Dog Run Surfaces & Maintenance

     Dog Run Surfaces  |  Surface Care 

Dog Run Surfaces

Wood/Bark Chips
Wood or bark chips should ideally be used to a depth of about 2 inches.  Wood/bark chips, it should be pointed out, can be home for some bugs that like to bore into soft wood, and can be a breeding ground for all kinds of germs, fleas, and ticks.  Wood/bark chips also absorb dog urine, and unless treated regularly, develop an unpleasant odor.

Pea Gravel
Pea gravel for dog runs should ideally be used to a depth of about 2 inches.  If it is much deeper, it will be difficult to walk or run on for both dogs and their owners.  There is a tendency to sink.  Much less than 2 inches, the surface becomes harder and there is a tendency for bare spots to form.  The bare spots then have to be covered over, usually by raking.  Pea gravel, like wood chips, provides spaces for bugs and fleas to hide.

Asphalt
Asphalt is too hot in summer and can possibly tear the pads of a dog's feet.

Earth/Dirt
Dusty during dry spells; mud after rain.

Rubber Padding & Clay Chips
Used in some children's playgrounds; they are both too expensive.

Grass
There are two problems with using grass in a dog run:

(1)  If the grass has short roots, the action of dogs running on the grass might pull it up in small tufts, leaving bare spots.  Choose long rooted grass or use chemicals/fertilizers that encourage longer/deeper root systems.
(2)  Dog urine and dog feces left to decompose place an excess of nitrogen compounds in the soil.  Most grass cannot handle this excess nitrogen.  The grass yellows, and then dies, leaving bare spots.  Entire dog runs that started out with beautiful grass have become barren dirt in one short season of dog urine spots.

Some problems with grass can be controlled or corrected with proper continuous care.

Concrete/Cement
Cement or concrete is easy to maintain, and most city dogs are used to it, as it is what they normally walk on in their daily outings.

Surface Care

Lime
Lime helps restore the run surface and helps kill or control bugs and fleas.  Lime should be applied approximately every 3 weeks to wood chips, pea gravel, grass, and dirt surfaces.  It is spread according to instructions on the package, then watered down several times a day for the next 36 hours, so it soaks into the surface.  The run should be closed while the lime soaks in.

For the safety of the dogs and people, we recommend applying lime on a Sunday evening, and reopening the run on Wednesday morning.  We also recommend warning run users about the liming so they can find alternative facilities for their canine companions.

Odor Elimination
At least once a month, an odor controlling substance should be used on the run.  Several runs use and recommend a product called Odormute.  It can be found in the mail order catalogs of dog and cat supply houses, or ordered in bulk directly from the manufacturer.  This product is a natural enzyme formula solution, and is harmless to dogs and people.  It is mixed with water in a spray can or bottle that attaches to a hose, and is easy to apply.

Healing or controlling grass damaged by dog urine and/or feces
There are products that claim they can heal or control dog waste damage to grass.  There are also grasses that naturally have deep root systems, as well as products that claim to promote deep grass roots.