Kids+dogs+rain=trashed garden

flutterfairy

Tone&Jaynie wrote: »

Won't somebody please think of the children!!!!!!!!!!

There's always sensationalist nonsense that finds its way into the weaker minds of our species.

There's no such thing as a bad dog, only a bad owner

YOU DA MANNNNN!!!!! (or woman)

1_step_closer

I wondered onto this part of MSE forums by accident as my garden resembles a rugby pitch. Happily torn apart by 2 labs and 1 jack russel.

Now when I have a bit of money I will be putting lots of patio slabs and gravel down in a random pattern for the following reasons:

I won't have to mow the darn thing

It will look better

Still won't have to mow the darn thing

Dog poop will be easier to clean

Guess what! No mowing

Now as for the thread hijacking - a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and from what is reported in the papers things get blown out of all proportion. It is def the owners and irresponsible breeding. My labs are as soppy as anything but I always keep an eye on the jack russel as he can be a bit nippy. But the worst culprits are my 2 cats who will happily pick a fight with any dog in my street and frequently do.

And yes I was bitten twice when I was a child - and both times was my own stupid fault!!!

sall07

hi everyone
i just thought id give you my point of view about rotties i had a rottie for 7 years and she was the most wonderful friendly dog u ever met and my children where fine around her and she with them its not the breed of dog that matters its the life you give it ive known poodles bite but very raely a rott
sally

MissG_2

Just a quick post so i can get rid of it, i don't have the time at the minute to look at the previous posts so i will just post it. I went to crufts last weekend and i picked up a leaflet about artificial lawns with the website address on for you, it's www.artificiallawn.co.uk Hope it helps

helpMe_2-2

I think its the Rotties that do it! We moved to a new house just before Christmas with our new Rott puppy. The lawn before we came was beautiful. We are now thinking of separating the bricked patio from the grass. Where can I get good quality but cheap fencing!?

kickstart_3

Another option , which i have done for my dogs is divide my garden up . If yours is big enough would it not be cheaper to flag part for the dogs? easy to clean etc , and keep a lawned area for yourselves?

Grumpysally

How about sowing grass through plastic mesh / honeycombed plastic matting like they do in childrens play areas. we've got the same problem with our two pooches. One dog was fine ....two just wreck the place. Try here for a picture of what I mean and /or type 'hollow grass mats' into seach engine.

Grumpysally

sorry forgot to add link
http://www.grassmats.co.uk/?gclid=CNjO0s-28osCFSK4EAodgzOgOg

garry1974

Hay wrote: »

EXCUSE me?And you know that because????Oh hang on i know...you know that because the Sun newspaper says so right?:rolleyes:
I'll have you know my dogs are trained,attend classes,are insured,vaccinated,they are kept seperate from the kids unless supervised.We have fenced off areas so they can play seperately and safely.We have baby gates on the rooms and stairs and crates for the dogs too.The dogs are not fed near the kids,they don't have toys left out.Our dogs have been brought up with our kids and the dogs KNOW their place in our family...at the bottom~just like the kids respect our dogs space.Did you know that Staffies are called the "nanny dog" because they are so good with kids??Did you know they were second on the Kennel clubs list of dogs MOST suitable for family life??As for our Rottie she ADORES our children....the kids helpbrush them,wash them with us.They play in paddling pools together....they dressed them up at xmas for heavens sake.... WHY am I justifying myself to you?I get enough sheer ignorance on the street from people who think they "know" about dogs:mad: It drives me bloody nuts to have anyone think I'd risk my children in any way.I'm a 31 year old married woman who has spent her life around big dogs....bllleuuurrrghhhh !!!
Blimey I came on here looking for advice on GRASS not my dogs.:mad:

i know what your saying ive got two dogs a springer collie cross 7 years old and a year and a half old rhodesian ridgeback. weve had people shielding there kids/picking up there small dogs when we appraoch with our dogs mainly because of the ridgeback. who normally is walking along side our 5 year old daughter . all the stuff in the press has really affected how we feel people look and react to our dogs. what we find funny is that they are more scarred of the ridgeback but its the collie cross who is a grumpy !!!! and likley to have a go at there dogs etc.
but on the staffie argument recently weve had two try and attack our ridgeback who is so dopey and i would say almost backward in his response to an agressive dog.i did laugh at one owner who came running over to get his dog on the lead in fear that our ridgeback might have a go back. really made us laugh because he couldnt have been further from the truth.

anyway back to the garden issue. we have an area of the garden fenced of as the kids play area they have a play house/ slide /table and there own planters in there. we firstly tried play bark in that area but the cats liked to !!!! all in it. so recently turfed the area and its alot better. as for the rest of the garden we have a mix of gravelled paths and grass.
each spring im out with bags of dirt and grass seed repairing all the holes and dead areas of grass that the dogs have either dug up or ruined by playing chase around the garden.i see it as something i have to do but i am rewarded more by having cuddles and kisses from my dogs.