Dog-friendly alternatives to lawn

Hi,

My partner and I have decided to take in a dog who is being rehomed, and he suffers with really bad itching when he comes into contact with freshly cut grass. My lawn also doesn't look very good during the winter time, because about half of it is in the shade and with the high foot traffic it turns quite muddy.

As such I decided to look at alternative options but thought to ask here about people's experiences as well.

• Artificial grass: I would never go for it personally. The idea of making something that looks like a live ecosystem out of plastic doesn't sit well with me. Plus there are other issues with it.
• Alternative plants: While the idea sounds perfect in theory, I'm not convinced that these will work very well in large areas, with high foot traffic, including during the winter... Though I would be very happy to be proven wrong.
• Bark chippings: These would be a very dog friendly solution. I'm not a big fan of the look however, unless we are talking about mulching a border. They would need replenishing as they break down. I tend to get chiggers in my garden and I fear that bark chippings would create an ideal habitat for them.
• Gravel/pebbles/cobbles: While obviously it's better for nature to use plants, at least these are not plastic, so they are already a better option than artificial grass. In order for them to be friendly for dog paws, they need to not have very sharp edges and be of a reasonable size e.g. this or this During the summer, if there isn't enough shade, they will get quite hot.

Right now this is where my head is at, though I do tend to change my mind a lot:

• Not be absolute about getting rid of all of the lawn-(if there is a sizeable area for the dog's toilet needs, I can stop him from going on the grass when it's freshly cut)
• Half of the lawn, the one which is in the shade (closest to the house) could be replaced with an area with pebbles.
  
• The area with the pebbles could have pockets of planting within it to make it more interesting.

Here is a photo of the garden (looking like a bit of a mess) and a (horrible) diagram of sorts Do you think it could work or am I being silly?

Thank you.

 

I think your pebbles idea in the second photo would work @CostasK. They would be easier for you and your dog to walk on than cobbles and solve your muddy lawn problem, provided the area does drain adequately. Keeping some grass would be better for your dog and any visiting birds feeding on worms. Definitely avoid artificial turf, it gets hot in summer, is not good for wildlife and needs maintaining as weeds can grow in it, plus it’s plastic . You’ll need to provide some sort of edging to contain the pebbles and lay a weed membrane underneath. Pebbles tend to stay in place better than gravel, even if you use gravel grids. With your intended planting areas it could look very good and be more practical as well as dog friendly.

 

Thank you! Yes, the only reason I included artificial grass in the list is that it is an option in general, but I would never go for it myself. I didn't want to sound too absolute because some people like it, but personally I despise it.

I am aware of the need for edging and weed suppressing membrane. I actually already have a small area/stripe setup like that (except with fine gravel and stepping stones) on the left of the patio, so I am familiar with the general process (albeit on a smaller scale).

Thank you also for the thoughts around pebbles vs cobbles. The options I am looking at are indeed mostly pebbles - I prefer the look of them as well. I did consider pea gravel as well, but if that's too small, it might be getting stuck in their paws I think (I say "they" because we already have another dog, who actually loves grass).