Acceptable mulch/landscaping for dogs

[Teresa]

Hi All,

I'm redoing my side yard, which is on a slope (walkout basement) and primarily used as the quick "potty-yard", or when I have to separate dogs. My guys don't spend much time outside (and never when I am not here), but on a nice cool day they like to be out.

I've had the coarse (recycled) cedar mulch for 6 years - I hated it. Besides the decomposing (expected), it blew everywhere in the wind, the dogs chew/eat it (too many large pieces), and it's *exactly* the color of dog poop! Makes avoiding/picking up a real chore.

Small gravel or rocks may not stay on the hill well (might do some short terracing), and I've been looking at the shredded rubber mulch. Stays put well, looks nice (not dog-poop colored), and not too heavy. Lg rocks would stay, but not as good a footing for the dogs, and sure don't want to have to move it!

If anyone has used the rubber mulch, or heard of anything negative in terms of using it around dogs - please let me know.

TIA,
Teresa

[moondog]

My only experience with the rubber mulch is its use as footing in a riding ring and it is great for that! Since it's non-absorbent it won't help with puddling (the ring had to have very specific drainage prep work in order to lay it down), but it stays put very well.

I've been toying with using pine straw in my side yard. I put cedar mulch/chips down and Chili doesn't bother eating it, but it really doesn't work as well as pine straw would, since the pine straw is heavier, it would stay put better and is very slow to decompose.

[nancyhq]

I have a hill. Nothing stays up well with the dogs running amuck! I started planting some strong short, shrubs that do well in my region. I read these plants are perfect for hills and they have been great. The dogs do trample them but they survive and keep the bark from falling. I worked with the dogs by making a path above the plants. I'm not sure if this will work for you so I would recomend terracing. I ended up terracing a steaper space for the dogs and using tiny gravel. The dogs like it and it's been easy for me to maintain with doggie waste and wind. I have a hard time with the bark blowing in the wind too. Good luck.

[Roscoe's dad]

One mulch you should not use is the cocoa bean shells.