Most dog owners would do just about anything to ensure the happiness and healthiness of their four-legged family members. However, always having your pet around can lead to some potential problems, especially when it comes to maintaining a pristine and curb appeal-worthy lawn.

Problems like digging, eating plants, and leaving waste strewn around are yard clean up problems most dog owners know all too well. Luckily, we have some helpful tips that can keep your yard looking great without ruining your pet’s outdoor time.

How to maintain a beautiful yard with a dog.

It all starts with training.

If you want to avoid the hassles of constantly cleaning up your yard with dogs, then the first thing you’ll want to do is reinforce good behaviors while training out the bad ones. The best way to implement that training varies by the dog. Many dogs are food-oriented, so you can offer them treats when they go potty in the spot you want. You can also use negative reinforcement, such as time-outs, taking away toys, or avoiding giving them attention, to prevent them from developing bad habits. You can use this strategy to prevent them from doing things like digging up the yard or eating your plants.

Use the right type of lawn seed.

Some strands of grass have natural characteristics that make them more resilient to having dogs running around them and can simplify your dog yard clean ups. Weaker and more delicate types of grass show dark urine spots or develop patches from urine more easily than others. If you want to keep yours looking its best, you should use damage-resistant grass, such as tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, or Bermudagrass. If you can get those to grow in your yard, it’ll minimize the amount of upkeep required by you.

Give your dog its own space.

If you’re worried about constant yard clean ups with dogs, then you could consider creating a separate space for yours to play in and go potty. You have numerous options for how to do this. You can create a separate fenced-in area that’s just for your dog to roam freely. Or, you can set up an outdoor dog house complete with outdoor toys to motivate your dog to stay in their area of the yard. While you may still run into some of the same issues, such as urine stains or dirt patches, this strategy will at least minimize the damage to one particular area.

Implement hardscapes.

Hardscape features, such as bricks, concrete, or stones, make yard clean up with dogs much simpler. Normal detriments to your yard, such as animal waste or excessive usage, won’t affect these hardscape features, and they’re much easier to clean if they do become messy. Plus, the right outdoor hardscape designs can make your outdoor living spaces more beautiful and potentially raise your property value.

Keep the lawn mowed.

This should be part of everyone’s normal yard clean up, dog or not. However, it’s more essential if you do have a four-legged friend running around. If they urinate on your grass while it’s long, more of the waste gets trapped in the grass. Eventually, it’ll spread to nearby swaths of grass and make the entire yard look browner and more patchy. If you keep it short, though, you can minimize the damage.

Don’t worry about yard clean ups with dogs again.

Here at Dog Butler LLC, our pooper scooper experts make lawn maintenance a breeze. Our friendly and professional service professionals can clean up your dog’s waste and properly dispose of it on a schedule that fits your unique needs. It’s fast, easy, and convenient, so you can avoid the maintenance and focus on enjoying your time with your dog.

You can learn more about our services online, or contact us to request your no-obligation quote.