This is great, I am glad this worked out.

@@TheALG 💯%✔✔

Does your dog try to cover his poop? Not a dog owner but we are doing some research and will be setting up our area before we bring a dog home.

My dog does poop in there also but she doesn't try to cover it up. This project is one of the best investments and it will protect your lawn. Definitely have to do the training for it to work.

@@jjscosita No. He doesn't cover up. We clean it up soon after. Also, we jet wash the area once a day with our garden water hose to avoid mosquitoes/flies. Hope this helps😀

Make it as big or as small as you like. Most dogs only need about a 3 foot by 3 foot space.

Thanks, and its working. She is going there almost all the time without me saying anything.

Got to start early with the training.

Training is the key and it will take time. It took about 1 week with 70% ish compliance and about 1 month for full compliance. Good luck amd don't forget to praise your dog when he or she goes for the first time.

Best project I have ever done, its so worth it.

Train and repeat often. Your dog will figure it out. Best to try first thing in the morning when the bladder if full

It is well worth it. Good luck

That's good to hear. Remember to wash it down with water only.

@@TheALG ikr lol no wonder why my poor dogs didn't even want to go near it 🙈 but after my husband followed your tips now the dogs are using their doggy area with no problems 😊

@@TheALG Ps my husband told me now go find out from this guy how I can get rid of those clover leafs from our grass lol we just brought this home in Palm Coast Florida and the front yard has them all over ugh smh and the back yard has some dead areas so he is trying to find ways of tackling these issues.

Clover is pretty easy to get rid of. First find out what type of grass you have and then pick up weed killers thats safe for your turf type.

@@TheALG cool, thanks I will let him know.

The thought is good, but it will probably not work. A dog has to be trained to go in the spot. Dogs have a natural instinct to go on a lawn, pinestraw, pole, etc. Most dogs will not want to go on peagravel unless trained to do so. I hope I am wrong but just sharing my experience since I have taken care of 4 dogs in my lifetime.

Happy to help, just don't forget the training aspect of it. Most dogs won't go into that area without training. Trying for me took about 1 week for a 80 percent success rate. It took almost 6 months until my dog would only go there and not on the grass without me guiding her.

So true.. because we don’t want to confuse her.. so we will keep in mind the importance of training her

No grass has come through and I dont expect any. I would scalp as low as you can and invest in a better quality weed fabric. I got the fabric thats supposed to last 30 years

Your very welcome. This spot if going on 3 years i believe and its the best ever, I have no regrets.

I think male dogs are a bit easier to deal with, its the females that seem to want to squat more

I was just thinking this. My male dog likes peeing on something….leaves, plants, trees. No use peeing if there’s nothing to mark!

I read somewhere male dogs also squat but learn to lift their legs overtime.

Thank you very much.

Hopefully it will help

Happy to help, thanks for watching.

thank you for the options and honest advice!!!!!

I'm sorry I missed your question. I am usually pretty good at seeing questions but it can be hard to keep up sometimes. Most days I usually end up picking up just the waste. If gravel happen to stick to it, I would just just toss it away in the garbage. I always pick up the poop right away just to avoid the dog stepping on it. If the poop happen to not be completely solid, I pick up what I can and just wash down the spot with hot tap water. If its completely liquid, again I just pick up what I can and wash the rest with hot water. Some gravel does end up getting tossed out but is usually replaced during the spring. Hope this answers your question.

@@TheALG Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I can only imagine how hard it is to get to all the questions :) We are actually going to try something like this in the spring. I'm glad we waited as we now know that we have moved to an area with mostly clay soil and it has the worst drainage. We are planning on making their run with a kind of french drain area in it to help drain out some of the standing water. We had to stop using their grass one and give them the whole yard because of the drainage problem. We'll be making a few french drains around the outside area of our entire yard because of the clay. What I wouldn't give for good soil again! TY

Good luck, clay does have its negatives but also has positives. Clay can absorb alot of water and it doesn't wash away as easily. I hope your dog potty area you plan to create works for your situation. Feel free to ask questions about it as you proceed with building it.

@@TheALG Thank you!

The potty area is so worth it. Don't forget the training also. Good luck

The only purpose of the weed block is in the name itself. It will prevent weeds from growing. I have not noticed any urine smells at all. Just make sure its over soil and not anything that won't drain well.

Super easy to do, just be consistent with the training.

Just so you know. Only female dogs burn grass

@@jimwguitar3002 I heard that wasn't true. Females squat therefore the urine is more concentrated to a smaller area. Males usually lift their legs and their urine is spread out more.

Having both male and female dogs, their urine burns. Its less likely with males because they tend to pee against a pole or tree. However, if the urine runs down towards the grass, it will burn. Females more likely to burn because they squat therefore depositing their urine directly on the grass.

Training is the hardest part. That is multiplied by 6 in your situation. I would determine which one of the dogs is the leader of the pack and start training from there. It's not going to be easy.

The part that sticks out is meant for the mower wheels to ride on so I dont have to do any edge trimming. The border you are referring too are the ones you also hammer in but are supposed to hide. They are a different type and are more of a plastic barrier.

The weed control fabric is mostly there to keep the area tidy. You technically don't need it but after about a year or two, you would have wished you applied it because weeds and grass will start to come up.

@@TheALG thank you for your reply about the weed control fabric

The fabric is there to mostly prevent the grass and weeds from growing. If you don't lay any fabric, its going to look good for a while but the aggressive grass types such as bermuda will start to pop through. Also the weeds will start to show. The fabric also avoids you having to put down weed killers which is harmful to dogs if ingested. The short answer is yes, you can skip the fabric but its going to be a headache to keep it clear. I would highly recommend using a fabric.

@@TheALG thanks so much for the advise!

LoL three years later and still going strong. I highly recommend this.

Any type of landscape fabric and pea gravel. The border you choose to use is optional. All of these items can be found at your local hardware store.

I only did enough to cover the ground. Definitely less than 1 inches

You can create an area. I find using a pre-made artificial grass box works best. Type in dog potty area in Google, they sell them all over Amazon. I never tried peagravel on concrete but the artificial grass i have done in the past. You still have to wash in down with water.

@@TheALG thank you for this wonderful video , it’s very informative. We have a courtyard that we made for our two small dogs. We moved here last month so at first the dogs were doing their business with out any issues in this area but then it started to smell so genius me lol started to spray it down with household cleaners and then after that they hate going out to this area. We have half of the area with wood mulch which now I learned with your video that it absorbs the odor ...and the other half with bigger rocks not the pea gravel you suggested soooo this weekend we will go buy the smaller gravel and we will remove the smelly mulch 🙈 but what do you suggest I use to clean up the pea gravel once we buy it cuz our courtyard connects with our neighbors side entrance and I don’t want them to deal with any odors ....thanks again !

Only use water, even if you have to wash it down for 10 minutes or so. Use a light hose setting. Since you are one to neighbors, you may have to wash it down alittle more often. Just for reference, I wash mine down once a month.

No and I will tell you why. Artificial grass needs a hard surface to sit on in order to get a level turf. You will get ripples and unevenness if you put artificial turf over soft surface such as grass and soil. Hard surface that is needed is small gravel and you can only put small gravel after you have dug up the turf. There is also a chance that the grass will over time break through the weed fabric and eventually the artificial turf.

Oh ok gotcha 👌🏽 just wondering what would be an easy route given we'll be doin it ourselves

It definitely allows water to pass and the water goes through it right away, so daily watering will be ok. You can get the fabric from any home improvement store like home depot or lowes. As for the rubber, if you are talking about the edging, it has the same materials used to make tires or rubber mulch. You can use any type of border, there are so many to post here.

I use to live in NY where I also had a concrete backyard. This method will not work very well since the urine needs somewhere to drain into. The concrete over time will start to stain. There are other portable solutions you can try such as a portable box which has synthetic grass in it. They have them on Amazon but I have not tried them.

@@TheALG Thanks so much for the honest feedback!

@@TheALG do you think I can put the gravel inside the potty box instead? Thanks!

Interesting, I would start training the dog to go on command. The way I did it, whenever she goes out the first time for the day, I say a command word "pee". As she starts to go, I say "pee" again and then I praise her. It took about 2 weeks but she now goes pretty much when I tell her. Practice multiple times a day but more importantly, when your dog goes for the first time for the day. Say the word and praise the dog. This won't happen overnight but will take some time.

@@TheALG I’ve done the same but he gets confused when I tell him to go if he’s not home and near his potty area.

Thats a hard one. I would just try to take a long walk and at some point he will have to go. It won't be easy amd I'm sorry for not being much help.

Its been about a month and I have not noticed any bad odors, not even alittle. If I do noticed an odor, I will post a video about it. I would probably use a hose to lightly wash the area.

@@TheALG great! Thanks greetings from Colombia

@@TheALG Glad I saw this video, I originally used just an artificial grass pad and the smell underneath was rank! I tried Simple green Outdoor Pet Odor Eliminator but it still doesn't get rid of smell. I think I need to remove the smelly dead lawn, lay down the plastic sheeting and then pea gravel, then maybe artificial grass on top. Not too concerned about the look, but just using artificial grass pad is a shortcut I shouldn't have done, lol.

I think the main issue is to have drainage for the urine to go into. Its also helpful to have the area exposed to the weather so when it rains, it will sort of wash all the urine down and away.

Go for it, remember this is really meant for urine but poop is a bonus.

For the most part yes. The only issue is watery poop. If thats the case I just pick up the whole spot and dispose of it.

Yes, but honestly there is no smell. I am assuming it gets drained down. Between normal rain weather and hosing it down once a month, maybe this is the reason why I have not noticed any smell. The only thing that's annoying is having to deal with occasional watery poop. When that happens I tend to pick up peagravel and just toss it out. Its only a small amount and its very cheap to replace.

It will turn the grass brown and overtime will probably kill it. I would not do this on a rental.

I have taken care of puppies in the past. Just like kids, they tend to put everything in their mouth. I would definitely use caution around small objects. They sell sprays to deter them from chewing on stuff. Besides that I don't have any other suggestions.

@@TheALG oh ok. Do you also know if artificial grass is a good replacement and if it is easy to clean of dog odor?

Good replacement for urine but still can be a bit messy. You might need to wash it down more often. Also depending on location, artificial turf can obsorb heat faster and may get hot for the pups feet.

Not at all, the fabric allows liquids to pass.

It was so long ago, I believe it was about 30 bags or so. You don't need to make it as big, so the amount will vary.

Yes, you are right on point. I did cut a small square in the border for water to flow. Right in the middle going towards the back, I have bigger rocks which will slow the water down as It flows. If I used pea gravel in the middle, it would just wash away but the bigger rocks stays in place. During a really heavy rain storm, water does start to collect at the entrance but will slowly go away in under 2 to 3 hours after it has stopped raining. Hope this makes sense.

@@TheALG Thank you so much makes perfect sense. I’m headed to pick up my supplies now.

Let me know if there is any other questions. Also, when laying the weed fabric, make sure to over lap the seems.

@@TheALG how can I clean that spot afterwards?

Once a month or so, just take a hose and lightly spray it down. I have not had any issues with urine smells even when I dont wash it down.

I only use a water hose to wash down the area. If you use anything else, sometimes dogs won't like it or the chemicals can be harmful. I take a waterhose and wash it down on a light setting for about 10 minutes once a month or so.

@@TheALG oh ok thank you so much! Right now under the smelly mulch lol we have thick plastic under it , no wonder why it smells smh but do you suggest we put anything under the pea gravel cuz under the plastic bags there is dirt. Also I left you another message so sorry for the duplicate question.

I would remove the plastic and use landscape fabric. The fabric will keep weeds from growing amd allow the urine to drain down. The plastic you have won't allow liquid waste to drain and will just sit there producing a smell.

@@TheALG after watching your video is when I realized it was a horrible mistake we did when we applied that thick plastic , but thank goodness now we know thanks to you lol. Also, I read a comment on another video where someone said the pea gravel stuck in between their dogs paw....does that happen to your doggy ? Our two dogs are small each under 13 pounds so I’m hopping the gravel doesn’t get stuck in their paws which I don’t think that will happen tho

I have not had that problem but I have a big dog. I am not sure about small dogs.

My original intent for this was to create a spot for her to urinate. I am surprised to find she poops there also. Its been a real pleasure to have her use the bathroom in 1 area, making clean up easy and not having to deal with poop residue on the grass.

@@TheALG thanks for tour fast response. So, poo clean up is a breeze with the pea gravel?! Glad to know this could be a great option

So far clean up has been easy. Maybe once in a blue moon I may pick up 1 pebble but thats about it. If I noticed no rain for about 1 week or so, I usually hose down the rocks very lightly to make sure it stays clean. I have not noticed any bad smells with this setup.

My dog doesn't cover up her poop. I usually pick it up right away.

She doesn't. I put in alot of training and she pretty much is a good dog. Doesn't pull on the leash , doesn't dig, doesn't chew stuff and follows commands. However if she sees a squirrel then all bets are off lol

@@TheALG I tried commenting with this last night but when I edited to add the part in parentsies you saw it erased so I'm going to try one more time... You have a great way of explaining things and a calm demeanor about you. It is a pleasure listening to you. You're not repetitive nor do you over explain which shows a certain level of respect for your viewers as you show an expectation of us to pay attention. You don't "dumb it down" so to speak but you don't complicate things either. I can't even tell you how refreshing that is. Everyone is different. We all notice different things but these were the things that stood out to me personally and I just wanted to share how much i appreciate you as a person. I have three large dogs of my own and i am currently fostering two puppies. They have , just in the past four days, turned my backyard ( about the size of yours ) into a muddy disaster. I'm going to follow your lead and get these areas set up this weekend. You've got a great dog ... friend for life. Thank you for your videos! ( subscribed )

Thanks for the kind words. For some reason, your last comment got filtered and was place held for review. I am just now seeing this. Anyway, just keep training the dogs. The most important thing is to repeat the same thing everyday and do everything on the leash when training.

It's not hard, not even a little. I can pick it up very easily. The only problem is when it is loose, then I have to pick up the gravel and dispose of it.

I have not noticed any pee smell at all, not even a tiny bit. I love this set up and I have no regrets.

We had pea gravel in our last house and had two dogs going on it everyday. Never smelt even in the blistering heat.

THat was my concern too as I read that it was pourous as well. I used red cedar shavings and now it seems my dog is allergic to it. In Texas will the pea gravel get too hot for their paws?

I really don't think so, but I haven't had a long time to test this out. Any surface will get home, some more hit than others but we will see. If your serious out installing this, I think its worth it regardless. You are saving your grass.

Any dog can be trained. Some older dogs require alittle more time and patience. I previously had an older dog and I was able to train him very late in his life. The most important thing is to do everything on a leash. As humans we tend to treat smaller dogs differently than bigger dogs. Try to keep that in mind when training. An example of this is picking up the dog, we would not pick up a big dog but we tend to pick up smaller dogs. Keep the dog on the leash when doing this type of training until he or she goes. Hope this helps.

No, I did not put the white rocks over the pea gravel. Since i am on a downhill slope, the white rocks are there to slow down the water as it passes through to the otherside of the fence. There is no barrier between the fence and the white rocks. Hope this helps.

@@TheALG Thanks a lot.I'll be doing the same thing soon,following your advice.Would you change gravel maybe if you were to do it again? I'm thinking about smell.I know you mentioned there was no smell..just double checking.I appreciate your advice.

I would not change the gravel. I have not noticed any smell what so ever. The only minor issue I noticed is if my dog gets excited she will take off running from the gravel. This will make a few pieces of gravel fly onto the turf. Its a very minor issue and I find I have to pick up about 10 pieces of gravel every week. Its something I can live with knowing the grass is being saved from the urine.

@@TheALG Thank you very much for your help.It's very nice of you to answer every question.Huge respect..👍

I am happy to help.

Its an existing problem which is easy to deal with. Spray any type of liquid hose end making sure its listed to kill mosquitoes and spray all around the area. Look for any bushes nearby and spray those too. You should notice a difference. I think Sevin is a great choice. Keep kids and pets away until the product has dried, usually for about half a day of so.

@@TheALG oh ok will spraying it trap moisture? Also I'm sure the mosquito issue will go away once it gets colder right?

Part of my routine is to spray the potty area every 3 months and I never have any issues with moisture or bugs. Mosquitoes may go away when its cold but you can still have issues with ants and any bugs that like to hide. The pea gravel tends to trap heat and may be a safe haven for bugs looking for shelter. I appreciate your questions and I will do a video about this topic next week.

@@TheALG thank you so much I'd really appreciate that

I have not had any issues with smells. I would try any type of urine odor eliminator.

@@TheALG ok I'll try that thank you

Not sure. The main thing to factor in is how sharp is it. You want it to be smooth to the dogs paw.

Anything exposed to direct sunlight all day will get hot. Some get hot more than others. Artificial turf seems to be the worst. I recommend buying a small amount of what ever material you want and leaving it in the sun and see how it feels to the touch.

Pea gravel mainly because when it gets wet, it won't stick to the paws. Sand will amd that will be tracked inside the home. Also, cleaning gravel is way easier, just spray it down with water.

There is no smell most of the time. I usually use a hose and wash the gravel when I feel it's needed. Most of the time, rain usually will take care of this. As for poop, I just pick it up, if the poop is wet or sticky, I pick up the gravel and dispose of it. Once a year, I will buy 3 or 4 bags of gravel to fill in any gaps.

Good luck, hope this works out for you. Thanks for the warning too.

The urine does drain threw the barrier. This won't work too well without a way for the urine to drain away.

@@TheALG Thanks, I am not familiar with the barrier material and it just looked like a plastic sheet. I guess it has a mesh-like construction. Thanks for the update to my question!

It allows water to pass through but solids like weeds contained. You can get this at any home improvement store, just look for weed barriers

Try to take her on a leash first thing in the morning. Praise the dog and be patient. You will get there.

I always pick up the poop.

You can find them easily at lowes. Search google for "black rubber edge"