Did you purchase the turf yourself or have the installer do that.

Those of you who put the artificial turf down yourself, did you put a gravel aggregate base first??

Thinking seriously about artificial turf for our back yard. Small grassy areas that our Golden Retriever and Schipperke have destroyed with their games of tag. Two concerns are our hot summers (Southern Utah; July and August temps in the 95-104 range consistently) and foul smell from urine. These areas are irrigated. I think leaving the sprinklers on in these turf zones would help with the smell? Not sure how the turf would hold up in the hot temps though... Appreciate any feedback or input!

I had the turf installed. It has a good gravel and sand base under the turf. Also sand on top raked in. I am in the northeast and this is the first winter. Holding up well so far. I think most of these are made to do well in heat and sun. They originally were made for golf courses.

i do not have a problem with smell at all. We do get regular rain though. I think just hosing it occasionally will drain it well. Overall it drains so much better than the dirt. I just wish I had done it years ago.

Thanks Kate. What brand of turf did you use?

I used Intelliturf. They are based out of the south but have franchises all over. Including Utah I think.

I am considering artificial grass for a private dog park. But I am interested in a surface that dogs will enjoy exercising on, perhaps do a bit of agility, certainly retrieve balls. The dogs can potty before entering the park. Is artificial grass a good surface for dogs to run an play on or is it better suited to a potty zone? Thank you.

K9 Grass by Forever Lawn is a waste of money. It is short, stubby, feels nothing like grass and my dog took a sniff and walked away for the past two weeks. Further, I coaxed her onto it to just sit and perhaps grow accustomed to it: not in this lifetime, she said. with our technology today, there should be a way to produce a product that actually feels like grass -- longer than these stubs, softer and dog friendly. I spent $67.95 -- now hold on to your socks -- $21.05 for shipping and I did not request express shipping. Ridiculous.

As I noted previously, I am very happy with Intelliturf, but it is very pricey. They do everything, but it is about $10/ sq foot. The dogs (two Goldens) love playing , running, fetching, etc. so it is a great and clean sub for grass.

does anyone that has synthetic grass have an issue with odor? Mine stinks no matter what I hose it down with. Thanks for any help with this.

Have you tried Wysiwash? I am still researching artificial turf for dogs, but people on the "Best Kennel Set-Up's & Designs" group on Facebook seem to swear by proper installation (so you get drainage through the turf) and Wysiwash. HTH

I installed SynLawn artificial turf a couple of months ago. Installed it myself and followed all the installation recommendations and still have odor problems. I installed 4" of 57 gravel then 1" of #8 before installing the turf. Then I put the silica sand on top of the turf. I have watered several times a week. I even use a kennel cleaner recommended my Synlawn and the odor still comes back within a day or two. I only have 2 dogs and they don't use the turf all the time. Any suggestions??

I have the same problem with odor. I water it daily and have used three different types of enzymatic cleaner daily. I noticed it smells worse when I have the solid gate closed so I am thinking of changing the gate to a picket so I get better airflow. I am ready to rip it up. Any suggesstions would be much appreciated. I have 4 dogs but they get walked three times a day so they only use it in early morning and late at night.

I'm wondering (based on some of the comments), if the size of the area that is turfed and the enclosure around it comes into play. In my case (experienced little to no odor), my yard is large and there is good air flow. Again, I think it is very important to have proper installation, but maybe other factors could come into play. You can see in the picture, that I have an open style fence that runs the length of the side yard and a privacy fence that runs across the back. That likely helps with air flow.

My area is only 8' x 15' - a small section in my backyard. So, I don't think air flow is an issue. I've contacted the company and we'll see how it goes from there. Thanks for suggestions.

We initially started getting quotes 2 years ago but due to the expense decide to put down pea gravel. It's been a year with the pea gravel & I'm not liking it much it looks great but the dogs get dusty - their paws are always dirty & they kick the gravel up everywhere so we are back to getting quotes for pet turf. We have samples from SynLawn & Foreverlawn's K9 Grass. I like the K9 grass as the backing is more porous versus the Synalwn which only has a few holes punched in. I also have read complaints about odor issues with SynLawn. We have about 500Sq ft and Synlawn quoted $8200 with installation. We have not received a written estimate form Foreverlawn yet but they quoted me on the phone $15 sq ft including installation so that would be about $7500. I am still on the fence due to potential odor issues, heat issues (we have no shade in that area) and aesthetic issues. We have 2 Shelties so they really don't go out in the heat of the day and the yard does get shade early morning and late afternoon so thinking the heat issue may not be much of a drawback. Anyone have experience with any of these 2 products. We live on Long Island so not sure if there are other companies here there that would compare.

I used Intelliturf. They were around $10-12 sq foot./ I have a 2000 sq foot lot so it was pricey but the product has been great. I'm in the Boston area and it was a tough winter (second full year with the yard). It is holding up. I am having a refresh of the silica sand (which is brushed into the surface) due to some yard flooding that washed some of it away, but the flooding was much worse before I installed the turf. I think they have a base in the Stamford, CT area that might service you. I would recommend them. I have two golden retrievers (adding a third). They love this yard. No mud, it does not get hot in the sun (It's not like the soccer fields that get so hot with the rubber pellets). No issues with smell- I recommend something with really good backing to allow good flow. For really messy accidents that have happened occasionally I just drench it with a hose and it washes out really well. Plus in the Northeast we get enough seasonal rain (usually) to keep things flowing.

Make sure they prepare the yard with an underlayment of gravel to help with the drainage and flow. Laying right over dirt with no gravel underlay might restrict drainage. Good luck.

@twilcox what was the brand of the dog turf that you are happy with?

@maryfae, I can't remember the exact name brand of the turf but it was distributed by Synthetic Grass Warehouse (a nationwide distributor). You can google them. My turf is still standing strong about 6 years later. A great investment. This thread has been around a very long time!

@kate f , I am getting my estimate from Intelliturf soon. Do you remember which of their products you went with. C-80 or C-60?

I went with the 80. I liked the look better. It was over two years ago so I am not sure what the differences are now! But I have been happy with it.

@kate f Hi Kate. We just got a quote from intelliturf. We like the salesman and they seem reliable. He did not quote us the "pet grass" that they use in pet parks. He said the residential would work fine for our yard. Do you know if you got the pet products or the residential? Also do you have a drainage system underneath? (Plastic trays)? I think the trays only come with the pet system.

I did not use the pet grass. I liked the regular grass better. It does not have the pet drainage system. When they installed they prepped the whole yard with a crushed stone underlayment and dirt over that then the fine sand in the grass. It’s been fine.

@kate f Thanks. This can get very confusing. Your opinion and info is very helpful!!

10/2020 just found this thread, I’d love to hear updates from those of you that have dogs and artificial turf. I have 3 dogs and I’m wanting this for a dog run that runs the length of my house. Mostly always shaded in Texas (DFW area).

I’m so happy I found this thread! Thank you to all who provided such valuable information! I have a GSD and an English Springer both super active which has made it difficult to keep my lawn healthy due to high traffic and my GSD also likes to dig. I got a quote from Forever Lawn on the K9 grass. My outdoor space is about 677 sq feet and the estimate was almost 10k. Per the comments here it doesn’t seem K9 is a way to go. I already have some drainage issues in one part of my property and I don’t feel like doing the installation on my own. I have requested a quote from Intelliturf and Synthetic Grass Warehouse. Thanks again!!

I just discovered this thread! Great info. I am doing a around a 200 square foot dog run and just checked out K9Grass website. It looks great but from the above it seems other products may work very well also. Agree the multiple competing websites and claims are confusing. Would be interested in any feedback people add here. Has anyone used EasyTurf? That is one I think may be available in my area. I specifically need the good draining dog tuf. Thanks!

I live in MD and I got my quote from Foreverlawn K9 Grass. I have 1,350 sq. ft. and was quoted $15.75 per sq. ft. Is that a reasonable price or is that a premium price?

Hi I am debating whether to get artificial turf because of the smell. I found turf reinforcements mesh by tenax that I am going to try first. it is supposed to help with digging and Stop ruts with heavy play. If Tenax doesnt work then I will look at artificial. If Anyone else has used tenax how did it work out for you?

It has been a long time since i wrote on this thread. I had to remove my Synlawn due to odor issues. I put down river rock which the dogs got used to. I have only two dogs now. When it got cold, I threw down some 8 x 10 pieces of synthetic grass from home depot and it didn't take long before it started stinking again. I just rolled it up and threw it out. Now my dogs go on the river rock but it is not always easy to find poops! I am sticking with this option and leaving synthetic grass out of the options. I just cant stand the smell.

@chris yee: that price seems a bit high. About 4 years ago I paid $10/sq foot for Intelliturf (installed), which is a high end product. So $15.75 seems quite pricey.

@msmonap: I have had my lawn (2000 sq ft) for about 4 years now and I have not had any issues with smell. How long did you have it? And what part of the country? I am in New England and we generally have enough rain and snow to "clean" it.

I live in downtown Denver where it seems everyone owns a dog or two. Many of the high rises here have issues with the artificial turf smelling. I’m sure it is mostly do to lack of proper drainage during install and no rain. Walking past you have to hold your breath. All the real grass between the street and sidewalk is mostly dead and full of dog poo same with all the parks that are not dog parks officially, but look like one. Still wondering how dog lovers think having multiple big dogs in an apartment is being kind to a pet.

We put down used artificial turf three years ago. Best thing we ever did. We put a layer of sand and a couple inches of gravel underneath and it drains beautifully. I think having enough drainage underneath is the trick. We pick up the poop every day and don't let it sit. We typically have enough rain to keep the dog yard from smelling bad, but if we have a long dry spell it can get a bit smelly. So once or twice a year I use a cleanser (attach standard dilution sprayer to water hose) to spray the yard and all's well.

ProVetLogic AcuPro Animal Facility Disinfectant, Concentrated Disinfectant, Cleaner and Deodorizer, Effective Against Canine Parvovirus, 32 Ounces

Yikes! I can see where that is a problem. I had a 14 year old who could not make the 4 stairs to the ward so I placed a piece of the turf on the porch. She used it all the time, but it did get rank! My yard install took a full week with new drainage and lots of underlaying stone and sand. So I am sure that is why it still works for me.

Hi, we are looking into installing dog friendly turf in VA. Foreverlawn is quoting us $4,300 for 224 square feet. Is this a normal price for such a small area?

When i was getting it a few years ago it was about $10/sq ft. so that seems a bit high to me

Did that $10 price include installation as well?

On the quote they gave me, they seem to be charging 1,500 for "ground prep", $1800 for the grass, and $1,000 for installation

We also have concrete pavers that we had initially asked them to include removal of them in the quote. But after the initial quote ($4,800), they said if we removed the pavers ourselves, which we are thinking of doing, they'd knock off $500 down to $4,300. Which seems really pricey for such a small area.

any one use Pet Grass? quoting that and K9 Grass

Anyone have any updates they would like to add?? So very interested in this thread.

pet Turf recommendations that are more recent?

I cannot find contact info for IntelliTurf here in Orange County CA, but that seems to be the preferred product. Any locals to SoCal who have recommendations?

We used K9turf extremely happy with the results and the outcome after several months still happy with K9turf