CHARLOTTE – Of course, we love dogs! But landscaping with pet dogs in mind can be challenging. It’s a balancing act between what designs you want and what owning a dog requires. If you fail to make accommodations, the dogs may make a mess.

Avoid urine spots with hardscape

Dogs and lawns do not mix well. For small areas, consider switching from a grassy expanse to hardscape. Stone and masonry are especially useful for pet lovers because they minimize the mess dogs make by digging, urination, and simple wear and tear.

If you use crushed stone, especially in a sunny area, select drought-resistant plants, since stone gets hot in the summer.

Know your grass types

 If you prefer grass some grasses hold up better to foot and paw traffic and other forms of abuse.

Green grass alternatives

 A tougher type of grass will only solve wear and tear problems with your pups. But it does nothing to solve the canine urine problem. But there is a type of “green carpet” that solves the problem of urine spots. Clover is the answer and has many advantages over typical grass lawns.

Diluting dog urine

 If you can’t bring yourself to replace your favorite grass, you can always rush to the garden hose when you see your best friend answering the call of nature. Turn on the hose and douse the area with water, flushing and diluting the spot. Unfortunately, you may not be able to always keep up and track your beloved pet when that time comes but it can help.