Question
I live in Northern NJ.  Our backyard is on a hill and has three terraced levels.  It is partially wooded and very shady in most areas but with good sun in other areas.  We recently put up a fence so that our border collie mixes (one just recently adopted) could have free run of the yard.  Whatever little grass we started out with (I admit there was not much) has been ripped up by their running and playing and our yard is now all dirt, resulting in lots of dust and, when it rains, mud.  Can you recommend a fast growing grass or ground cover for shade that will withstand a lot of running and jumping dog feet? (Am I asking for too much?)  How long would the dogs have to stay out of the yard before the cover is established?  Thank you for your time.  

Answer
Good Morning Susan:

Oh how I wish I had a good answer for you. There is no turf grass that will withstand traffic such as you describe. 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.
You will find eventually that the dogs will make a run just inside the fence line. They may spend all their outdoor time running back and forth along the fence. We have done the following with some success.
Place an area of mulch inside the fence line approximately two foot wide.
Plant shrubs approximately three to four feet from the fence line. (These shrubs should be selected to hide the mulch run area and also provide privacy. Some viburnums grow quite well in shady areas).
In the shade areas of your lawn plant shade loving ground covers. (Check with your local Cooperative Extension for those that will grow well in your area).
Here are some ground covers you might consider:
Goutweed:A persistent, weedy groundcover that spreads via rhizomes.Tolerates many soil types, deep shade to full-sun; foliage may scorch in full-sun. Plant in contained areas to avoid becoming evasive.   
Bugleweed  Ajuga reptans: Low-growing, attractive foliage, spreads via above ground stolons. Prefers moist, well-drained soils in heavy shade to full-sun; protect from winter winds. Cultivars vary in both flower and foliage color.   
Canada Wild Ginger: Forms foliage mass up to six inches tall, spreads rapidly via rhizomes. Excellent for partial to deep shade.   
Lily-of-the-Valley: Forms thick carpet of upright leaves, spreads rapidly via rhizomes, very adaptable but does best in well-drained soils, partial to full shade. May crowd out delicate plants. Large quantities of roots and rhizomes are poisonous. Fragrant flowers are popular.    
Purpleleaf Wintercreeper Euonymus: Trailing habit and roots readily into soil as it creeps along. Heavy shade to full-sun, prefers well-drained soils. Protect from winter winds. Scale can be a problem.    
Sweet Woodruff: Delicate deciduous groundcover which forms uniform mat of bright green, persistent foliage. Small, white flowers. Prefers moist, well-drained soils in medium to deep shade.    
Hosta, Plantain Lily ; Large group of hardy, dependable plants with bold, decorative foliage forming neat, circular clumps. Plants spread slowly via short rhizomes. Adaptable, best in open shade, leaf burn problems in sun. Slugs are a common problem.   
Japanese Spurge  Pachysandra: Neat, uniform, evergreen groundcover, which spreads via rhizomes to form dense mat. Best in shade, well-drained soils. Protect from winter winds; may have pest or disease problems if stressed.   
Periwinkle  Vinca minor: Trailing, vinelike evergreen groundcover, which roots as it creeps along. Grows in fairly heavy shade to full-sun; although foliage tends to be deeper green and glossier in the shade. Protect from winter wind and sun. Disease problems may occur with poor drainage and poor air movement.    
Barren Strawberry: Forms mats of strawberry-like evergreen foliage with glossy, bright green leaves and yellow flowers. Easy to care for, plant in partial shade to full-sun.    
Woodland Natives  (various). A wide variety of woodland plants such as ferns, Jack-in-the-Pulpit and trilliums may also be used in areas where turf will not grow or is not desired. Consult native plant specialists & nurseries.
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. Put down a good Kentucky blue grass sod. (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 period of at least a months time.
The dogs will eventually stay in the mulched area along the fence for longer periods of time. Mow the new sod 2 ?to 3 inches high. Mow frequently cutting no more than 1/3 of the grass blade at each mowing.

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