Every day I muck out Herbie’s hutch, and clean his back legs. As most of you know, Herbie is a special needs hedgehog who has paralyzed back legs which means he can’t be released in the wild, so he lives in a rabbit hutch in the front garden.
Well, yesterday I went out as usual and nearly had a heart attack. Herbie had GONE!!!! I was utterly bewildered until I spotted the hole he’d dug out and escaped from.
I felt sick! I knew he would never survive as he can’t curl up properly, which means he can’t hibernate, and his injured legs make him vulnerable to predation. So off I went, hysterically crawling around the garden, under bushes and undergrowth, searching for him. I never realised how many nettles and blackberry bushes I had. Anyway….ages later, stung and scratched to bits, I still hadn’t found him, and I began to fear the worst.
The very last place I looked was in the hedgehog house which I know a hedgehog hibernates in during winter….and there, to my AMAZEMENT was Herbie!!!!! What a clever boy!!!!
But even though he’s now back in the hutch, I’m worried he may dig himself out again. He needs to have some quality of life so has to be outdoors, with grass under his feet. Because he drags his back end around he would scuff his stomach on concrete or wood. I could put mesh down the sides of the hutch, but we move him every week to give him a new environment to explore…….sooooooo what to do??????
My other problem is my back lawn. I’ve accepted the fact that the dogs have completely destroyed the lawn, but the constant mud and sand they bring in does result in endless cleaning, and as I’m in the process of re-decorating the house, it’s a shame seeing my freshly painted walls and skirting boards splattered in mud. I have those wonder mats and towels by the door, but nothing really works.
I kid you not, it’s like being in the Serengeti watching the dogs galloping about in the mud creating huge dust storms!
So…..I’ve been racking my brains trying to find a solution to these problems. While googling muddy dogs, I came across this article about fake grass. At first I dismissed it, but then it began to grow on me! [No pun intended!]
Maybe Hi-techturf could be the answer to both my problems. It could cover the back for a year while the dogs grow up a little, then I could donate it to the rescue, and maybe I could put a solid base in Herbie’s hutch and put some of it in there……and scatter mealworm in it….so, I was wondering if any of you have tried it? Or if you have any other ideas?
Thanks Keggy, gosh it was SUCH a relief to find him, the mind conjures such hideous images of what could happen, thankfully he was in one piece, how amazing that he found the hoghouse though!xxxx
So glad you found the little feller. Those animals keep you busy that’s for sure ! 😀
I don’t know about artificial grass, but I would imagine it is much harsher than real grass. A sample would be a good idea, before you make any decisions. xxx
Artificial grass is a great was to stop mud and dust.. You could also just use smaller patches of it in the hutch rather than doing an entire lawn. Many artificial lawn companies will send samples too so you can see what it will look like before deciding.
Thanks Matt, I will look into it.x
Thanks Steph.xxxx
So glad that you found Herbie!
Respect!!! I’ve now had a good read of your blog and you are up there with the best of them. I have subscribed but I’m not sure what I’ve subscribed too. I’ll figure it out….bit of a technophobe I am, So nice to meet you, and as I said before….i’ll be back. xxxx
Well you may not run across another individual who can relate to Herbie more than I as I’m paralyzed from the chest down. You can read all about it on my Favorites Bar.
But unlike your personal care of Herbie, it takes a village (actually a nursing home staff) to take care of this quad.
God bless you for your efforts but my sense is you are getting the most out of this special relationship.
Thanks Val. I do appreciate you taking time to comment and offer advice.
I’ve given a lot of thought to the problem and have now decided to re-turf the garden next spring, and keep my fingers crossed. You’re right, if I give it time to establish it should be o.k, and I could just take the dogs to the beach each day….they love running there.xxxx
Sounds like a good plan. Best of luck! xx
Hi Val, thanks for dropping by.
Thank you so much for the link, that’s very kind of you. I’ll go and have a look.
I’ve always had dogs, even larger than Sam and never had a lawn destroyed before. I think they’ve wrecked it for a variety of reasons. I got them at a few months old from the rescue and with them being the same age, they run and play all day. I got them in the winter when we had endless rain which helped churn the lawn up, then the poor thing never got a chance to grow back as these two kept running on it.
I walk them every day, and often change the route, they go to the beach, come out with us on long walks to the pub and run each day, yet still never get tired!!! They are two now and starting to grow up a little.
Do you have a blog Val? Thanks again for your help.xxxx
Hello No, I do not have a blog . but I hoped there might be some info. on that fellow’s website that might help. It sounds as if you just had the just the right combination of events and circumstances to help with the demise of your lawn. Obviously you are doing lots of positive things for the dogs ~ if only they could be in some space where they might play while the grass gets a good start~ then it all would probably be alright for your lawn and the dogs . I am sorry I have no real experience of this (apart from the odd hole being dug in my garden) as would like to be able to offer more solid advice to help out! You are obviously a loving and nurturing pet owner and animal lover ~ now if you could just get a little of your lawn back to sit in ! Much luck and so pleased that Herbie was found! Love a happy ending.
Hello, Just recently subscribed to your blog and am enjoying your recent posts. I came across one man’s methods for keeping a green lawn despite have numerous dogs. I am sending the link if you might want to read what he has to say. Some good suggestions I think. And I know first hand, that a bored dog or one that has separation anxiety will be far more likely to exhibit destructive behavior ~ Are your dogs taken for walks daily? I try to wear my Springer Spaniel out with a long walk in the afternoon ~ does not matter when you do it, but it can really make a difference. I do not advocate at all the use of pesticides or chemicals of any kind on lawns which the man in the article uses but he halves the amount recommended ~ other than that, I think the majority of his suggestions are good ones. http://kcdogguy.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-maintain-nice-yard- despite-your.html Hope this might help you with having a lawn and or more shrubs and plants ect. So very pleased to know that you found the hedgehog ~ like you, I would have been frantic till I found him! Good luck.
What a great story and glad you found Herbie. I too would have been frantic myself. Having had two large dogs myself, I know what their play does to yard and gardens.
Thanks Donna, it was a horrible few hours until I found him!
These two have wrecked the garden, I think it’s because they are exactly the same age and in that really playful stage. Thanks for visiting.xxx
so glad you found the naughty little hoglet… who does he think he is? 😉
Cannot believe how the dogs have made your lawn such a dust/mud bowl… and can quite understand you wanting to cover it in grass and hope if you try it that they don’t dig it up and CHEW it???
I did not giggle thinking of you crawling around hysterically hunting for naughty hoglet… honest…. no I can quite understand your panic… I’d have been the same… thank God you found him…. xxx
Lol….he was rather naughty!!!
Y’know, with these two, I wouldn’t put anything past them, I’ve NEVER known a couple of dogs like them, and I’ve had several!
Hahahahaha…….you would have howled laughing watching me disappear under the undergrowth and bushes. I never knew there were so many things under there that could scratch, sting and prickle. I’m still pulling thorns out, one even went in my scalp!!! xxxx
Hahahahaha….brilliant comment, I love it.
I think I’m going to chill and not rush into anything, the back has been totally wrecked by my young dogs so now it’s a blank canvas which I can do anything with. I always go with natural so this would be a huge switch for me and would only be temporary
Thanks Patrick.x.
Well I can certainly relate to Herbie because I’m a quadriplegic but I haven’t buried out of my nursing home room yet.
At first, some type of artificial turf seems inappropriate especially for a garden blogger. But after seeing your backyard and being Catholic, I bestow on you this formal dispensation.
He really did surprise me taking off like that Jo, still, all’s well that ends well eh….it was lucky that he found the hog house!
Yes….I’ll have to give the whole back garden a lot of thought before I dash into anything.
Isn’t the poem BRILLiant? Really cheered me up! Thanks Jo. xxxx
Awww, bless Herbie, out looking for adventure. I’m so pleased you found him safe and well, and what a good job you’ve got a little hedgehog house in your garden, he found somewhere safe to hide until you found him. As for the grass situation, I really don’t know what to suggest, but I’m not sure about artificial grass. I think there’s lots of questions you’d need answers to before you went down that route. I’ve just read Glo’s poem, how clever, a delightful little ditty about Herbie.
I’m so glad you found Herbie. I’m not sure what the solution is for your back ‘mud’. Would the dogs scuff the false turf up and chew on it? That would be my concern. xx
Thanks Suzy, I would have been distraught if I’d have lost him. Even overnight he managed to acquire two ticks, he just can’t look after himself properly.
I’ve decided to leave the back garden until next spring and then totally revive and re-desigh it. It’s a blank canvas now. Maybe by that time the dogs will be a little better, and I’ll alternate the front with the back.xxxx
Now Herbie is a hedgehog
Residing in a hutch,
And fortunately for Herbie,
He’s cared for very much.
But…
He hears them in the distance,
Those dogs that tear about,
And often he has pondered
How to dig his body out.
He’d love to see the action,
And to satisfy this need,
He starts to scratch the surface,
Until, he gasps… “I’m freed.”
He cautiously moves forward
As quiet as a mouse,
And there it is before him…
A refuge …Hedgie’s House!
He’d stop there for a moment,
To rest his weary bones,
Then set out in the morning
Toward the vast unknowns.
Alas, his great adventure
Is soon to come up short,
For rescue is upon him
From one who gives support.
“Oh, Herbie, you sweet hedgehog!
I’d thought you’d met your fate
…been eaten by some creature.
I was in such a state!”
When Herbie heard her speaking
Of creatures in the night,
He shivered in his prickles
And nearly died of fright!
Thank goodness that she found him
Before he found a dog!
He snuggled in his bedding,
Content, our wayward hog.
OMG….UTTERLY BRILLIANT!!!
This has really made my day and put a HUGE smile on my face. I shall print it off, laminate it and put it on Herbie’s hutch.
Thanks SOOOOO much Glo.xxxx
So happy you enjoyed my little rhyme! All of your escapades could be written up just so, I’m sure ~ never a dull moment that is for sure.
Thanks Glo…….what a lovely thought!xxxx
Herbie certainly took me by surprise digging himself out. I thought at first something had dug it’s way in but the soil was on the inside.
That’s a good idea re using mesh Elaine, thanks for that.
I had a real good look at the back garden today and have decided to give it a complete makeover next spring, it’s a blank canvas at the moment, well apart from lots of huge trees. Thanks Elaine.xxxx
Well, Herbie might not have the use of his back legs, but he made good use of his front ones. Unless it was something that dug in from the outside and he just saw his escape route!
Hmm, that’s quite a problem you have, I would think that for such a large area it would cost a fortune in fake grass, perhaps you could put down that mesh that they use in field car parks and turf or seed over it.
Isn’t it possible to get really hard wearing natural grass mixes? It would mean keeping the dogs off it while it establishes, which might be a problem.
I’d opt for natural if at all possible, but that’s just me.
Thanks Rusty duck….I’ll certainly look into hard wearing grasses.xxxx
I’m so glad that you found Herbie, and that he was okay.
I have to say that I’m not keen on artificial grass but if that’s the answer to your problem then it would seem the thing to do. xx
Thanks Flighty, that little hog really gave me a scare.
I know exactly what you mean, you can’t beat real grass can you.xxxx
OK – here’s an idea for Herbie. Put the same wire mesh you have on the sides, under about six inches of soil on the floor, and maybe put sacking on top of the mesh before you add the soil.
As for the lawn….I just love you Dina….my kind of woman:)xxxxxxx
I have sent you to private messages at the old blog site…when you have a minute ha ha…would you mind reading and getting back to me…xxxxxxx
Ahhhh, thanks for the suggestion re Herbie. I’d love to do that Janet, but his hutch is moved each week to give him a new area to explore.
Lol….you’re my kind of woman too. xxxx
I have no experience with fake grass, but I would be afraid that the animals would reduce it to torn bits of plastic in a very short time… not to speak of some animals who would try to eat it, and that wouldn’t be very healthy… You’re such a sweetheart with injured animals. xxx
Ahhhh, thanks Shimon.
I don’t know much about the fake grass either and would have to do an awful lot of research before I committed to buying it. The most important thing would be that it is environmentally friendly as I wouldn’t have anything that would threaten or present a danger to wildlife. xxxx
Bless you Snowbird for giving Herbie such a loving home, what a shame he gave you such a fright. I’m relieved you found him overnighting in your hog hotel safe and sound – little devil giving you a fright like that!
I think the artificial grass sounds like a great idea, I’ve seen some for sale at our local market – looks good to me.
Rose H
x
Ahhh, thanks Rose. Herbie did give me an awful fright, I suspect a lady hog may be around as he’s never done anything like that before and his hutch is moved weekly to give him a new area to explore and hunt in.
I’ve never seen the artificial grass close up, I’m glad you think it looks good.xxxx
I see that Janet Weight suggested mesh, but how about fixing some of the heavy duty nylon mesh (the sort used to protect grass under a swing) to the bottom of the run? It shouldn’t harm Herbie and would lift up with the run when you move it around.
Oh Rose…..what a BRILLIANT idea!!!! That should sort him!!!! Says I dashing out to buy some! Thanks you so much!!! xxxx
I was on tenterhooks reading Herbie’s story – I’m so pleased you found him! But I hope he hasn’t got a taste for adventure after his escape. I hope you find a solution to his hutch, too.
I don’t know what to advise re: your lawn and your gorgeous dogs but looking at how grass survives sports use sounds a good idea. A lovely post, as always!
Thanks Wendy, oh my….I felt ill when I saw him gone, I’d hate to think of him dying slowly somewhere. I hope he hasn’t got a taste for adventures too and hope he goes to the hog house if he escapes again.
What a good idea re sports….yes, deffo worth investigating. Thanks. xxxx
Is the fake turf the same kind of thing that the indoor games people play on, astro-turf? If it is, check out such things as skin skid burn from slip sliding around, especially when wet. It may not be as forgiving as natural surfaces. Otherwise the idea has much merit in your circumstances.
Herbie still has plenty of independence left in him, hasn’t he.
xxx
To be honest Menhir, I don’t know a great deal about the fake turf and really had to get my homework done. That is a very good point though and something I’ll be sure to ask!! So thanks for that.
Herbie….goodness me, I certainly didn’t expect that, he certainly has all his wild instincts.xxxx
Fake grass is definitely a good idea! That’s so funny about Herbie though (only because you found him, or it’d be awful) – it sounds like the Shawshank Redemption x
Lol…..it certainly was like the Shawshank Redemption….I really couldn’t believe it when I saw the hole he’d dug.xxxx
Herbie obviously wanted a minibreak!!!
Artificial turf sounds good ~ you could have underground heating like a football pitch.
~x~
Lol….maybe he did!!!
Oh my….underground heating you say???? xxxx
Thanks Linda, I’m keeping a SHARP eye on the hutch now for any signs of digging. I’d hate to think of that poor little hog freezing to death over winter or being mauled. What luck to find him though.
Young dogs can be very destructive can’t they, it’s not their fault though and the positives of having two such beautiful dogs easily outweigh the negatives. xxxx
Anxious moments – so glad that things turned out well. Hope you find a solution for Herbie’ s special needs and a practical play area for the dogs that will reduce the mud and sand coming into the house.
So happy Herbie was found, safe and cozy…and happy, too, the dogs have such pep, but can sympathize with the need for an answer to the mud and sand…Hope a solution that’s economical and attractive presents itself. I suppose they’d just dig up another ground cover?
I’m sorry I’m not more helpful regarding solutions, but I notice you have many clever friends, so I’m betting the answers will be forthcoming. I’ll send light. 🙂
I was so happy to find that little hog Kitty. I was getting more and more afraid that I’d lost him. He’s never done anything like that before, maybe a lady hog was about!
The dogs actually ran the grass off the lawn, I think Sam’s weight and the speed they run were just too much for the grass so I can’t re-turf it until they slow down, which hopefully won’t be for years and years. I’ve thought about paving but I worry that could injure them as they do topple each other at speed. Even bark would be buried….sighs….so fake grass may be the way to go. Thanks Kitty.xxxx
I’d say Herbie is a very lucky hedgehog to have a landlord so solicitous of his well-being.
Lol, thanks Jason. He is a little sweetie….xxxx
Yes, I agree Sue. Apparently they do send out samples. xxxx
I’d want to see what the grass was like in real life first – will they send a sample?
Oh….I really did think he’d gone, I ran around the neighbours gardens too and given how hogs can walk a mile a night it’s amazing how he stayed in the garden!
I’m really beginning to like the idea of fake grass. I haven’t seen any prices yet though, I need to work out how much I need and contact a few companies. Thanks Nikki.xxxx
Oh, Herbie. Don’t you know that sneaking out like that gives your Caretaker a heart attack??! Grass and hibernation houses are fine and good, but SAFETY FIRST!
As for fake grass, I think that’s a brilliant idea! Cuts down on the mud and, as I understand it, it’s porous so rain drains through. I’m assuming both Annie and Sam still have a few years of Serengeti-making left in them. When you first mentioned the mud, I was thinking gravel or paving stones, but they seem too hard and drab in colour for this area. Is fake grass terribly expensive?