What to use for designated potty area?

[Kyle, Maggie & Jack]

We are in the process of building a designated potty area for our doodle.  It is not a huge area, but I am so tired of stepping in poop that anything is better than nothing at this point.  I wanted to know, if you have one of these areas, what do you use for the bottom?  We are thinking either course sand or small gravel.  Also, how do you keep it "fresh"?

My concern is sand will get tracked into the house.  With the gravel, it will be tricky to pick up poop (especially the runny ones). Any other suggestions that have worked for you?

Any advise would be a huge help!

[Lynda Kamrath]

My advice would be to scoop daily.  We have a large area for our dogs, but need to scoop daily.  It is a grassy area and on a slight incline.  My friend has a small area behind her house and installed pea gravel.  The dogs know that is their area to eliminate and she also scoops daily and has a hose there to spray down the pee areas and any runny poops.  Pea gravel works well for her (and a hose handy).  We both have a poop bucket and pooper scoopers.  The poop bucket needs to be emptied weekly and we have an area specifically for that.  You can dump it in your trash, but we prefer to bury it.  The main thing is to make a plan and then set it all up.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am a big proponent of picking up poop as soon as it is deposited. That way you never have to worry about stepping in anything. It will also save you a lot of heartache and trouble (not to mention your entire yard) if your dog should pick up giardia or some other parasitic infection. Yes, it means that you have to go out with the dog every time, but that's not a great hardship, and many people who don't have fenced yards have to do that anyway. :) 

I would not put sand in the area; you will get stray cats using the area as a litter box, and the sand will end up tracked all over your house on the dog's feet & coat. 

I have a run filled with river rock that JD sometimes uses when it's raining; he can't stand to walk on wet grass. But he really prefers the grass most of the time, and a lot of dogs are the same way, especially when they are used to grass. River rock is a much more stable surface than pea gravel, which tends to roll, kind of like trying to walk on marbles. Pea gravel can be hazardous when wet. 

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

We pick up right after Meg and will do the same with Polly.  We just built a 'doggy doody' station to make deposits after we pick up and so far we like it.  My brother lives in Las Vegas all concrete and pool in his back yard so the small side yard has gravel, he picks up and then hoses it down to keep it fresh.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

We too pick up immediately. Having it all contained in one area, and it's still going to reek, not to mention the possibility of giarida or something similar. We absolutely live in our backyard with the .pool etc. Having to see and smell poop is not how we want to enjoy our yard.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

We have a designated potty area on the side of our house. We also go out with each of the dogs every single time, and pick up the poop immediately. We use pea gravel for the area, which works very well. Every year we add a couple wheel barrels full of fresh gravel to replenish that which was lost (or sunk into the ground) through the year. In the Summer months there are automatic sprinklers that rinse the area, and since we live in the Pacific NW, rain takes care of the rest of the year.

There was a similar discussion in the Puppy Madness group back in August. I posted pics of our designated potty area then. Here's a link to the discussion:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/puppymadness/forum/topics/designa...

[jenn D]

We pick up every time also. The doods want their yard clean! :)

[Sally S Miles]

We keep poo bags by the back door, in our coat pockets, in the car, etc.... We always go out with the dog and poo is picked up immediately - if by chance it is runny (rare) we hose it off after using the scooper.   I don't care where she goes - we always see where and she won't go near poo after making her deposit.

[Kyle, Maggie & Jack]

I pick up after each poop. I don't like leaving a messy yard, especailly with my kids playing outside all the time. However, Maggie will often "squat and waddle" whiled pooping, inevitably leaving a little poop everywhere she goes. I do my best to get it all but somehow if I miss one, my feet will find it!

[Adrienne]

We pick up the poop to keep the yard clean.  Yes, it is a pain but it beats stepping in it...

[Kate C Pappas]

Right now I'm having a potty area built. I have a 4' x 15' stretch of ground on the side of my house where there is no sun, nor windows that open. The area is being dug down about 12" and filled with gravel, then topped with fake grass (which I hate in general). There is a sprinkler there too as it should be rinsed. Other than that, my girls have a 'regular' schedule and when they poop, it's picked up, bagged and put in a Diaper Genie which is disposed of every 6 weeks and there is no odor. My dogs are raw fed so the poops are very different from kibble poop. When they pee, I hose down and every few days I disinfect with Lemon 256. Some think it's overkill but would you want to traipse around where there was or had been P&P, dried up or not. We also clean our girls' feet before bedtime using a Paw Plunger since they sleep in our bed.