Dogs elimination area

[wayne]

Hi
I have two dogs. Collie 75lbs & a sheltie 22lb. We live in a town home with a small back area. Here I have always left a small grass area for the dogs to eliminate. I would have to change the sod every two weeks to eliminate odor.
Now I plan to cover the entire area with patio stones. My question is.
Do I just use water to wash away the urine or should I add some sort of urine neutralizer to the water to prevent odor or having a contaminated area?
I know some dogs have a particular run built for elimination but am not sure of what material this consist of.
I appreciate any help, I would like a clean yard but not at the risk of having an area that could be infectious to the dogs.
Thanks / Wayne

[Renee750il]

Wow, Wayne, this is a new one on me!

First, I hope your dogs accept the paved area for elimination.

Second, I would guess that you need to make sure your patio stones are well sealed, otherwise the urine will just seep into the stone.

As to cleaning, my inclination would be to use a cleaner with some germicidal and mild odor neutralizing properties just to be on the safe side. But I'd be very careful about what I used, trying to find something relatively benign and definitely rinse the area thoroughly.

By the way, have you seen the pet "septic" systems? You sink them into the ground and a lid is flush (pardon the term!) with the ground. Solid waste is scooped out of the yard and dropped into the sunken container, where it is supposed to be broken down and absorbed back into the soil. I've never used it, since we've always had a large yard (now it's 60+ acres), but it does look like a good idea in theory.

[dee_9125]

If yo mean acctual stones then it is going to be hard but if you mean slabs then you can easily put a little area where there are small pebles and train your dogs to go on that, and pick up the poo in a plastic bag and just spray some detol or a similar disinfectant on it to stop germs from breeding. hopefully that helps .good luck

[wayne]

Originally Posted by dee_9125

If yo mean acctual stones then it is going to be hard but if you mean slabs then you can easily put a little area where there are small pebles and train your dogs to go on that, and pick up the poo in a plastic bag and just spray some detol or a similar disinfectant on it to stop germs from breeding. hopefully that helps .good luck

Yes, I'm actually going to place patio stones. This will eliminate the area that was grass. I just wanted to make sure I was not creating a breeding area for germs and odor. If that was the case I would go back to replacing the grass. When I purchase a home with a back yard I wish to also make a similar area for elimination so the dogs are not just eliminating wherever in the yard.
Thanks for the reply it was helpful.

[wayne]

Originally Posted by dee_9125

If yo mean acctual stones then it is going to be hard but if you mean slabs then you can easily put a little area where there are small pebles and train your dogs to go on that, and pick up the poo in a plastic bag and just spray some detol or a similar disinfectant on it to stop germs from breeding. hopefully that helps .good luck

Sorry - When I said patio stones I did mean slabs - 18" X 18"