Artificial Grass and Dogs

Introduction

Get ready to explore all about fake (artificial) grass and dogs in this article.

Let's start by saying that the glossy green of natural grass lawns can be easily ruined by the chemicals in dog pee, or the appearance spoiled by a dog who likes to dig.

Natural grass often also carries tics, other bugs, chemicals and bacteria which may prove harmful to your dog, or a nuisance to you and our family.

Which is exactly why homeowners in Ireland are turning to artificial grass for dogs, to create a dog-friendly backyard that’s easy to clean, affordable to install, and which will maintain its attractive appearance for decades to come.

Is artificial grass suitable for dogs? Dog-friendly Artificial Grass

Artificial grass – also known as astroturf or fake grass for dogs – is a synthetic imitation of a real lawn, made from thousands of blades of polyethene, dyed to resemble the luscious green of natural grass.

These strands of plastic are woven into a mesh underlayer designed for easy drainage and durability and are typically sold by the m2.

Astroturf and dogs might not immediately strike you as a winning combination, especially considering just how much damage even the smallest pooch can do to natural grass.

Tile Merchant's Artificial grass, however, is actually dog-friendly by design! Installing fake grass with a dog in mind is a genuinely great idea for dog owners in Ireland. Let’s see why.

Top 8 benefits of installing artificial grass for Irish dog owners

Artificial grass is less likely to harbour unwanted chemicals, bacteria, and bugs

Artificial grass is a naturally dog-friendly backyard ground cover because unlike natural grass it is much less likely to host bugs and insects, such as tics and fleas,

Bugs and insects can cause your dogs irritation and, in some cases, spread disease.

Similarly, whilst natural grass tends to require treatment with harmful chemicals like weed killer and fertiliser, artificial grass for dogs does not, so is much safer for your dogs to roll around in.

Dog mess is easier to spot in artificial grass

One of the primary concerns for our customers with regard to their gardens is how to ensure they or their children don’t come into contact with dog poo.

This is a common problem with natural grass backyards because the grass can grow long enough to hide a dog’s business.

With astro turf for dogs, however, the constant, uniform length of the blades, combined with a naturally porous mesh sublayer, ensure that if a dog’s undiscovered poo isn’t naturally washed away by the rain, then it will be easy to spot and pick up in the morning.

Artificial grass is easier to clean and maintain

And speaking of cleaning your garden of mess… artificial grass is also much easier to clean and maintain than a natural lawn is.

Most dirt, including dog pee and poo, will filter through the drainage under artificial turf for dogs.

The dirt and debris that doesn’t can either be easily raked out of the fake grass, or quickly washed away with a hose or pressure washer.

A full pressure wash of artificial grass for dogs is usually only necessary about once a year.

There are even odour-neutralising sand infills for astro turf which are specifically formulated to mask the smell of dog urine, though with Ireland’s climate you’ll likely find the rain is enough to wash all smells away.

Lawn care with dogs can be a nightmare, but by installing the best fake grass for dogs to pee on and play about in, these nightmares will become a thing of the past.

Dogs can’t ruin or dig-up artificial grass

One of the biggest problems with letting your dogs out into the garden – especially if your garden happens to be small – is that the chemicals in dog urine will, over time, turn your lovely green grass an ugly shade of brown.

If dog pee doesn’t kill your lawn, then you’ll probably also find patches of dead grass where your dogs have been digging or running excessively.

The best solution to both of these problems is artificial grass. Astroturf, which is another term for artificial grass, is not only the best grass for high-traffic dogs, but it can withstand everything your dog has to throw at it.

The strength of the polyethene blades in astro turf for dogs stops them being able to chew or tear the grass, whilst the durable grass mesh for dogs beneath the blades cannot be dug through.

Most importantly, urine will never fade or discolour the brilliant green dye of our artificial grass for dogs.

In a word, artificial grass for dogs keeps the Emerald Isle, well… emerald!

Artificial grass can be made safer for both pets and children

A household with dogs often has children, too, and parents or carers who want to make sure their garden is as safe as possible for both to play in.

Dog-friendly artificial grass is, you may be pleased to learn, equally child-friendly.

Firstly, thanks to the hygienic nature of fake grass, your children are much less likely to come into contact with the same bugs, beasties, and bacteria which might harm your dogs, as well as less likely to come into contact with dog poo, provided you pick up after your pooch.

Secondly, we at Tile Merchant typically recommend that when installing artificial grass for dogs, you add a foam shock pad underlay as well, to give your new lawn the added protection of underfoot cushioning.

A shock pad underlay will ensure that however hard your dogs and kids run, fight, jump or fall in your garden, they’ll be protected from injury.

Dogs can’t track mud and dirt into the house from artificial grass

Mucky paws – we all know how impossible it is to stop them from getting just about everywhere:
on our clothes, on the carpet, up the stairs, across the lino. - MUM, I can hear you! DAD, you will clean later, won't you?

Artificial grass for dogs completely eliminates this problem.

With no mud to speak of, you and your dogs can spend as much time on your astroturf as you like, and never get dirty.

Artificial grass installation is more cost-effective than natural lawn restoration, over time

To keep natural grass healthy, clean and safe requires a lot of time, effort, and money. Whilst it’s cheap to install, over time the expense of maintaining it adds up.

Artificial grass for dogs, on the other hand, costs more to install, but virtually nothing to maintain; and will last you for 15-20 years with a guaranteed 8-year Tile Merchant warranty.

Over time, therefore, the more cost-effective option for Irish dog owners is to invest in artificial dog turf like the grass we stock and ship anywhere in Ireland.

artificial grass is just as soft and attractive as natural grass

Dog-friendly artificial grass might not show any wear and tear from your pups’ antics; it might be super simple to keep clean, and be free of all the potentially harmful things natural grass can carry as well; but does it actually look and feel any good?

Well, the consensus from our happy customers is very much… yes! Here at Tile Merchant Ireland, there is a wide range of fake grass styles to choose from, with variation in length, shade, and pile density.

For example, we’ve got a luxurious 40mm thick Powerscourt artificial grass for a thicker, fluffier lawn. Or, if you want something more trim, you could choose the 15mm Grattan-style fake grass instead, and any length of pile in between.

Whichever type of artificial grass for dogs you choose to renovate your Irish backyard, you can rest assured that it will not only look as good as natural grass but feel just as soft and inviting, too.

Is artificial grass safe for dogs?

Artificial grass is 100% safe for dogs. Prior to 2008, some types of astroturf carried unsafe levels of lead for dogs, but this has not been the case for a long time now.

All of Tile Merchant’s dog-friendly astroturf range is guaranteed safe for all dog breeds, sizes, and dispositions.

How to create a dog-friendly garden with artificial grass for Irish homes

There are so many things you can do with artificial grass for dogs to spruce up your garden or backyard.

It can make an excellent flooring for a dog kennel outside, and makes a great dog run ground-cover idea, too.

In our opinion, the best turf for dogs is undoubtedly artificial grass, but we also think that artificial grass is a sensible choice for anyone looking to revive their garden lawn.

In our online store, as well as in our three showrooms in Ireland – two located in Dublin, and the third in Ashbourne, Co. Meath – we stock a range of dog-friendly artificial grass.

Conclusion

When selecting your preferred style, remember that the best length of artificial grass for dogs depends on how much use it will see: the higher the expected paw-traffic, the denser the pile you’ll need.

If you’re unsure which artificial grass for dogs to buy, you can even order free samples of artificial grass to your house to try before you buy (again, it's free and delivery is on us, so why not try?!). We ship to any address in Ireland, and can cut our rolls of fake grass for dogs to any size, to fit any garden.

We’ve got two showrooms in Dublin, and one in Ashbourne (Co. Meath). Alternatively, give us a call before 5 pm, seven days a week! Thanks for reading and happy shopping.

Why Tile Merchant?

Tile Merchant Ireland offers extremely competitive pricing on our entire range of tiles and likewise.

Tile Merchant stocks a huge range of wall and floor tiles and our prices are competitive for retail and trade. Our stock is widely available in our tile stores in Dublin and Ashbourne (Co. Meath) which are open 7 days a week.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to shop our tiles online, we can supply you with samples delivered for free.

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