# Somethnig for the dog...



## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

Well, I have a dog and it's been an outside dog for the most part but comes in now and then, however if we leave her out she poops all over the lawn and it's a mess, we plan on sectioning off a portion of the lawn and laying down something (concrete? pavers? no clue!) so that it won't be too much of a problem to clean up, something that you can preferably take a hose to and not have to worry about.

The area I have is going to be about 20' x 14', so it's not that big of a problem, but I have a few questions.

Would it even be possible for me to do this myself? (Setting concrete down in an area of that size)

What would the cost be, and what would be a (if there is) more economical solution? This is pretty temporary, the house isn't great, it's my grandfathers, and he plans on eventually having it sold, it's not worth fixing, too many problems.

I've read about things you can just lay down like mats, but I'm not sure if they'd have anything that huge or if a dog would have at it, how it would do outside, and whatnot. Most of my cousins who have dogs had concrete put down, and it's aged nicely...


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

you could get the mats like they use in horse stables, but they're pricey. orrrrr, stake a cheap tarp down and hope she doesn't tear it to pieces the first day! mine likes to dig, (husky-shepard mix... a Shepski!) she's getting better, but still has times when..... grrrrr
i'd like to concrete the whole area but it's kinda dumb since by spring i should be able to just let her out on her own.

DM


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

I guess I could try the tarp...

I was considering something like those grass pavers, but they seem to be just as much work...

I was hoping I could get away with getting free pallets (just about every store here gives them away, already water-treated) and then stack bricks or something on top, or just use them as is...

It's mostly a temporary solution, when she's outside (mostly an outside dog, a lot of allergic family members so we're trying to shift her to get used to being able to stay outside for 2 weeks if needed, although most of the year she will be inside) [She's a Labrador, I know she's a social dog, but it's not like I have the money to buy up a ranch and set her up with her own house or something, and even if I did not in a week :/

I looked at those horsemats and they're cheaper than the other options, but still a bit close...
Concrete will cost $1,560 for concrete mix alone if bought in 60lb bags here at Home Depot.
If I drive all the way to Lowe's and buy it in 80 lb bags it'll be about $760 (Lowe's is far though, and according to the estimates I'd need about 175 bags of the concrete mix, seems fishy to me, but what do I know?)

By the way, the enclosure we're looking to put her in is a 21' x 14' area, we're going to gate it off. I'm wondering if it would be cheaper to just gate her off for now and worry about the flooring later?

I realize that no matter what I do the grass will be gone, I'd prefer (greatly) to have something so that she doesn't crap dog poo in the house, and so that I can actually 'tell' where it is, but heh...


--
Okay, so I have no idea on the pricing of the "Clean Kennel"/"Grassy Pavers", but they seem like they'd make a good choice. Installation wouldn't be as tough as concrete (or so it seems!), and it seems better overall, as I could fill it with what I please, plus I could take ti apart and move it later if I decide to move her to another part of the yard... :S

Since they don't have prices, and when calling no one picked up I have no idea on a price, but if it's cheaper I'm probably going to try and score some of it, but I'll have to look around at some reviews and takes on it. :/

[Edit] I feel like such an idiot in regards to the title. My keyboard at work sucks, but seriously, a typo there can't be fixed :[


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

please consider making her a nice warm and cozy doghouse. 
and yes, you'll lose the grass either way. but it grows back..... and if you're selling soon, 
not everyone is going to want to dig up 175 bags of 'crete! lol

DM


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

oh, and if she's anything like my shepski, she won't walk in her own poop and track it into the house, she'll most likely pick one area and use that only.

DM


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

Well, she doesn't step in it a lot, but she's quite awkward with her pooping habits, most animals poop in corners, she just poops wherever the heck she feels like it :| Even when enclosed in small areas... :S

Yea, I had thought of the concrete being picked up being a problem for potential buyers, it would be annoying that we'd spend over a thousand bucks for something and get a year out of it.

I've been looking through stuff like "Modular flooring options" http://www.optionspluskennels.com/kennelflooring.htm here, and they seem to be just about the price of, if not a little cheaper than other options...
To make things easier we're deciding to do about half of it, so we're going to do something more like 14'x10', would end up being about 630 bucks give or take. About a hundred cheaper than the other options.

_By the way, I'm looking more for price than for efficiency_. Trying to find something that I can pretty much wash off with a hose or something, we don't have fleas in our backyard, but we have a ton of friggin' spiders. My dog's on the heartworm pills either way, but I guess anything that's anti-insect is good (imo)


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Would'nt a shovel be cheaper? About $12:laughing:


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## DUDE! (May 3, 2008)

ChrisN, has the right idea, I rake my dog's (2) pen and pick up with a shovel, actually, a dustpan works better. I'm not sure if you ever tried to get rid of dog stuff with a garden hose but I'm guessing its not going to work well. You'll just move the pile, not dissolve it. If you want to control the area, use a lead or fence in an area. As for just going in a certain spot, dog's not going in same spot if that spot is still "taken". Your biggest chore is going to be to pick up the stuff, one way or the other.


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

In that case, I'll probably go ahead and just fence in the area and clean it up weekly.

Thanks for the help everyone. :]


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

In that case, I'll probably go ahead and just fence in the area and clean it up weekly.

That is what I do,not that big a job.


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

I did just find something that peaked my interest, but I probably won't bother.

They are these smaller concrete slabs pre-cut into squares, I could somewhat level the land, and push those there and put mortar in between, still seems like more than it's worth, so I'm gonna stay with the fence/gate...


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## brokenknee (Dec 13, 2008)

Pyrofyr said:


> I did just find something that peaked my interest, but I probably won't bother.
> 
> They are these smaller concrete slabs pre-cut into squares, I could somewhat level the land, and push those there and put mortar in between, still seems like more than it's worth, so I'm gonna stay with the fence/gate...


Are you talking patio pavers? To do that correctly it would be more work than the concrete, IMHO. You need to dig out the topsoil, put down 2 to 4 inches of gravel, compact it down, add 2 inches of sand and level. You do not put concrete/mortar between the pavers, just butt up tight to each other and fill with sand to lock the pavers in place. You also need to use a border on the perimeter to keep those pavers in place.

If you do concrete i would not try to mix that much on my own. By the time you rent a mixer and buy the ready mix, the cost will be pretty close to what you would pay to have it delivered ready to go. Just make sure you have your forms ready and a few Buddy's to help you out.

As far as resale of the property, try designing the kennel in such a way that the next owners could use it as a patio if they do not want a kennel.

All that being said, dogs are a lot of work. My wife owns two, a daschund and a lab/Sheppard/? mix. They are her dogs, I do not want the work of cleaning up after them, feeding them, bringing them to the vet and all the other things that go along with caring for a dog. She is very good with them and has trained them well. The daschund she has had 12 plus years and has only had three accidents in the house and that is when he was a puppy. The lab/Shepard/? mix she has only had for six months and so far she has only had one accident in the house.

Yes you must pick up after them even outside. Dogs are creatures of habit and usually tend to go in the same spot in the yard. They will not however stand in their own feces unless they have no other option, so they go to a new location.

Washing the kennel down with a garden hose would only be done after the feces are picked up, unless of course you want a really messy, STINKY slurry that you can run through a manure spreader.

Good luck on whatever you decide.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

again, please consider....
http://www.freeww.com/doghouses.html
http://www.woodzone.com/plans/doghouse/doghouse_plans.htm
http://all-about-dog-houses.com/docs/free-dog-house-plans.htm
and tons more out there!

DM


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## brokenknee (Dec 13, 2008)

DangerMouse said:


> again, please consider....
> http://www.freeww.com/doghouses.html
> http://www.woodzone.com/plans/doghouse/doghouse_plans.htm
> http://all-about-dog-houses.com/docs/free-dog-house-plans.htm
> ...


 
Couldn't agree more. If you are going to keep your dog outside it must have proper shelter (Dog House). They must have a place were they can stay warm, get out of the sun, wind and rain.

Please do not build a kennel, put your dog in there and then forget about them.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

there was a dog up the road from us a few years back...on a chain run all day. (at least it had a doghouse.) one day as i drove by, the poor thing had it's bowl in it's mouth looking at me drive by. broke my heart. the next time i drove by, well..... you know.

DM


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## Mike Swearingen (Mar 15, 2005)

I have a German Shepherd that lives in the house (my wife's "big baby").
We have one of the exterior door areas fenced off with those 6' high X 10' long portable, light weight aluminum tube frame and aluminum chain link fence sections.
This enclosure (one side is the house itself and the other three are the fencing with two side gates) cost about $300 and I put it up myself in short order. It just clamps together with clamps and bolts that come with it. Very easy one-person installation.
The enclosure is 20' X 20'. It originally had grass, but I eventually killed it out and have pine straw scattered over the ground that I refresh from time to time as needed. I usually shovel it out daily over the fence into an bushy area outside of it where no one ever goes. 
You can get "roof" framing for tarps over it (ours is under shade trees most of the day) and there is 6' X 14" deck for shade too. A dog outdoors needs lots of water and shade in hot weather and a warm doghouse in the winter.
Works for me.
I hate to see dogs abused. I now have an adopted little female "mutt" about a mile down the road. It was a puppy dumped near a couple of migrant labor houses last Spring, and survived on migrant garbage until almost Thanksgiving when they all left the farm until next Spring, leaving her stranded with no food or water. On top of that, she was pregnant. I started feeding and watering her a couple of days after the last of them left. She had her puppies a week ago on Dec. 7 back in an old locked-up barn (she can get under the big doors...I can't). 
She's got every strike against her on the planet, but I can't let her and her pups starve. She not much more than a pup herself. I think that the farm owner has the dog warden after her in any case, tho, but he knows that I'm feeding her. We'll see. So it goes.
Mike


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

Woah, woah, woah.

I do NOT plan on forgetting about my dog, that's one of the things I hate. This is something for when family that's allergic to dogs comes down. If there's one thing that I hate it's peoples attitude that they can just get rid of an animal that they chose as part of their family so carelessly. Most of the time my dog will sleep with me, but for the few weeks out of a year that family comes down, she needs somewhere to sleep. Not to mention I live in Miami, so during hurricane season whether some family is here or not, she will be sleeping inside.

Story of how I got my dog is similar to the above person's actually. She was one of the pups from a litter of the careless neighbors across the street, she's a pure breed lab, and her and her brothers and sisters were feeding off of garbage for a few weeks, we called animal control to pick them up, but they kept telling us that they'd have to wait, at one point one of them (ours) finally came into our yard, away from the others, so we took her up. The other ones wouldn't leave their mother, and it was in someone else's yard so we'd be trespassing, we're hoping they went to a good shelter, as I've heard a lot of them will just put the dogs to sleep but -sigh-...

In any case, I digress, I don't plan on leaving her outside. At the moment I only have one family member that's actually scared of dogs and her mother comes like once in a blue moon, and besides that only a few that are allergic to dogs and they all live in New Jersey, so they only come down for the holidays. The fence is not meant to be a dwelling for her, it's meant so that when she goes outside, and she's pooping everywhere it's in a more confined area that I can go ahead and clean up without spending 2 hours walking around the backyard to do. It doesn't help that we have tons of poisonous spiders around here, so when you walk around you have to be careful and you have to also make sure to smack down any webs as to avoid walking into them...


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

both our dogs were 'throwaways' too, i wouldn't have it any other way.

"c'mon you stupid cat, PLAY with me!"

DM


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## TazinCR (Jun 23, 2008)

Go to Walmart and get a pooper scooper, a bucket with a plastic bad and do poop patrol everyday. No mess put the bag in the trash once twice a week.
We have 11 dogs and it works great if you do it daily.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10324374


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

Problem with doing it daily is that I do fulltime college and part time work.

Mondays: School/work 7AM~3PM
Tuesdays: 10AM~7PM
Wednesdays 7AM~7PM
Thursdays: 10AM~7PM
Friday: 7AM~7PM

Toss in time spent with my family, and time playing with her, and there isn't really much time to pick it up daily, if I pick it up on like Monday, Thursdays, and weekends it shouldn't be too big of a deal, but if she has the whole backyard, and since everyone else in the house pretty much refuses to do it, going back there daily, dealing with spiders, while cleaning up poop, can be quite a bad thing. It doesn't help that I get nauseous if I handle poop in the mornin'

EDIT: I've seen those pooper scoopers before in a few stores, they seem pretty cool, do they work good? The design seemed cool, but it looked kinda... weak.


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## DUDE! (May 3, 2008)

we put up a kennel that connects to one of the back doors, the only time one of the dogs slept under the stars is when he took off for seven weeks, long story, anyway, the kennel is two fold, one to give the dogs a safe outside area, the other is to of course keep the droppings in a contained area, no spiders but hate like heck to miss one and only find it when you are mowing the lawn. As I said earlier, I rake the pen then use a dustpan and trowel to pick up to put in a garbage bag, with two its tough to pick up at drop off time, and still do your regular daily routine. Also because of one of the dogs nature, I stopped using a lead out in the yard, made me nervous he would somehow break it and take off and say hello to some unsuspecting passer by.


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## TazinCR (Jun 23, 2008)

If you think you don't like going back there think about the dog they don't like it either. The pooper scooper works great and ours with 11 dogs lasts a bout 6-8 months. Time will take about 5 min. if you do it daily or less. Make the family do it. It is part of having a pet.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

With just one dog,once a week is plenty,11 dogs,daily would be a necessity!:laughing:


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

The problem is that my brother is only 5, and he's pretty clumsy, so besides that there's only my mom and she refuses to do it.

If we all did it together I'm sure it could be done in under 10 minutes, but everyone else entirely refuses, and to be honest I don't like it either but it looks like I'm gonna be the one to have to do it.

I'm gonna see if I go pick a pooper scooper up today, like the one in the picture earlier, and head back there with a big garbage bag. Hopefully once a week will be enough, but I gotta go find a good enclosure as well, since walking the whole yard looking for poop just makes the whole process longer.

--
I've seen these weird things that are like grass and you set them in a thing (that they come with) similar to a sandbox, that the dogs are supposed to poop in to make it easier to clean up. Anyone use these and note any success? I've also seen 'dog litter' (similar to kitty litter) but that seems like it would probably not work too! D=

I mean I've seen people buy them, but most people I saw were doing it for the first time, so I've yet to be able to run into someone who's had success with it, and ask them how they did it.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

maybe bury a garbage can to the rim and make a doggie compost pot? the lid should keep the smell in and just rake the poop in?
a steel one with a liner should be strong enough should the dog walk on it. 

DM


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

Ah, thanks, that reminds me...

I'm guessing anything with a lid should work though, but he said for the one he has in order for it to work he has to fill it with water and some crap so that it properly composts...


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## Kap (Jun 20, 2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq6_mQbQpRg


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

That's simply horrible. Just like I'd never want a colonoscopy and to be left with a "Poop sack" I'd never want a dog to do have to. Honestly...


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## creek1369 (Dec 16, 2008)

*You should clean it up*

Dont use pavers,lotta work,like the one fella said,use white rubber roofing,not black,you'll burn her paws off,to cover 2/3 of the area,but give her some natural surface.With the money you save,you can build/buy a doghouse.Rubber about 75$,pavers 500$,cement 1200$,A warm doghouse...PRICELESS!!


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

Not sure I catch your drift. Use rubber roofing as a floor? Or just give her a roof area out of rubber, fencer her in, and leave the grass?

I guess a roof would be a pretty smart idea. The area I had in mind rarely gets any sun, we used to use it to grow stuff but the only thing that would grow really were tomatoes, because the walls were pretty tall. (I know dog poop = no more growing, don't plan on planting there anymore).


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## 4just1don (Jun 13, 2008)

my calculator says you may need about 4 yards if you go 4" thick (plus thicker edges)which would be plenty. HERE, its about $80 a yard,,so about a 320 dollar bill will do it right,,for goodness sakes go rediimix,,,not mix your own,,,your arms wont last that long,,and the first will be dry before you get last mixed. We USED to mix all our crete that way,,but thank goodness no more. 

you could make a little runway to scrape to,,and then flat bottomed to scoop up into. Washing to a slurry will be a stinking mess the neighbors wll be calling the cops for!! and yes buy the chain link fence panels and make sure they cant push out bottom or dig out. Dog police get expensive. check craigs list for panels AND a dog house,,take your time,,you can find cheap ones. Dogs ae harder to raise than kids,,,kids grow up and get potty trained,dogs dont


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Dogs ae harder to raise than kids,,,kids grow up and get potty trained,dogs dont

Cost more too!:laughing:


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## Kap (Jun 20, 2008)

But when your kid develops a bad temper, you can always take it out back and shoot it.


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## TileAndTimber (Dec 22, 2008)

We have used DuraGrid interlocking tiles. www.duragrid.com
I have sold these for kennel use, locker rooms and showers. Very durable, easy to install and reletively inexpensive.
They are also useable somewhere else in the future, when you come up with a more permanant solution to this problem
good luck,
Kurt
http://www.tileandtimber.com


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## Greytguy (Nov 18, 2008)

I'm convinced that there is NO solution when you have multiple, active dogs. We have seven retired racing greyhounds. They have access to a 1/4 acre fenced area on our property through a dog door and have turned that area into a big cratered, mud pit. I pooper-scoop the area periodically, but I won't bother resodding it until I go to sell the place- it would just be a waste of $.


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## Pyrofyr (Dec 12, 2008)

Talked to my uncle who is quite up to speed on this kind of stuff, and he showed me the nice and cheap cement pavers from Home Depot. About 3 bucks a pop, only need around 150 of 'em, overall after all the ground I spend about 500, and toss another 200 at the fence. 700 is a hell of a lot better than the 3,000 or so it would cost to properly do the cement ground, and any other kind of paver or anything would suck.

For now I'm going to toss up a fence and allow her access to behind my 'casita'/'back-house' (It's a small-house used as a shed, but it's much bigger than a normal shed...') as it has cement behind it already.


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## junebuggy (Mar 24, 2009)

Hi,
In case anyone still looks in this thread, I wanted to mention a doggie dooley - it is a plastic thing that you dig into the ground, with a lid on it, that you dump the dog poop into and then pour water and enzymes weekly, and it works like a little septic system. I have been using it for approx 9 months and it is pretty easy to use a scooper and dump the poop in there. Does not stink and does not attract critters/insects as far as I can tell. 
It helps in two ways: makes it easier to dispose of poop (no baggies) and keeps the waste out of the landfill. I t also fertilizes the immediate area quite well, and the enzymes are safe. Also suggests to my dog where the "bathroom" area is in the yard, and he pretty much sticks around there.


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## TinyT (Mar 23, 2009)

I wouldn't use pavers if I were you. They are a ton of work to do properly. Also, if you are going to lay them over grass then you will kill the grass underneath. It is also not very comfortable for your dog to snooze on. I also agree with getting a dog house or else getting a tarp to put over a section of the kennel so that your pup can get out of the sun/rain. Your best best will probably be to just fence an area off or else pick up a kennel from Lowes or Menards. Then just clean up poop a couple times a week. I just use a shovel and bucket for our dog. Nothing fancy. Your dog will probably pick an area and use that as it's "pooping place."


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