# Does your dog wear paths in your yard?



## arcane (Sep 18, 2007)

Dinsdale said:


> When we put Clover in our yard, she tends to make circuits of the yard at a trot. In the process she wears paths through the lawn (and portions of the gardens.) Just wondering if this is common "normal" behavior or a sign of boredom.


we have a track in our dog yard...I don't believe its a boredom related issue, just that the dogs frequently use the same area, after a while its bound to show, I wouldn't think one dog could do the damage that 5 do


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Because Florida dirt is just gray chalky dust, our yard is just a dust bowl. They're not even allowed out there unless it's bath day because if they even WALK across the yard, they need a bath before they can come inside. When they do get playtime out there, they are tinted gray/black within minutes. We have so many trees back there, that no grass can grow. However, there is a definite cut path even though they are hardly ever out there... so it's definitely not boredom or too much time outside. Dogs are creatures of habit and they walk the same path, even though it's not the most direct path, to get from point A to point B out there.

The front yard is grass, so they go out there!


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## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Maddie likes to run laps around the above ground pool like it's her own little racetrack lol, she'll grab a toy and then run around like crazy.


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## DelmarvaGold (Mar 7, 2006)

Yes, we have a path from the deck to the basement door and another one along the fence line to the pool area. Vern calls them prison trails :doh:


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## arcane (Sep 18, 2007)

mine is almost a perfect triangle! perhaps they are telling me somethng! Think If I video tape them that it could be used at shows!!!!!!!!:


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

*yes ! We Have One In A Diagonal Line From Patio To Back Fence Where They Alway Traveled To Get To Back Fence, And Then One Along The Back Fence Where They Ran Up Nd Down Barking With The Dogs On The Other Side Of The Fence. Also One Ta Runs Along The Back Of The House To Th Side Yard Where They Alway Swent To Go Potty. It Isn't So Bad Now That I Only Have Honey. *


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Yep we call them 'runways'... 

I actually planned my garden to avoid where they naturally run....


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## Dinsdale (Feb 26, 2008)

All right - I'm glad to hear this is normal. She doesn't seem distressed, reminds me more of a loping wolf covering territory. And she does it no matter how much exercise we give her.

I guess I don't remember what it was like when my old dogs were young - or I was to preoccupied with young kids at the time. We wouldn't really care but that we are considering putting our house on the market and would like the yard to look decent for prospective buyers.

I bought a couple of sections of garden fencing and put them where she was causing the most wear. That seems to be enough to persuade her to slightly adjust her paths, and after a week or so I move the fencing to block off her new paths.

Oh well - pretty soon we'll have snow and this won't be a problem.


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