Wood Chips Or Similar

[J...]

I have a carport that the dogs have access to which has a dirt floor and then bluestone over the top.

I'm not a big fan of the bluestone/dirt as it's really grotty and results in dirt being tracked everywhere, and it's not great for the dogs.

What I'd like to do is pull all the bluestone out and put it back on the driveway and then cover the dirt with a thick layer of woodchips which shouldn't be as dirty and hopefully a bit more dog friendly as well.

Has anyone used woodchips in a similar situation? Any other suggestions as to what I can put down over the dirt which would work better? I plan to extend it out from the carport onto the edge of the lawn and then put some wood in the ground as a boundary to stop the chips escaping further onto the lawn.

Thanks!

Jess

[cowanbree]

Mine ate them which is highly undesirable. I had to lift them and put gravel down

[mokhahouse]

My dogs were forever chewing on the wood chips. Drove me mad.

[ellz]

Somebody I know used very fine sawdust with good results. Too small to be chewed and easy to clean up.

I've used chaff in my puppy pen in the past with good results too.

Most people I know tend to use river rocks over a base of coarse sand in their dog pens though. Easy to pick up, too big to be chewed easily or swallowed accidently and can be disinfected.

[tlc]

I have also had issues with the dogs chewing wood chips/bark, not now that they are older it's all good. Lacy got a piece stuck in her mouth once wedged on the top between her teeth, took me ages to get it out, and I was glad I was home at the time as it could have been worse had it stayed there for a long time. We have red gravel in part of our yard but I wouldn't think it would be to much different than what you already have.

What about fake grass in part of the area?

[Erny]

Would a Lilydale Topping surface work better? I don't know much about it but I do believe you need to roller it well otherwise it will spread everywhere, and that some people add some cement powder to help it all to bind and to reduce the "tracking" element of it. If it's done properly, I'm not sure how much of it (if any) would "track". Horus, DOL's resident garden guru, would probably have a better idea as I presume he would have used or come across it in his garden adventures at some stage or other.

Edited May 16, 2010 by Erny

[Erny]

I've used chaff in my puppy pen in the past with good results too.

because I don't get the impression the carport is as a "puppy pen" or specifically a dog enclosure (perhaps I'm wrong?) but doesn't the chaff get up their sniffing little noses? I guess not, or I suspect you wouldn't use it, but just curious .

Edited May 16, 2010 by Erny

[ellz]

I've used chaff in my puppy pen in the past with good results too.

because I don't get the impression the carport is as a "puppy pen" or specifically a dog enclosure (perhaps I'm wrong?) but doesn't the chaff get up their sniffing little noses? I guess not, or I suspect you wouldn't use it, but just curious .

I'm not talking about tiny little babies.....they are always on grass. But for the older babies chaff works well, especially rough cut oaten chaff. It smells nice on the dogs and isn't as abrasive as sawdust or woodchips. The teensy amount that they ingest comes out the other end quite nicely too. Stafford puppies aren't real "sniffers" though.....they're more rough and tumble and tend to wear as much as they'd ever inhale or ingest! ;)

[Erny]

It smells nice on the dogs and isn't as abrasive as sawdust or woodchips.

Thanks for the explanation, Ellz. I agree, if I had a pup I wouldn't like sawdust nor woodchips. The first because it would have to inhale far too easily (knew a horse who was stabled with a flooring of sawdust ..... he ended up with and died of a form of emphysema as a result) and I'd imagine woodchips, abrasion aside, would be somewhat tempting to chew on and ingest.

And yes, being a horsey person from way back, I can appreciate the wonderful sweet, clean smell of fresh chaff.

Edited May 16, 2010 by Erny

[becks]

Would wood chips get very smelly if the dogs use it as a toilet area?

[becks]

Would wood chips get very smelly if the dogs use it as a toilet area?

[ellz]

Wood chips would I'd imagine...they're usually quite strong smelling at the best of times. I'd also be worried that they'd harbour spiders and bugs.

Sawdust and chaff are easy to keep clean thank goodness!!

[J...]

So it sounds like the chips are out, I could imagine Zee having a good munch on them and getting herself into trouble.

It's really the fine dirt underneath the bluestone which is causing the problem as it tracks so much particularly with wet paws. The dogs bury bones in the edges and scrape themselves a bare patch as the dirt is obviously more comfortable to sleep on than the stones, and there is quite a prominant track from the deck through the carport and out onto the lawn.

Wonder what a carport full of concrete and a couple of extra dogs beds would cost? That would fix all issues

Edited May 16, 2010 by Jess.