If you are tired of your whole house smelling like dog urine or discolored lawns, building a dog pee area for your dog is the best solution. If your dog pee everywhere from the house to the compound, he will make everything smelly and untidy.
Outdoor pee area for dogs help to keep your house and compound tidy. It also makes potty training easier. The area should be lowly fenced to distinguish it from the rest of the yard.
Below are the factors to consider before creating a pee area, the best materials to cover it, and three ways to make it more attractive.
What to consider before creating an outdoor pee area for dogs.
Location
The potty area should be easily accessible to your dog and it should not be very close to the house.
It should not be that the first thing you come across when you get out of the house is dogs poop.
It would be inconvenient to build a potty area far from the house if you live in snowy areas. It will be hard for your dog to easily access the place. In the same way, you shouldn’t place it where there are direct sun rays if you live in hot areas.
If you have a garden with edible vegetables, the potty area shouldn’t be anywhere near it to avoid contaminating it.
The terrain of your land will determine where you will build the potty area. You shouldn’t build it on a high place where the rain can sweep away the poop and urine toward your compound.
Size
The size of your land and pooch will determine how big the potty area will be. A big dog will require a bigger area than a smaller dog.
Dogs move around when choosing the best place to poop, a small potty area can make them step on poop.
An eight-by-eight potty area is good for an average size pooch.
Best Material for Dog Potty Area
Gravel
You can use gravel as ground cover for your dog’s potty area. It is good because it has proper drainage.
It has many disadvantages like;
- Not easily cleaned.
- Not smooth and can hurt a dog’s feet.
- Can easily get washed away.
Pea Gravel
This is one of the most common ground covers for dog potty areas. It is mostly preferred because;
- Cannot hurt the dog’s legs.
- Cannot get easily blown by the wind or carried away by water.
Just like gravel, it is hard to clean.
Mulch
You can use a mulch to cover dog potty areas because it is readily available and inexpensive.
Nevertheless, it is not all types of mulch that are safe for dogs. Dyed mulch can cause health problems when swallowed by your dog.
Mulch needs to be replaced after some time because it breaks down.
It is very absorbent and will absorb urine but it will have odors especially after being rained on.
Sand
Many dog owners prefer sand to many materials as potty covers because it is easily cleaned.
Sand is not the best option in that your dog can easily carry dirt and debris to your house with their feet.
It can also get carried away by heavy rains if your potty area is not fenced properly.
Artificial Turf
This is one of the most convenient covers on your dog potty area. It does not get washed away by the rain and can easily match with the compound. It does not keep odors.
It has its shortcomings in that it can get hot on sunny days, does not absorb urine, and has to be cleaned regularly. Cleaning poop from the turf is a hard task.
Grass
You can leave your dog’s potty area to remain with natural grass. It is cheap and readily available but has a lot of shortcomings.
If your dog continuously does his business on the grass, it will discolor. This can be avoided by using neutralizing agents which will be an added cost.
Re-seeding the grass will be needed to keep it growing but at times the grass might not grow again leading to a bare compound. For this reason, it is advisable to build your potty area away from the house where the visitors can’t easily see it.
The greatest disadvantage with this method is that when a dog is used to doing his business on the natural grass, he might not distinguish between his potty area and the compound.
3 Ways To Decorate our Outdoor Pee Area For Dogs
- Decorative Fence
Fencing will help in two ways; in making your compound look attractive and enclosing the potty area.
2. chair
Setting up a chair near the potty area is the last thing you can think that can cross your mind. A seat will help you have a place to relax and it will help to hide the potty area.
3. Plants and Flowers
Plants and flowers will make your compound look great, also it will help in distracting visitors from what is behind.
Conclusion
An outdoor pee are will help in the overall cleanness of your house and the compound. With the above guide, you can easily select the best potty area covers.
You Might Also Like;
How does one drain an 8’x 8’ pee/poop area? Does grass or artificial turf have a layer under it?