Artificial Grass for Dogs: Getting the Base Right
Updated: Oct 9
Artificial grass is a good choice for dogs if urine can drain straight through it and away. The smell people complain about almost never comes from the grass fibres; it comes from urine sitting in the backing, a membrane or a tight base underneath. So the best artificial grass for dogs is really the best-built lawn for dogs: a free-draining sub-base, no membrane trapping moisture under the turf, a backing that lets liquid through, and edges a dog cannot pull up.
Why dog lawns smell
Urine that cannot drain downwards stays under the grass, where bacteria break it down into ammonia. Installers who deal with smelly lawns point to the same handful of causes: a backing that does not let liquid through quickly, a base that is compacted too tight or built from the wrong material, a layer of sand holding moisture, or a membrane directly under the grass that soaks up urine and holds it.
Rinsing and enzyme cleaners help, but they treat the symptom. If a new lawn smells within a few months, the base is usually the problem, which is why every artificial grass installation for a dog owner should be planned from the ground up.
The sub-base: where dog lawns are won or lost
A standard lawn is built on a compacted stone sub-base (typically about 50mm for domestic use) with a thin layer of granite dust on top. For dogs, what that stone is matters.
MOT Type 1 is the usual sub-base for paths and lawns because it compacts hard and stays level. The downside is that it contains a lot of fine material, so it does not let water through especially fast. Some specialist installers recommend 20mm granite or limestone chippings instead for dog owners, because a clean, single-size stone drains quickly and acts like a shallow soakaway under the whole lawn. Others stick with Type 1 but pay more attention to falls and compaction.
Our view, as groundworkers: on free-draining ground either can work, but on heavy, slow-draining soil or where several dogs use a small lawn, a free-draining stone base is the safer choice. On a heavy clay site the water also needs somewhere to go below the stone, which can mean a soakaway or a drain at the low side.
Membranes: one layer, at the bottom
A weed membrane belongs under the stone, on the dug-out soil. Many installers also put a second membrane on top of the granite dust, just under the grass, to stop weeds. For dogs, leave that top layer out: it is a fabric sitting right under the turf that soaks up urine and stays damp.
Choosing the grass itself
Look at the backing first, then the fibres:
Backing. A fully permeable backing lets urine pass through the whole surface, not just a grid of drainage holes. Polyurethane (PU) backings are widely recommended over cheaper latex ones for pet lawns because latex can absorb and hold odour.
Pile height. Shorter, denser pile (around 25mm) dries faster and is easier to clean than a long, soft pile.
Fibre. Polyethylene is the usual choice for gardens: soft enough to lie on but tough enough for running dogs.
Infill. Plain kiln-dried sand is standard on lawns. On dog lawns, ask about odour-absorbing infills sold for pet areas, which go in the same way.
The cheapest grass is usually cheapest because of its backing, which is the part that matters most to a dog owner. If you are weighing grades against budget, our post on artificial grass installation cost shows where the money goes.
Edges and digging
Dogs find the weak points. A lawn that is only loosely pinned at the edge gets lifted, chewed or dug under. Fix the perimeter to a solid edge: nailed into treated timber, pinned along steel edging, or glued and pinned against paving. Installers using U-pins typically space them around 150mm apart along the edge. Joins need glue along their full length on joining tape, not just pins.
The good news is that a dog cannot dig through a compacted stone base the way it digs through soil, so once the edges are secure, holes in the lawn stop being a problem.
Keeping a dog lawn clean
A dog lawn needs a little more care than a lawn without pets, but not much:
Pick up solids promptly, then rinse the spot with a hose.
Hose down the areas your dog uses most, more often in warm weather.
Use an enzyme cleaner made for artificial grass on favourite spots every few weeks; it breaks down the compounds that cause the smell rather than masking them.
Brush the whole lawn against the pile every few weeks to stand the fibres up and stop debris building up.
Avoid bleach and strong household cleaners, which can damage the fibres and backing. A garden hose is usually enough water; a pressure washer close to the surface can blast out infill.
Hot weather
Artificial grass absorbs heat and can get uncomfortably warm in strong sun. Hosing it down with cold water cools it quickly, and a shaded area or a patch of paving gives your dog somewhere cooler to lie. Keep barbecues off the lawn too: hot coals and dropped embers melt the fibres and leave a permanent mark.
Dog lawn questions, answered
Can you fix a smelly lawn without relaying it?
Often you can improve it with enzyme cleaners, regular rinsing and an odour-absorbing infill. If the smell keeps coming back, the base or backing is not draining, and the lasting fix is lifting the grass and rebuilding underneath.
When is the best time to lay a dog lawn?
Any time the ground is workable. The best time of year to install artificial grass depends more on whether the ground is waterlogged than on the season, and a winter install means the lawn is ready before spring.
We build lawns the same way we build a driveway: dug out properly, a stone base laid and compacted for drainage, and solid edges. For dog owners around Wolverhampton we plan the base around your soil and your dog on a free site visit.
