I'm no expert on this one but growing turgrass doesn't sound promising with the type of soil you describe. It doesn't sound like you have any topsoil. Plus if it's a small area the dog traffic will be really concentrated and they'll stomp it good. I don't know if Tall Fescue will tolerate that soil. I've tried growing it in poor soil and it just dies. I recall a similar post and they were looking for crabgrass seed. Maybe you should consider the same? Maybe clover? You could always bring in topsoil and keep the dogs off it while you try to establish turfgrass.

Fescue would not work because it doesn't spread. Most zoysias would not work because they take forever to establish and spread. One advantage to zoysia is that the runners are underground where the dogs don't get to them. Bermuda might work if you get enough sun. St Augustine might work if you never mow it and let it get tall. All in all, growing grass under dogs is a very tough assignment.

An alternative is to cover the soil with (free) chipped/shredded tree trimmings from your friendly neighborhood tree trimmers. Make it about 4 inches deep so you can kick it around when the dogs thin it out. After a season of being mulched, the underlying soil should be much less red looking and be more fertile.

Bermuda won't work because with the extended dormancy period you will have not only mud tracked in but tons and tons of dead grass and it will make a huge mess. That is one of the main reasons why I replaced the bermuda in my yard.

Last year I planted tall fescue and KBG and it didn't hold up to my dogs that well. This year I planted fine fescue on the heavy side and mow it very short. Once it became exstablished (this is an all day sun yard) I mow it short, only 0.625" and it has held up well to the dogs running vigorously on it. When maintained like I am with fertilizer and frequent mowing it will appear to form a rather dense mat that paws just sit on top of instead of IN it the grass where it can dig up clumps of grass when they run. It is also much easier to pick up poo because it just sits on top of the grass.

I know that's not what you normally hear about fine fescue so I don't make any guarantees only that this has been my experience. And my dogs are medium sized with a small to medium back yard. If they were big-big dogs then they would probably tear this up just the same. I am using creeping red and hard fescue only nothing else. Couldn't be happier, really.

Quirky, you've got rain last night, your grass must be looking really nice, can you post some pics?

Another reason your fine fescue is holding up well to traffic is because of the short mowing hight like you mentioned. The grass blades are stiffer/stronger when mow short and do not lay over like they would normaly do when the grass is cut taller - plus you lose density.

I'm a big fan of medium to short grass. Those 3.5" fescues and bluegrass just don't cut it for me.

sheltiesnbcs, growing grass with dogs running all over it all the time is very difficult at best. If your backyard is in medium to full sun, you can grow Perennial Ryegrass. While it has the best traffic tolerance of the cool season grasses, it's still a turfgrass that needs proper care.

So set your expectation accordingly if you decide to do so.

Good luck.

I have a little slide show of the fine fescue that I will insert below. You will need flash player to view it. (I know, I know, I used to complain about flash)

I will take some pics of the front yard soon which is all bent. It filled in really nice despite the rain and lack of water during establishment.

Quirky,

Can fine fescue grow in the poor clay soil conditions sheltiesnbcs described. If so, which of the fine fescues would do best? Many mixtures contain chewings fescue. You seem to prefer creeping red and hard fescue. Is chewings fescue not as adaptable?

Gryd

I have been blessed with red clay too. It is not only very compacted but it is in 100% all day sun so it bakes into this concrete. I've been adding topsoil a little at a time and have planted trees to shade the yard.
As for what will do best in NC, the variety of hard fescue I'm using was tested in NC and ranked highly according to the dude that sold it to me. That's all they had in stock. I had used the creeping red previously and had great success with that so that is why I am using both. The NTEP list shows a number of fine fescues with decent color and summer survival but the overal quality is low. I am guessing here but I think the quality is being ranked lower because of it's clumpy appearance. It doesn't look like any of the cool season grasses are ranked very highly in NC so I don't know if that is due to a different climate or different set of criteria or just of picky turf scientists.

I'm always interested in people who go against convention. QQ please keep us informed about your low mowed turf. In particular I'm interested in weed control and watering frequency.

Also are you on an organic program at all?

And have we answered the OP's question?

Dchall,
1.)I don't do anything for weed control other than make it unfavorable for weeds to begin with.
2.)We are under a total outdoor watering ban so watering frequency is once a month when we get our monthly brief rain shower and from dew. If you're amazed it's still alive well so am I.
3.)As for the low mowing part, last spring, the creeping red took off and started growing vertically very very fast. I was having a hard time keeping up with it so I let it grow long for the summer. About 2.5" or so.
It got very thatchy.

I am currently on synthetic fertilizer. Not because I really want to be but there's just no where around that sells the organic stuff.

Quirky, I saw the slide! Great pictures... Cute dog, what is it?

It's amazing that despite the exceptional drought you have green grass. That fine fescue looks awesome. Is there a way to stop the slide so that I can save some of those pictures for my grass folder? oops, I just revieled I have a grass folder...:-)

Can you take some more pictures of the grass right after mowing?

Thanks.
Can't you click on the main album and see everything else in there? I thought you'd get a chuckle out of the aerial photo being the only green lawn.

That is a good slide show. The aerial really tells a story.

Aerial photos of my neighborhood are pretty funny. My block is only a little different, but the block across the street has 5 houses on it. You cannot see a single roof or yard because of the tree canopy.

Thanks for the help! I will try what has been suggested and will let you know what works.

We have several dogs, but mainly it's bigger dog that causes a little bit of a problem. No major turf loss, and our lawn is not big.

Seems like your problem may require you gaining a few pointers about what dogs do to soil conditions, not neccessarily what they do to grass - since the latter is obvious.

Switching plants may not neccessarily help at all, if the issue boils-down to your dogs and soil instead.

M. D. Vaden of Oregon