!

[Cinsmom]

For a special potty spot, why don't you go to your local plant nursery? Most nurseries have an "expert" who could help you with your problem of a good ground cover for your area along with grasses that are heat/drought tollerant. There are some grasses that grow very slowly so as not to need much maintainance.

[Breezy]

I appreciate the suggestions. Now my sweetie is very interested in digging -- large hole/dirt on nose -- picturesque, but a nuisance. So I'm really looking for a fast growing idea. I'm just concerned lest something that causes diarrhea will proliferate.