[Lanelle]

I have a client with a townhouse backyard and a dog.
There are two small beds in partial shade that the client wants planted with a low groundcover. She initially wanted vinca minor but likes the creeping sedum that I used in the front yard. Is one more susceptible to burning (from the dog) than the other?

Other plant recommendations?

Thanks,

[familyguy]

you really can't go wrong with pachysandra or wild ginger

[TrickyDick]

We've seen pachysandra completely wiped out by dogs.

I don't know which will burn easier but neither up those stand up all that well to traffic.

[familyguy]

yeah, from a client with 3 dogs.

1 dog probly will burn if it uses that and only that spot for urine, menaing a 1 ft2 spot over and over. however, my inlaws have a dog that has been trained to "go" in the pachysandra bed. pretty clever i think. with little to no damage to the pachysandra. at my house, we throw all our dogs feces under 1 tree with pachysandra growing under the tree with no visible effects to the pachysandra.

the diet of the dog and in some cases the species of dog are important as well. in my experience personally and with clients, older dogs urine seems to be much more acidic than in younger dogs.

my 2 mini hot dogs can both pee and you won't see any mark in the grass from the younger male dog, however, in the older female it is getting more and more pronounced as she gets older.

[trees]

Dwarf Mondo Grass...

It will stand up to traffic and all the mess as well.

[LabourofLove]

The vinca will likely be OK, but the sedum NOT (fleshy leaves/stems more susceptible to both the urine and the foot (feet?) traffic).