Our 2 shelties and daughters pug have ruined our backyard . Its a mud fest right now and no signs of drying up. Of course its quite normal for them to run the fence line and chase each other playing which I love to see cause they have so much fun but was wondering if any of you have the same problem and what you do about ALL the mud. I going crazy cleaning the floors and paws and all those dirty towels beside the back door. Any suggestions?
solutions for a muddy backyard due to the shelties playing chase
- Thread starter rstedem
- Start date
I did some reading online because our back yard is chronically muddy and has some bad areas. I bought a cultivator from Home Depot and then sprinkled sand on the bad spots and used the cultivator to mix the sand into the dirt. It's helped some, but I know it's not going to be an overnight solution. I have to get my land graded so the water drains in the right direction, which it is currently not doing.
danisgoat
Moderator
Someone on here had some mulch stuff they put down. I think it was Missjenneygirl? Not sure. But it was some type of a product that you bought in bagged bails to reduce the mud.
Emmasmom
Forums Sage
Depends on how big an area you are talking about. I bought bags of pea gravel and put it down where it was the muddiest. I will have to add to it come spring, but it made a big difference.
corbinam
Moderator
I'm afraid that we will need to do the same. It's also been mentioned that we could get a french drain installed. I haven't called a landscaping company, yet, but that's the spring 2014 project
At the doggie daycare I work at we use bark chips on the outside area. It doesn't cancel out mud entirely, but brings it down significantly. We have the worst mud problems in the areas where the dogs may have dug away the bark chips from that area and just bare earth is showing.
That's if it's bad enough you're willing to forgo having grass back there.
That's if it's bad enough you're willing to forgo having grass back there.
A long term solution that isn't quite as intesive as regrading the yard (supposidly) is to have trench like areas (half a foot lower or so than the surrounding yard) with dense patches of water intesive plants in them, the water will naturally congregrate in these spots, where the plants suck it up, leaving the rest of the yard dryer.
That being said, I barely have half my gardens finished and am a long way from a practical test on this!
A temporary solution might be buying interlocking deck pavers to lay down in the yard during the winter. Like this? http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/350953204255?lpid=82
That way you could put them down when it starts getting wet, but easily store them during the spring and summer when you want grass there.
That being said, I barely have half my gardens finished and am a long way from a practical test on this!
A temporary solution might be buying interlocking deck pavers to lay down in the yard during the winter. Like this? http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/350953204255?lpid=82
That way you could put them down when it starts getting wet, but easily store them during the spring and summer when you want grass there.
tofu pup
Moderator
Correct! She uses Mainely Hay mulch... it's soft, chopped straw and hay. It helps the topsoil and grass survive the mud season, and it keeps the dogs cleaner.
We had the same problem, muddy paws all spring and summer. Besides our shelties we have a husky who loves to dig so we finally hardscaped our backyard. Took a bit of work over a couple of summers but it has sooo been worth it. Our hardscaping included river stone, rubber pavers filled with crushed granite to make paths and rubber tiles. This has been a savior for me as I am the official paw wiper.
Jess041
Forums Enthusiast
My dad bought some tree bark to put down along the fences where the dogs run and it has been continuously muddy for the last couple months. Of course, the only dog that keeps coming inside absolutely covered in mud is mine 
. But I was so grateful that he did that for me since I stayed there this past week!
. But I was so grateful that he did that for me since I stayed there this past week!