Question
Hi.  Our small backyard (in Indianapolis, IN) was never great, we had several skimpy areas.  We got a dog and those skimpy areas are now larger and a feild of mud.  Last year we tried to patch with "Patchmaster" and temporarily fenced off small areas at a time. It didn't take long for what little grew to disappear once the fencing came down.  We were thinking we might be able to afford sod since our yard is so small. Any suggestions for getting sod well established?  Or do you have any other ideas for fixing our muddy yard?  Our dog will pee when on a leash but won't poop unless he roams around first. We walk him to the back yard which is fenced and then let him off his leash. He doesn't dig much, if any at all.  Our yard has sun about half the day.  With a large dog we don't expect a showplace yard, but some grass would be nice.  Thanks  

Answer
Hi Kelly:
Sod is the only way to go if you must have grass. There is no seeded turf grass that will withstand traffic such as you describe while it is establishing itself. We have two miniature Schnauzers that not only tend to ruin certain areas of our lawn, but in some instances pull areas of turf out with their teeth. Kentucky bluegrasses sod is your best choice. The bluegrasses have subsurface rhyzomes that will gradually repair the damaged areas.
In the shade areas of your lawn consider planting shade loving ground covers as Kentucky blue grass does not grow well in the shade. (Check with your local Cooperative Extension for those that will grow well in your area).
Separate the shade areas and the sun areas with landscape brick or some other method to keep the shade loving ground cover from invading the rest of the lawn.
In the full sun areas of your lawn roto-till the area to a depth of 4 to 6 inches and rake evenly. You can sod any time during the growing season as long as you keep it moist until the root zone is established. Sod is expensive but it is instant and in your case seeding the lawn would not survive unless the dogs were kept off of it for a long period of time.
Purchase fresh, healthy sod from a reputable dealer. Plant sod in a bricklike pattern with sod edges tightly butting up to one another. Soil should be moist at time of sodding. Do not stretch sod it will shrink as it dries allowing weed invasion between pieces. On slopes, if you have any, it may be necessary to use small wooden pegs to help keep sod in place until it roots. Under good conditions sod will begin to root within 14 days.
Using a lightweight roller, roll sod immediately after laying to insure close soil contact. Initially irrigate heavily to make sure water penetrates beneath the freshly installed sod and wets the soil. Until sod is established, continue to irrigate frequently, making sure soil is dampened to encourage root development.
After the sod is laid and has established itself, mow the new sod 2 ?to 3 inches high. Mow frequently cutting no more than 1/3 of the grass blade at each mowing.

A good web site would be Dog traffic on the Lawn:

https://www.turf-seed.com/home/LawnsAndDogs/

Another web site you might find of interest in regard to other forms of lawn damage by pets.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/newsletters/hortupdate/jun02/art2ju...


I hope I have helped.
Have a good lawn
Floyd McMahon