Tips on Grooming Artificial Grass for Dog Yards

Pet owners know – what goes in must come out – some time, some where!

Whether we have our pets trained for a special area or not – any surface needs attention regularly to keep it fresh and santitary.

No Exceptions! Artificial grass lawns, used by dogs as potty areas, need to be cleaned and benefit from a “treatment” program starting from day one!

There are several simple tips and some very inexpensive solutions you can use to achieve a fresh and clean area – even if your dog goes doo doo.

The nice thing is that new artificial grass styles are perfect for use with dogs! The fibers will not absorb any of the liquids or solids making them easy to clean, unlike indoor/outdoor carpeting.

Read More Here and get tips from professionals on grooming artificial grass surfaces used for dog yards!

You will want to get two handy tools for easy grooming!

Groom Industries has a great SHAG CARPET RAKE that is generally available at carpet stores, janitorial supplies or any where carpet is sold or maintained. We’ve tried some of the “knock off” brands and they just don’t hold up, over time. Your artificial grass will last for YEARS – invest in a good rake, and it will too!

Also – Get A Sprayer – something easy to use (gallon size) for easy application of any treatments!

Any NEW carpet might “shock” you with a bit of static – so – IF – you experience STATIC on your newly installed artificial grass – spray the surfaces with a 5 to 10% solution of WATER and Fabric Softener! It should go away immediately.

Any brand of fabric softener will coat the fibers with a non-foaming, no bubble solution and help to eliminate any possible static. You may wish to use “organic” or “natural” solutions, or any liquid softener you use, today. Apply the solution, generously, across the area – that’s it! IF it rains, within a day or two – and you experience any static – you may need to reapply it, once again.

Once the surfaces have been out in the open for a bit – dusts and other elements in the air will fall onto the surfaces and make the static go away, as well as simply wetting the surfaces down with water.

ASGi August 26, 2010 Artificial Grass 4 Dogs, Grooming & Maintenance Artificial Grass for Dogs No Comments

50,000 SF Artificial Grass Play Area for Dogs Opens in Dallas

Huge Indoor Dog Park Pampers Your Pooch

by Wade Goodwyn

Listen Now [4 min 37 sec] add to playlist

At the Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks in Dallas, dogs can play on 50,000 square feet of articial grass.

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Kevin Hamilton

At the newly opened Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks in Dallas, dogs can play on 50,000 square feet of artificial grass laid over a foot of fine gravel. Fetch Photography

For dog owners, there are tables and WiFi, and there will soon be a cafe and restaurant.

Enlarge

Kevin Hamilton

For dog owners, there are tables and WiFi, and there will soon be a cafe and restaurant with seating on a second floor overlooking the indoor park. Fetch Photography

All Things Considered, April 7, 2009 · Open the door to Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks in Dallas, and it feels a little like you’ve stepped into the lobby of a Hyatt or maybe an upscale health spa.

But just beyond the waterfall wall that curtains the front desk is a sight for dogs’ eyes. The park is the size of a jet airplane hangar. But instead of 737s and an endless expanse of concrete, it looks like an indoor practice facility for a professional football team.

When the facility opened last week, 300 dogs arrived to romp on the 50,000 square feet of artificial grass laid over a foot of fine gravel.

Customer Nancy Perry has already begun bringing Jack, her 5-year-old Labrador retriever, here regularly. “I like that it’s clean; I like that it’s safe,” Perry says. “I like that it’s monitored. I think it’s a great concept.”

Outdoor Dog Park Wasn’t Ideal

Kelly Acree, 33, came up with the Unleashed concept. She regularly took her dog, a Labrador retriever mix, to Dallas’ very popular municipal outdoor dog park. That park was so popular that it soon became overwhelmed. Then she had the idea of an indoor dog park.

“People didn’t clean up after themselves, so it smelled bad,” Acree says. “There were no amenities, no restrooms, nothing to drink. Half the time, the water spigots wouldn’t be on, so you couldn’t even water the dogs in the heat of the summer. So we thought if you took it inside and it was air conditioned, clean, and you had handlers to break up fights and make it safe — and you made the experience comfortable for both the owner and the dog — would people be willing to pay for it?”

Kelly and her husband, Cody, combined their own money with investors and raised a $10 million startup fund.

In addition to the indoor artificial grass, the facility has 2.5 acres outdoors and a canine water park under construction. Inside, there’s also a supply store, grooming facility and day care. For owners, there are tables and WiFi, and soon there will be a cafe and restaurant with seating on a second floor overlooking the indoor park.

An all-day pass costs $7.50 for one dog and $10 for two.

Acree says the plan is to use all the revenue sources and to rent parts of the facility for adoption events and parties.

“We’ve got enough capital to keep it going,” she says. “It’s part of our startup costs, and right now we’re covering our costs.”

Patrolling The Park

Dog handlers patrol the park at all times. No pit bulls are allowed. Dog whisperer Russ Ottmer says that if you know dog body language, which he says he does, you can nip dog fights in the bud.

“Since we have a lot of people out here to assist, we can take care of it as it happens,” Ottmer says.

In Texas, the economy is doing pretty well compared with the East and West coasts, so the Acrees hope there’s still a robust customer base in Dallas for this kind of experience.

Customers can give the park their credit card number, and their dog gets a little toll tag for his or her collar that bills automatically — no need to stop at the front desk.

The Acrees hope this facility will be the first of many. They’re thinking about building a second in Plano, north of Dallas, and after that, possibly in Phoenix and Minneapolis.

Original post on NPR:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102831306

ASGi April 9, 2009 Artificial Grass 4 Dogs, Daycare & Play Yards, Kool Uses Artificial Grass, Artificial Grass Lawns, artificial turf, Artificial turf for dogs, Fake Lawn, synthetic grass, synthetic turf, Synthetic Turf Council No Comments

Milpitas Dog Park Goes for LEED GOLD – Sports Artificial Turf Play Yard for Dogs

Humane Society Opens ‘Green’
Animal Community Center

ARTIFICIAL GRASS IN THE DOG PARK IS ADDED
TO DECREASE NEED FOR IRRIGATION

Humane Society Silicon Valley in Milpitas, Calif., held an open house March 28 to celebrate the opening of what it says is California’s first regional Animal Community Center.

The $25 million center, funded through donations, is expected to be the first Animal Community Center in the U.S. to earn Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Planning for the 48,000-square-foot center, which is situated on nearly five acres, began about 12 years ago.

The building is designed to be much more than an animal shelter. It’s a destination for the community, said Christine Benninger, president of the HSSV.

“Those words ‘Animal Community Center’ were chosen specifically (to reflect that),” Benninger said.

One of the dogs up for adoption.
For example, the center incorporates:

* An animal adoption program.
* A community dog park and training center.
* A spay/neuter medical center.
* A veterinary hospital and public viewing room.
* Doggie day care, boarding and grooming.
* A pet store.
* An education center offering programs for children, teens and families.
* A community events room.
* A pet-friendly café.

The cage-less habitats for dogs, cats and rabbits simulate home environments, complete with beds and species-specific toys. The arrangement reduces animal stress and behavioral issues created by traditional shelter designs, according to the HSSV. The center can accommodate about 10,000 animal adoptions a year, up from 4,000.

Picture of a cat condo. Cat’s no longer stay in caged kennels, instead they have posh rooms, complete with comfy beds and toys.

The number of spay/neuter procedures is expected to increase from about 30 a day to about 45 a day, according to Julia Lewis, DVM, director of the veterinary facility.

Special features of the hospital include digital equipment, natural lighting and more space to accommodate additional prep and surgery tables. The hospital also will focus on education. The public can watch selected surgeries in the Medical Center Learning Alcove.

“I’m especially excited about the amount of room we have and the increased level of care that we can provide,” Dr. Lewis said.

The HSSV selected A Dog’s Life to provide the doggie day care, boarding, grooming and training services.

Dogs, which will receive round-the-clock supervision, not only will have fun, but they will pick up good habits, said Keith Uchida, owner of A Dog’s Life, which has locations in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale.

“Our goal is to make things easy and beneficial for owners, as well as make the bond between the owner and their pet stronger,” Uchida said.

HSSV has two dog parks; one for little dogs and one for the larger breeds.
In addition to animal care, the HSSV wanted an environmentally sustainable campus. Some of the money-saving green building features include:

* A solar system expected to generate 40 percent of the center’s energy needs from renewable sources.
* An efficient kennel-cleansing system to ensure proper disinfecting and reduce water use.
* A reflective “cool” roof to reduce energy costs.
* Stained concrete flooring to reduce the chemicals and water needed for cleaning and lower energy bills.
* On-site bioswales to clean rainwater runoff before water enters the sewage system.
* Artificial turf and native plants in the dog park to lower the demand for irrigation.

“Our sustainable, environmentally friendly Animal Community Center not only promotes animals but showcases the ease and beauty of water savings, energy efficiency and building in harmony with nature,” Benninger said. “We believe our new center will be an inspiring model of humane care, community involvement and green building design for shelters and nonprofits nationwide.”

Benninger said all the new features and services will help change the way the public thinks about animal shelters.

“The old facility, full of cages, gave the message of throw-away pets,” she said. “The Animal Community Center raises the level of respect in the community and the pets in our lives.

Original Post HERE:

By Marissa Heflin
Posted: Monday, March 30, 2009, 6:03 p.m., EDT

http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-breaking-news/2009/03/30/humane-society-opens-green-animal-community-center.aspx

ASGi March 31, 2009 Artificial Grass 4 Dogs, LEED Program Articial Grass Lawns, Artificial Grass for Dogs, artificial turf, LEED GOLD BUILDING, synthetic grass, synthetic turf, Water Savings 1 Comment

Artificial Grass and Doggy Daycare

Doggie day-care centers began springing up nearly a decade ago, prompting more than a few snickers and eye rolls. But their popularity shows no sign of diminishing.

“Either you get it or you don’t,” says Andrew Rosenthal, owner of L.A. Dogworks in Hollywood, billed as a five-star resort for dogs.

L.A. Dogworks was launched in October 2004 by Rosenthal, a successful fashion photographer who couldn’t find a suitable place to leave his three Italian greyhounds after he moved from New York to Los Angeles.

Bare bones kennels were too dreary. And the newfangled centers with Laura Ashley-style throws were too frou-frou.”The dogs are just going to pee on it and puke on it,” Rosenthal said. So, he built a place where “dogs can be dogs.”

Nice, upscale. But practical.

“The reception to it was unbelievable,” he said.

With perks like aromatherapy, the “Zen Den” where dogs can experience a massage and watch a 42-inch TV from camplike bunk beds, L.A. Dogworks has attracted several A-list celebrities among its regular clientele.

On a recent weekday afternoon, about two dozen canines of all shapes, sizes and colors wrestled and barked happily in the indoor park (complete with artificial grass) at the 7,500-square-foot facility.

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