Sorry, my original description wasn't very clear as to configuration. I'm on agricultural property in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. The dogs actually have two fenced areas. One area is about 7 acres of pasture, pond and woods. This larger area is where they really get their exercise. I also have a smaller fenced area for them that's a total of about 2,500 sf. I turn them out in this area early morning/late evening and when I don't want them in the pond. Roughly half of this smaller area is well-established pasture/crop fescue and it's holding up well under their traffic. There is a large gravel pad (20' x 20') where the dogs come and go from the house, and a 3-foot strip of pine bark inside the fence perimeter where they run the fence (plantings are outside of fence). The remainder is topsoil (where it was graded during construction) and I will be installing sod over this today. I've had other well-kept lawns with four or five dogs before so I'm not yet convinced that I can't have some lawn here. However, I'm used to kbg and not tttf. My major concern is the lawn's healing capability. That's why I'm wondering about clover or introducing more kbg next fall. Maybe I shouldn't even be thinking about this right now. And you're right, quirkyquercus, I try not to use chemical fertilizer in the dog yard but there are other options, yes? Using cornmeal is new to me -- would that work for tttf or am I better off with something like milorganite? My digital camera went kaput over the holidays but I can draw and post a plan view if that would be helpful. Thanks again, Kardis

Don't fertilize them... no amendments and take out the fertilizer stakes. All bad news for new transplants. I hope the wire baskets and burlap were removed. For sure the wire baskets if shipped that way. If planted correctly the root flare should be at least 2 inches above grade. Give each one of them a good initial soaking clear down to the bottom of root ball.. Best to trickle all night. Then set up a regular watering program to water when soil is dry 2-3 inches down. Check and see if any of the brown or dieing limbs have been damaged. Go ahead and cut them out either way as they won't regenerate but as the tree grows and fills in the open look won't be so noticeable. Save your receipt from the landscaper, hopefully, they are guaranteed for the first year. Once they acclimate, 2-3 years they should be free range with no issues. Go ahead and post photos, always a positive approach to resolving issues, especially new transplants. Dave

Hey guys, Thanks to all that took the time to answer. I appreciate it. I know my post was long and I'm not very good at communicating this way. Yes, costs are a consideration... but not the main thing. We have had communication "issues" in the past with this vet and her office staff and we are trying to rectify this. Although, I don't think we are getting anywhere. For instance, when we took the new pups in for the second set of shots (the rescue shelter had given the pups the first set of shots, but we missed the time frame by 6 days (it was unavoidable on our part) so the vet insisted that the first shots wouldn't count). After the exam she sent in a vet tech to finish up and we specifically asked what would be needed on the next visit for puppy shots (what we considered the 3rd set but the vet said they were the second set) and we were told that there was no charge for the actual visit because there was no need for an exam, it was considered just a follow up visit, and then given a list of shots needed. I had it figured at 57 dollars... and that is after i told them that it wasn't just the money due that was the problem, it was not knowing ahead of time and we are not willing to face surprise charges (when possible, of course, we are not talking about emergency situations or diagnostics). So... here we are with the pups in the exam room, on time, according to the vets strict shedule for time allowed between sets of puppy shots and just to be doubly sure I mention this to the vet tech who sees us and the pups before the vet does. She tells me there must be some confusion (picture heavy sighs and eye rolls from DH and I.. here we go again) and I explained to her that the confusion must be on their part, not ours, because we specifically asked on the last visit about this. She tells me this is "impossible'. I tell her it is not only possible but, sadly, highly possible and par for the course. Geesh! She then asks me who the vet tech was on that visit. I tell her I don't know her name (it's hard to keep track, there are new and different employee's, including this one, every time we visit and this is, again, after we have told them that we want all communication on record and that we neeed to know what to expect, moneywise, beforehand... surprises are no longer accepted) but it should be on the record, no? Silly me, eh? We tell her we want to speak with the vet.. she scurries off and comes back just as quickly...says things will be straightened out. Starts to leave again, as she does we spot the vet tech from the previous visit. We tell her that is her, she's the one that gave us the info. Much wispering and not so whipering conversations going on in the hall. At this point it is bordering on the absurd. I open the door and ask the vet to talk to us.. she says take it up with the office manager and walks away. My DH was boiling. Anyway, office manager tells us same thing... it is impossible that anyone could have told us this. At this point door is opened and i see the vet again... she tells me that this is not up for discussion and that if I don't agree with the exam fee and a few other puppy shots that we were, also, told previously that were not needed, that we can go to petco! I was furious and told her that even petco has scheduled shot days and if we left now, the pups would, again, be off the allowed puppy shot period, thus forcing us to negate the 2nd set of shots just as we had to negate the first set. Her reply was that a week or so wouldn't matter!! My DH had taken us to the vets office directly from work... he works construction, very hard work... he had not even had a chance to take his boots off. He was tired to begin with. Now he was exhausted and pis*ed, too. We gave up in sheer frustration. What was supposed to cost 57 dollars now costs us 147 dollars! Ugh! We didn't even have 147 dollars. It simply wasn't in the budget for that week. Don't forget, we did try to budget for this. Also, on the Rimadyl thing, I struggled with the issue when Toby needed it. I knew it was a risk but he was in so much pain that if there were no relief I would have had to put him down. He was crying at night and could never find a comfortable position. The Rimadyl was a miracle drug for him. My concern for the pups is because the vets office says that there isn't much risk for young pups. I'm not sure I believe that. And I do know that there are lots of other meds out there. What I need to know is which ones to ask for and which ones will work with less risk. There, surely, must be standard meds for post surgical pain? As to folks who say that the pups won't need pain meds? Maybe not for 5 to 7 days...but I do believe that they will need some pain meds. I don't subscribe to the thought that they (animals) don't need them even for such things as dew claw removal, neutering and tail docking (as newborn pups or older) and such. I remember when hospitals routinely did circumcision (no anestectic) on human babies. I didn't understand THAT thought process then, never mind that it came from doctors. It took a nurse to prove just how excruciating the pain actually was/is. She instinctively knew that the cries from these babies were cries of pain. Nobody listened to her. She taped recorded the different cries of babies. Clearly, you could hear the terror and pain in the cries. It seems so foolish to me that doctors would think otherwise. I know that when I had abdominal surgery I was very, very sore and in pain for more than 24 hours. I won't over medicate them. I'll observe them and see what they need for how long. But I also won't under medicate them. Hey, maybe I will end up taking the pups somewhere else. Still, I'd like to know ahead of time what pain meds are effective and not risky. Thanks again, Silly

No! Don't steer clear of white! You who are having staining issues, are you using Blanco sinks or another brand? And if your sink is white or light, are you using Soft Scrub with bleach to clean it? I've had my WHITE WHITE Blanco silgranit sink for 2 years. NOTHING stains it. I've had beets in there. Much coffee (with splashes that DH doesn't notice). Tomato based stuff. Even tumeric which stains everything!! Not one stain in my sink. Never even one problem cleaning it. I called Blanco before the sink was delivered to ask what to clean it with. They said Soft Scrub on the white ones. So that's what I use. With a green scrubby pad (Scotch Brite green pads). Most of the time I just used the Soft Scrub with my dish rag and any pot marks come right out. Pot marks are the only marks I seem to get in the sink, but they wipe out with not even any muscle. I don't know why others have bad luck with them unless they're a different brand, and therefore a different type of material or something. My white Blanco gets 5 stars from me and I highly recommend it. I love the granite you've chosen, by the way!