A problem I am asked for advice on regularly is how to stop my dog’s urine (or the neighbors’ dogs’ urine!) from killing my grass. There is an easy solution to the problem,(here) but first let me tell you why this is happening so you’ll understand the solution better. All dog’s urine contains urea, a form of ammonia which converts to nitrates. Concentrated nitrates burn plants. It’s as simple as that! The level of urea will vary, with the first morning pee having the highest concentration. Urea can actually be good for your lawn if used in low doses; in fact, it’s a component of many fertilizers.
If you pay attention, you will see that the area immediately around a dead spot in your grass will actually be dark green and growing well. You would see a similar result if you poured a cup of fertilizer in one spot on your grass. The spot where you poured that fertilizer would probably die, but the surrounding areas would turn dark green. So you see, the problem is not necessarily the pee, it’s the concentration of the urea in the animals’ pee.
Here is the easiest fix: Immediately dilute the pee.
How? Well, I suggest you keep a watering can at the ready, in the area where your dog usually goes. As soon as she is done doing her thing, sprinkle a little water there and…presto! Dilution complete! That should take care of the problem. See how easy that was? (Great Gardens Simplified)
I’ve heard the suggestion that you can add things like tomato juice to your dog’s diet, but that seems silly and probably won’t work. It’s not an acidity issue like some say. Not to mention the fact that a dog with an upset stomach in the house is a worse problem than a dead spot on the lawn, if you know what I mean!
Another good suggestion is to train your pet to go only in one location. A good idea if you can do it, makes it easier to use the watering can in only one spot too.
I’ve also heard that Petsmart carries some supplement that you add to your dog’s food, but I don’t have any personal experience with it, and in general I’m against adding anything unnecessary to my pet’s diet.
Another good idea is to keep your pup hydrated. Make sure your pet always has fresh water available. This will help dilute the level of urea in your pup’s urine naturally, and may be a sufficient solution in some cases without the need for a watering can.
So how do you fix existing dead spots in your grass that your dog has already killed? Repairing and patching is simple. Just scratch the dead lawn away, sprinkle a good portion of grass seed on the spot, cover it thinly with peat moss or some other organic mulch, and water it. In a few weeks the spot should begin to fade as the grass fills in. Make sure to try to match the grass seed with whatever type of turf you already have.
If you are planting a new lawn, I am told that perennial ryegrass and fescue are a little more tolerant of high urea levels, and they make a great looking lawn when blended together.
In case you missed it, here is a link to a solution that will work for larger dogs and here is a solution for small dogs
I hope this helps before your lawn looks like this one.
Craig Rees Cowden
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
great ideas. Now, do you have any suggestions regarding lawn killed by a German shepherd constantly running the fence?
Well Deb, I have a couple of solutions that I’m positive will work but you probably don’t want to hear them
Craig
My next door neighbour’s very sweet dog keeps weeing on my potted plants (I don’t have a garden, just some pots sitting about) – any tips on helping the lavender, sunflowers etc survive, other than using repellent (I like it when the dog comes to visit me!)?
I think your solution sounds good, but we have a large yard and our dog goes wherever and whenever he wants. He has ruined the backyard and now prefers the front yard. We just layed new sod in the back so I guess it will be a never ending battle!! My poor neighbors.
Hey Deb,
Your problem of your dog running the perimeter of your yard is quite common.
There is no way for the turf to survive constant wear from a big dog. You can’t fight his nature so I suggest you think about laying a strip of fake turf around the edge about 2 ft wide or whatever width you think is necessary. I’m generally not a big fan of fake turf but it seem like a good option in this case. There are some pretty realistic products on the market and if you fertilize regularly the colors should blend pretty well.
Rees
Thanks for the tip. My border collie is doing a number on my lawn (no pun intended). I will try the watering can solution.
~Larry
I have HUGE areas, not just little spots like the picture above…..I will try the watering can. Thanks for the tip! My husband doesn’t think grass will ever grow in the area b/c the ground is so saturated? What do you think about that?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the comment. Unless you have other problems that are causing your lawn to die, the dog urine issue can be solved and you should be able to have a nice lawn eventually. Maybe your husband has an aversion to mowing …….can’t say I blame him. I get so many readers of this “dog pee killing my grass” post I’ll be writing another post shortly that focuses on how to repair a lawn once you have solved the doggy problem, watch for it soon.
Thanks,
Rees
Hi any ideas to prevent other people’s pets from doing nasty business on my front yard. I have no grass, but red mulch, with red pea gravel over top and lots of perennial plants. Am getting fed up with the clean up! Don’t have any pets of my own and now I remember why…lol Any suggesstions greatly appreciated.
thanks in advance
Bacha2
We have a medium sized dog and to offset the lawn problems are thinking about a doggy litter box outside under the deck. I have not seen many comments about litter boxes for dogs, except for the manufacturers web sites. Wondering what others have experienced or might recommend? Thanks!