Rubber mulch for play area?

Whiteshepherds · 03-13-2011, 04:51 PM

Has anyone used or seen this rubber mulch for playgrounds? We're building an area for the dogs to run (agility and fetch) and it looks like it might be the perfect solution to mud and saving the lawn.

Rubber Backyard Playground Mulch & Recycled Rubber Playground Surfacing at Rubber Mulch Products in Connecticut

The woman I spoke with said we don't want the landscape mulch, but she thought the playground grade would be great for dogs. She's sending us a sample but in the meantime I wondered if anyone has seen or used it?

shannonrae · 03-13-2011, 05:03 PM

I would be afraid they would eat it . . . obstructions are no fun! :/

Catu · 03-13-2011, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shannonrae

I would be afraid they would eat it . . . obstructions are no fun! :/

The same tought crossed my mind only reading the title. You can watch them like a hawk and still have an accident in half second.

Whiteshepherds · 03-13-2011, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shannonrae

I would be afraid they would eat it . . . obstructions are no fun! :/

The woman did mention that, it's one of the reasons she's sending a sample so I can see if they have any interest in it.

When they were younger they both tried to eat their share of sticks, stones etc. etc. but neither one of them does this anymore. I'm hoping they just take a few sniffs and walk away. (fingers crossed)

Catu · 03-13-2011, 05:40 PM

My 3 years old is what I would consider "safe" too. She earned to sleep uncrated since she was 1,5 years old. Last night she shredded to pieces my waist bag because it happened to have a couple grain of kibbles in a pocket. Even bird's poo can make that rubber too dangerous to my taste, even for the safest dog.

Whiteshepherds · 03-13-2011, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catu

Even bird's poo can make that rubber too dangerous to my taste, even for the safest dog.

Haven't even thought about them licking it and getting the pieces stuck on their tongues and then swallowing it. sigh

Any other ideas for a running surface that might work outside?

GSD_Xander · 03-13-2011, 06:24 PM

There's an indoor dog park up in Portland - I haven't been to it but their web site has good pictures and they use a fake grass type material.

Maybe something like that would work? I was surprised at how "real" it looked on the pictures - not like the astroturf I remember.

The playground down the street uses a type of wood chips that are nice - they don't cause splinters and they're not like mulch that you would use in a flower bed. I am pretty sure they're not bark but just - wood of some type. Those might pose the same issue as the rubber chips.

There is also gravel - it comes in a lot of sizes - or even sand. You could do a mix of something like that.

wildo · 03-08-2012, 01:36 PM

Bumping this really old thread...

Whiteshepherds- did you ever follow through on the rubber stuff? I've been considering the equestrian version of the product- similar to this: SureFoot Arena Rubber Mulch for a small (3648 sqft) agility area in my back mud- errr.. yard.

**jocoyn** · 03-08-2012, 01:40 PM

I bought a product that I am really liking myself. It is cypress playground chips. For a flat play area. It dries quickly and does not hold moisture nearly as much as shredded mulch) My dogs RUN over it multiple times a day when I play fetch. It is about $35 a yard and I bought 10 yards for a 1000 SF area. I have heard the rubber can get really hot.

This is not a dog pen where the dogs are housed but it is doing a marvelous job at keeping mud OUT OF MY HOUSE.

Zoeys mom · 03-08-2012, 01:42 PM

We took the pea gravel route for our 2 who had destroyed our grass and created a swamp. It's been 2 years now almost and so far so good. We have no mud, picking up poo is easy, and it doesn't seem to hurt their feets. The size of the stone is tiny enough to pass if eaten but big enough to make accidental eating unlikely. Probably wouldn't train on it but just to run out and potty type area works well

03-13-2011, 04:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
Whiteshepherds Knighted Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Northeastern Connecticut Posts: 2,771	Rubber mulch for play area? Has anyone used or seen this rubber mulch for playgrounds? We're building an area for the dogs to run (agility and fetch) and it looks like it might be the perfect solution to mud and saving the lawn. Rubber Backyard Playground Mulch & Recycled Rubber Playground Surfacing at Rubber Mulch Products in Connecticut The woman I spoke with said we don't want the landscape mulch, but she thought the playground grade would be great for dogs. She's sending us a sample but in the meantime I wondered if anyone has seen or used it? __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harley-WS 4-23-07 Annie-WS 10-18-07 RIP Dakota - WGSD 1995-2007

03-13-2011, 05:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
shannonrae Master Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Maine Posts: 606	I would be afraid they would eat it . . . obstructions are no fun! :/ __________________ Sydney(rescue)-Pit cross Birbo(rescue)-GSD Until we meet again . . . Bear(rescue)-GSD, my soul mate. Kai-(rescue)GSD, my forever baby. Kobie-Pomeranian, my tiniest dog with the biggest heart.

03-13-2011, 05:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
Catu Crowned Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Valdivia, Chile Posts: 4,269	My 3 years old is what I would consider "safe" too. She earned to sleep uncrated since she was 1,5 years old. Last night she shredded to pieces my waist bag because it happened to have a couple grain of kibbles in a pocket. Even bird's poo can make that rubber too dangerous to my taste, even for the safest dog. __________________ "The dog does not need to be deranked so much as the people need to learn to act like people worth listening to" Suzanne Clothier. Diabla, my Daemon; SchH A, RH-T A Akela, my Direwolf; Work in Progress Bagheera, Long term puppy host

03-08-2012, 01:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
wildo Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 3,230	Bumping this really old thread... Whiteshepherds- did you ever follow through on the rubber stuff? I've been considering the equestrian version of the product- similar to this: SureFoot Arena Rubber Mulch for a small (3648 sqft) agility area in my back mud- errr.. yard. __________________ Willy Pimg - DOB: 2/06, CL1-R, CL1-S, CL1-F, CGC

03-08-2012, 01:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
jocoyn Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: South Carolina Posts: 8,045	I bought a product that I am really liking myself. It is cypress playground chips. For a flat play area. It dries quickly and does not hold moisture nearly as much as shredded mulch) My dogs RUN over it multiple times a day when I play fetch. It is about $35 a yard and I bought 10 yards for a 1000 SF area. I have heard the rubber can get really hot. This is not a dog pen where the dogs are housed but it is doing a marvelous job at keeping mud OUT OF MY HOUSE. __________________ Nancy www.scsarda.org Grim (Grimmy Bear) & Beau (Bo-dee man) Waiting at the Bridge: Cyra, Toby, Rainbow, Linus, Oscar, Arlo & Waggles

03-13-2011, 06:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
GSD_Xander Master Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 937	There's an indoor dog park up in Portland - I haven't been to it but their web site has good pictures and they use a fake grass type material. Maybe something like that would work? I was surprised at how "real" it looked on the pictures - not like the astroturf I remember. The playground down the street uses a type of wood chips that are nice - they don't cause splinters and they're not like mulch that you would use in a flower bed. I am pretty sure they're not bark but just - wood of some type. Those might pose the same issue as the rubber chips. There is also gravel - it comes in a lot of sizes - or even sand. You could do a mix of something like that.

03-08-2012, 01:42 PM	#10 (permalink)
Zoeys mom Knighted Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Rockville, Md Posts: 2,941	We took the pea gravel route for our 2 who had destroyed our grass and created a swamp. It's been 2 years now almost and so far so good. We have no mud, picking up poo is easy, and it doesn't seem to hurt their feets. The size of the stone is tiny enough to pass if eaten but big enough to make accidental eating unlikely. Probably wouldn't train on it but just to run out and potty type area works well

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