Hi The Turf Doctor,
I have a 2-year-old lab and she does her business on my lawn every day. I’ve tried to train her to use a designated spot but haven’t had much luck yet. While I’m still trying to prevent her from weeing on my lawn in the first place, I wondered if you had any advice on how to prevent the wee from damaging and killing the grass? I currently have ugly brown patches/bare spots and I’m worried about what it’s doing to the grass health in the long run.
Any help would be appreciated!
Karen
Hi Karen,
Oh, the classic battle between a lovely green lawn and a dog with no regard for it. You’re not alone in wondering if your pup has a personal vendetta against grass. The good news is, you can stop your lawn from looking like a polka-dot disaster without banning your dog from using it.
The problem comes down to nitrogen. Dog urine is full of it, and while nitrogen is great in small amounts (it’s in most fertilisers), too much in one spot will scorch the grass. Think of it like dumping a bag of feed in one go instead of spreading it evenly. It’s worse with female dogs, too, because, unlike male dogs, they squat and wee all in one place.
The easiest fix is to dilute the urine before it does damage. If you can, get into the habit of rinsing the area with water straight after your dog has been. Yes, it’s tedious, but it’s the most effective way to stop those burn marks and dead patches. It’s the only short-term solution while you’re training your dog to go in a specific part of the garden.
Interestingly, your dog’s diet can make a difference too. Some people swear by dog rocks in the water bowl, which claim to reduce the amount of nitrogen in urine. It sounds obvious, but even just making sure your dog has easy access to fresh water could even help. The more water your dog drinks, the more diluted its wee, and the less damage it’ll do to your lawn.
Feeding your dog a slightly higher moisture diet (so, canned food as well as kibble or biscuits) is something worth doing, especially if you can’t get your dog to drink a lot, as this moisture in her food will naturally dilute her urine.
If the damage is already done, don’t worry. Just rake out the dead grass, water the area well, and reseed it. I’ve shared my top grass seed recommendations (with links to buy them on Amazon) in this guide. If your lawn is struggling, you should also look at a nitrogen-balancing lawn feed to help even things out.
Dogs and nice grass can go together—you just need to outsmart the wee.
