Artificial turf for dogs: what to buy and how to keep it clean
7 min read
Dogs are hard on grass. Urine burns yellow patches, running wears paths along the fence and digging turns a corner into mud. Artificial turf solves most of that, but only if the turf, the base under it and the cleaning routine are set up for a dog. A lawn turf laid on a lawn base and left alone will start to smell by its first summer.
What makes a turf good for dogs
A short pile. Waste should sit on top of the blades where you can pick it up, and water from a hose should reach the backing. Long, plush lawn turf hides both. Our pet line, Paw Pro, has a 1 1/8 inch pile, the shortest of any lawn-style turf we sell.
Dense stitching. Dogs turn, dig and run the same lines over and over. Paw Pro has 18,375 stitches per square meter, denser than most of our lawn lines, with U-shaped blades that stand back up.
A backing that drains. Liquid has to go down through the turf and out through the base. Paw Pro's backing is perforated so urine and rinse water pass straight through instead of pooling.
A forgiving color. Emerald and olive blades over a brown and green thatch hide the odd leaf and patch of dirt between cleanings better than a single bright green.
| What to check | Why it matters for dogs | Paw Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Pile height | Short pile is easy to pick up after and rinse | 1 1/8" |
| Stitches per square meter | Dense turf takes wear from running and turning | 18,375 |
| Blade shape | A shaped blade springs back after paws | U shape |
| Backing | Liquid must drain through | Perforated |
| Traffic rating | Dogs are daily, heavy users | Light to heavy |
The base matters more than the turf
Most odor problems start under the turf, not in it. If urine drains into a base that holds water, it sits there and smells.
For a dog area, the base should drain fast:
- Dig out the old grass and soil about 3 to 4 inches deep.
- Fill with crushed rock that drains freely. Many installers use a clean 3/8 inch to 3/4 inch rock for pet areas instead of a fine road base, because fine material packs down and slows drainage.
- Compact it well, with a slight fall away from the house so water moves off.
- Lay weed barrier, then the turf.
If the ground under the base is heavy clay, water has nowhere to go. In that case, a perforated drain pipe at the low side of the area, or a deeper rock layer, is worth the extra work. An installer can tell you what your soil needs.
Infill for pet areas
Infill is granular material brushed down between the blades. It weighs the turf down, helps the blades stand and protects the backing from sun. For pet areas, choose an infill made for odor control, such as a zeolite-based product, rather than plain sand. Odor-control infills trap ammonia from urine until the next rinse. Top it up once or twice a year as it washes down.
A cleaning routine that works
| How often | What to do |
|---|---|
| Daily | Pick up solid waste. Hose down any spot that gets a lot of use. |
| Weekly | Rinse the whole dog area with a hose. In hot weather, rinse the favorite spots more often. |
| Monthly | Spray an enzyme cleaner made for artificial turf on the areas your dog uses most, then rinse. |
| Every few months | Brush the blades against the grain with a stiff broom to lift them and loosen debris. |
| Once or twice a year | Top up the infill. Check seams and edges for lifting. |
Enzyme cleaners break down the compounds in urine that cause odor. Bleach and strong household cleaners can damage the blades and the backing, so avoid them.
Heat, shade and water
Any artificial turf gets hot in direct summer sun, often much hotter than real grass. Give your dog shade over part of the area and fresh water. A quick rinse cools the surface for a while. Watch for reflected sunlight from windows or a glass door, which can concentrate heat on one spot and melt the blades.
What the warranty does and does not cover
Paw Pro carries the same 15-year warranty as all our lines, covering fading and wear under normal use. The warranty does not cover damage from pets chewing or digging at the turf. If you have a puppy or a dog that digs, give them a sandbox or a toy, and keep an eye on the edges until the habit passes. The full terms are on the warranty page.
Planning a dog run
A dog run along a fence is often a single strip, which is where a 15 foot wide roll is handy: a strip up to 15 feet wide needs no seam at all. For a whole backyard, read how much turf to order to plan runs and seams.
If you are not sure Paw Pro is right for your dog, order a sample for $10, shipping included, and let them try it. The $10 comes off your turf order later.
