We used a lot of gravel in our yard along the asphalt driveway and the house for various reasons (muddy drainage issues, weed control). The fantastic unexpected bonus is that the gravel areas became our favorite areas for dogs to go to the bathroom! Easy to clean, rain washes away smells, urine does not kill lawn, sometimes a mess just turn the rocks over. Keeps dogs paws clean even during rain. You can be very creative with the huge amount of colors available from local rock supply stores and even use several colors. Maybe some larger beautiful rocks too.

In our situation, our dogs eat mulch and dig and track it all over their feet and beards so it was best to use it away from where the dogs are allowed to use the yard. So you need to know your dog's habits, because Cori Ann's yard looks wonderful!

(I've been able to grow a few CA natives in the areas as well, so it does not look barren).

My only comment about gravel is that as a person it’s painful to walk on in bare feet. Not sure if it would be for dogs. It’s great as a potty area (we have it), but I wouldn’t use it anywhere that the dogs would be running or spending a lot of time.

Oh, do I hear you! I put in a fence with a lattice like weave so as not to block our view of the creek that runs behind our yard, and the dog is always peering through it at critters and people on the other side and barking! I am thinking of planting some creepers to grow up the fence at the key spots where he can see the people on the other side, but I like the view so much, I am conflicted!

I have agrostis pallens, or bentgrass planted in a large rectangle, and one advantage of having a no-mow scruffy looking lawn is that it heals itself and hides the dog and mole damage better than a manicured lawn!

KC

Boy oh boy, where to start... I have three very energetic huskies. In wintertime, when the weather cools, their energy level goes way up, and they become very destructive. I cant' begin to tell you the list of plants they've destroyed, broken, set back etc. One thing to keep in mind is that dogs are creatures of habit. If they use a path to run in, you either have to retrain them to use other paths or simply allow their path to define part of your landscaping. One way I've trained my dogs into altering their path is to place physical barriers to redirect them where I want them to run, or to redirect them away from areas I don't want them to run through. Once they form a habit, they tend to stick to it and you can remove the barrier. If you have energetic dogs, gravel will not be the best ground cover. I have gravel in a section of yard, and they run through it, shooting gravel left and right as they run though. It's a mess to rake back up. My suggestion would be to lay a thick layer of wood mulch from the treeline to the fence.

All good points. Keep in mind, the compacted gravel like I put in is a bit different than regular gravel. It is sprayed with basically a diluted version of quickrete/polymeric sand and compacted/compressed with a machine that looks a bit like a floor waxer... but it compacts instead of waxes. It makes it so the gravel/sand mixture stays put for at least a few years until it wears away and needs to be refreshed. Also it’s breathable, so better for the soil than concrete. :-)

Cori, what is the name of that product? Can it be done DIY?

Dogs will run the perimeter. So.lanforunplamted18-inch gap between fence and plantings.

Fence style doesn't matter, whether it's see-through or solid. The latter is still I-can-hear-through.

Hi Kent. You could DIY if you understand grading, drainage and are comfortable using a vibratory plate compactor. The grading and drainage are really important, otherwise it will wear away faster and could end up being a big mess, waste of time and money. The vibratory plate compactor (machine that looks like a floor water) looked very challenging to control and use. I wouldn’t be comfortable doing it myself, but others might.