Synthetic Lawns: A Landscaping Choice Dogs Love But Can’t Destroy

Imagine having a lawn that feels so much like the real thing that your canine friends will love to play on it, but they can’t damage it no matter how hard they romp or how much they need to “take care of business” on it.

Even better, imagine that the same lawn requires no watering, none of the maintenance a turf yard requires, and that it is even easier for your to pick up after your dog than on natural grass.

Those are only some of the reasons that pet resorts and homeowners nationwide are increasingly choosing synthetic grass for their landscaping. The new generation of artificial grasses, such as NewGrass™, is growing in popularity not only for residential uses, but among pet hotels, animal hospitals and other dog-friendly properties.

NewGrass™ has been installed in the highly recommend Applewood Pet Resort and Boulder Falls Pet Resort, in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Ariz. Applewood has been so pleased with the first installation of NewGrass™ in its central courtyard/pet run, the facility had NewGrass™ applied around its pool area and play area, too.

The reasons are simple, actually:

• Dogs love it. The new generation of synthetic lawns provide a soft look that just like real grass.

• No bald spots, digging holes or muddy spots. Dogs can’t chew or dig through the industrial-strength backing (NewGrass™, for example, has a primary backing of two four-ounce layers of stabilized woven polypropylene, and a secondary backing layer of 20-ounce polyurethane, with drainage holes). Dogs also have far less desire to dig through synthetic lawns because it does not have the organic odor that attracts them and compels them to dig in the first place.

• Yellow grass stains are gone. Dog waste won’t discolor or stain quality artificial grasses because the synthetic material is immune to the nitrogen and other chemicals in dog waste that stain turf grass.

• Easy clean up. Most dog waste stays on top of the synthetic lawn’s fibers. The rest is simply removed with a hosing down.

• No bacteria, no diseases. The fibers and infill materials of quality artificial grasses inhibit bacteria, fungi and viruses.

• Greatly inhibits fleas, ticks and other pests. Nonorganic grass blades, such as the polyethylene or polyethylene/nylon combination used in NewGrass™, aren’t appealing to bugs.

• Less cleanup on walkways or in the house. Synthetic lawns eliminate muddy paws and dirty pets, and there’s no standing water or muddy messes after a rain or snowmelt.

• No more unpleasant odors. Properly installed artificial grasses eliminate the old combination of turf, dirt, dogs and dog waste; urine drains through a properly manufactured and installed synthetic lawn.

• Year-round fun time. Your dog has a lawn to romp and play on any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions.

Of course, it’s still important to clean up after your dog, to keep your synthetic grass fresh and your yard healthy. But it’s a lot easier with an artificial lawn than with natural sod:

1. Scoop up solid waste from the lawn’s surface at least once a week.
2. Hose down or power wash the area to make sure all urine and remaining excrement drains through the grass and its backing.
3. Treat the area with a mild detergent and rinse, maybe every couple of weeks.