I'm currently renovating a section of my back lawn where my Golden retriever has free roam. If it suits your location, you should definitely have some KBG to help self repair the lawn from all the damage the kids and dogs will do. You do need to be more regular with fertilization and irrigation with KBG. I went with an 80-20 mix of TTTF and KBG. We'll see how it pans out. The TTTF just started to sprout on Day 4-5. I bought fence stakes (get the green metal ones) and a think wire fence roll from Lowes and sectioned off the back 1/3rd off the lawn so my dog can't get in. Still, it's hard to say if it will all be worth the hassle. In general, a little effort on your end could have kept the crabgrass and weeds at bay. Apply a Pre-Em like Dimension or Halts in early spring and then reapply at the end of summer/early fall and that will keep the crabgrass at bay. Spraying with Weed B Gon a couple of times a year (mid spring is a good time) will also help keep a large number of weeds at bay. Those two steps alone will go a long way in making your lawn very presentable.

I routinely execute trapped coons in an almost silent fashion. I use a .22 rifle, but only use a particular type of ammo called CCI CB Shorts, found at Wal-Mart. You can also use CCI .22LR Quiets, also found at Wal-Mart. Both products are very quiet, especially when firing down into a trap. If you are discreet about it, your neighbors will never know what you are doing. Now, I'm a hardcore sportsman with top-flight firearms and equipment, but you could easily make do with the cheapest single-shot bolt-action .22 rifle your local pawnshop has to offer. It can be an ancient, beat-up piece of junk with which Annie Oakley would be unable to hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. All your junky old rifle needs to have is a functioning firing pin. Your target won't be more than ten or twelve inches from the muzzle. I'd suggest placing your trap in a place out of sight of the neighbors and going outside at first light, walking with your rifle held close against your leg. Approach the trap slowly so as not to agitate the coon, line up your shot, take it, and put the rifle back in the house. Dump your coon into a five-gallon bucket and drive to someplace you can dump it. A weedy ditch will do. This whole thing is pretty gruesome the first few times you do it, but eventually you'll get used to it. It has to be done. So, work up the nerve and do it!

What breed is she? I would definitely take her to the vet and have her thoroughly checked for any major issues. I think it's important to first rule out if she has a neurological or physical condition causing her to be incontinent since one would usually expect to see improvement after all the training you've done this past year The fact she is submissive and fearful are two issues that can be difficult to deal with so it's important not to push her into situations that make it worse. If she checks out to be healthy, the vet may have a behaviorist he can recommend to help you with her issues, but one suggestion I have is for you to observe her closely and decide if going on the runs with you seem to stress her out. If so, try eliminating the runs/bike ride and instead take her for a walk on leash. She sounds like a dog that needs a lot of quiet and calm in her life. In the meantime, I would definitely use the doggie diapers. There are different brands and styles......so find which works best for you. Here is a link that might be useful: doggie diapers

The best weed control is proper cultural practices. The most important thing is having the correct grass for the situation. If you have a full sun grass planted in the shade, then no amount of care will prevent the grass from getting thin and weeds popping up. Assuming your lawn is appropriate for the location, then it comes down to caring for the lawn with proper watering, then mowing, then fertilizer. Here are the basics. Basics of Lawn Care After reading numerous books and magazines on lawn care, caring for lawns at seven houses in my life, and reading numerous forums where real people write in to discuss their successes and failures, I have decided to side with the real people and dispense with the book and magazine authors. I don't know what star their planet rotates around but it's not mine. With that in mind, here is the collected wisdom of the Internet savvy homeowners and lawn care professionals summarized in a few words. If you follow the advice here you will have conquered at least 50% of all lawn problems. Once you have these three elements mastered, then you can worry about weeds (if you have any), dog spots, and striping your lawn. But if you are not doing these three things, they will be the first three things suggested for you to correct. 1. Watering Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means at least an inch in every zone, all at once. Infrequently means monthly during the cool months and no more than weekly during the hottest part of summer. Do not spread this out and water for 10 minutes every day. If your grass looks dry before the month/week is up, water longer next time. If that does not work, then you might have to water more than once per week during the summer's hottest period. Deep watering grows deep, drought resistant roots. Infrequent watering allows the top layer of soil to dry completely which kills off many shallow rooted weeds. You will have to learn to judge when to water your own lawn. If you live in El Paso your watering will be different than if you live in Vermont. Adjust your watering to your type of grass, temperature, humidity, wind, and soil type. It is worth noting that this technique is used successfully by professionals in Phoenix, so...just sayin.' The other factors make a difference. If you normally water 1 inch per week and you get 1/2 inch of rain, then adjust and water only 1/2 inch that week. 2. Mowing Every week mulch mow at the highest setting on your mower. Most grasses are the most dense when mowed tall. However, bermuda, centipede, and bent grasses will become the most dense when they are mowed at the lowest setting on your mower. In fact there are special mowers that can mow these grasses down to 1/16 inch. Dense grass shades out weeds, keeps the soil cooler, and uses less water than thin grass. Tall grass can feed the deep roots you developed in #1 above. Tall grass does not grow faster than short grass nor does it look shaggy sooner. Once all your grass is at the same height, tall grass just looks plush. 3. Fertilizing Fertilize regularly. I fertilize 5 times per year using organic fertilizer. Which fertilizer you use is much less important than numbers 1 and 2 above. Follow the directions on the bag and do not overdo it (unless you use organics in which case you may overdo it without fear of hurting anything). At this point you do not have to worry about weed and feed products - remember at this point you are just trying to grow grass, not perfect it. Besides once you are doing these three things correctly, your weed problems should go away without herbicide.