The astroturf thread prompted me to post this as I have been thinking about changing my back garden for a while but can't work out how to dog proof the place.

Currently there are some slabs at the back door going round the house and up to the shed.  A seperate patio area that I put down when the decking disintegrated and a patch of grass.  In an ideal world I want a no-maintenance garden and have a minimal budget.

The grass is a burnt rotten slushy mess and I have been told by a greenkeeper that the grass at the edges of the fence (where the dogs pee) is irreparable and new seed wouldn't take either due to the state of it.  I have thought about putting stones down but it looks a bit bland.  i have slate chips in the front garden as apparently cats don't like to poo in sharp gravel but think this is too dark to put in the back garden.

Any ideas for a cheap, no maintenace garden - Leah where are you???  Do any of you have any inspiring ideas in your own gardens that I could use myself?

We block paved quite a bit of our old garden as hubby was sick of mowing! I made him leave a bit for Ellie, but the different shades of paving slabs and the zigzags looked quite fun once I got used to it!

The perimeter could be a slab path, discourages digging under the fence, and with concrete gravel boards holding panels above ground level prolong fence life.

A friend of mine put in 12 inch gravel boards as she found that was just the right average pee hitting height to stop the panels rotting for our breed.

Also use slabs for the main routes in and out of the house and with the perimeters this covers the most used areas. 

Then you could alternate slabs with the slate chips in between, which gives drainage, but the light coloured slabs will keep things light.

Thsi seems nice and will give good drainage, and is large enough for cats to avoid. http://www.dandystopsoil.co.uk/Building-Materials-Sand-and-Hardcore/Drainage-Gravel-20mm.html?jos_change_template=GRAVEL&pop=0

Thanks for the ideas.  I have no idea what gravel boards are though!

Gravel boards are the concrete slabs at the bottom of a fence panel.

No ideas really, but to add to Brainless's gravel boards I screw plastic sheeting (the stuff they use in conservatory roofs) along the bottom of my fence to stop Tchi peeing into the neighbours garden and to stop me spraying disinfectant into their garden too, pic on artificial grass thread :-)