Previously along the fence was a mud path that my dog ran along with her arch nemesis being on the other side. Yesterday my boyfriend put a 70ft mulch bed along the fence in hopes it will help save my floors and sanity. Has anyone had any success with this? Also, feels like a crime leaving empty but I know anything I plant will likely be pummeled…but any ideas?
by gomez1608
17 Comments
Obedience classes
Could put some stepping stones there and maybe break it up with some potted plants if he would be able to leave those alone.
As someone with dogs, I think you are going to have issues with that mulch getting kicked all over the grass. What about putting a line of stepping stones down this? I think you could have them spaced apart in an aesthetic way. He may use those to springboard himself and run across, but you know your dog better. I think my guy actually likes running in our mulched beds for the effect of seeing the mulch fly up behind him so I can see just a pure mulched running area without stepping stones being a problem.
And for the person who says obedience classes, I think that’s not a necessary or helpful comment. Sometimes dogs are dogs in their own yards and they’ll get territorial before you have a chance to tell them to stop.
Def need obstacles large planters the dog will need to avoid. I believe rocks, mulch, dirt will go all over your grass. If boyfriend put a weed barrier under the mulch it may work to keep mud out of your house so doing Maint on that mulch won’t be too bad, considering.
As someone with a high energy Aussie that just had a new neighbor move in with a golden retriever toddler, the fence line (it’s a chain link ) had mulch…had being the definitive word. Now there’s a dirt path and I apologize to the neighbors once a week about all the kicked up mulch getting in their yard. The bushes and line wires for power lines (we have above ground) now exist as part of his agility “course.” Been thinking about maybe putting some 12×12 pavers down at least just along the fence, just to keep the mulch and mud down.
If anyone has suggestions, would love to hear them
Put in another fence on this side of the mulch path
They make a glue that keeps the mulch in place is pet safe and also still drains the same.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/PETRAMAX-1-Gal-Lockscape-Outdoor-Mulch-and-Rock-Glue-Ready-to-Use-for-Landscaping-100552561/336667813
I use wood chips for similar reasons/ cover up mud spots
Pavers
The mulch will be all over your yard soon, you need a solid path if you’re determined to have one.
Mulch glue might help keep everything in place if they kick any of it up. Shouldn’t hurt most plants either if you planted something.
Use mulch glue or it’s gonna get everywhere.
So from the picture it’s hard to gauge, but my fenced in back yard was completely empty except a 100 year old Cornus flordia (I know it seems crazy but the previous owner lives next door and her grandfather planted it, so we can confirm that age!) near the front and a beat up azalea in the back. I planted a litany of conifers and shrubs on the south side fence that borders the neighbors poorly behaved and aggressive dogs. I’d say that besides a few rhododendrons, everything else survived the trials of a 130 lb intact male Newfoundland. I think if you wanted to hedge things there, you could probably do it. I’ll list what I planted below.
A Norway spruce, an eastern hemlock, a Leyland cypress, an Arizona cypress, a white pine, 4 or 5 assorted arborvitae, a dawn redwood, a few sky pencil holly, a few shrub dogwoods, two hedged pussy willows, some viburnum, a half dozen winterberry, a cherry laurel, a few rhododendrons and a few grasses (mostly little bluestems). I have planted a bunch of other things in the same yard, but that is the bulk of what I planted the first two years as a hedge. 7 years in and several of the trees are right around 25 feet.
All you need is, a ball, a strong shoulder to throw mentioned ball and about 20 minutes of time per day. I have three of this breed. A tired Aussie is a happy dog.
Artificial grass
At a glance I thought that was a a COR-TEN fence and thought “Oh you *rich rich*!”
Look into vinyl mesh pool mats, or some other pool deck mats. It’s not a perfect solution but it might work for the future.