Why does dog pee kill grass?

Dog's urine ultimately damages your lawn because it is high in nitrogen. Whilst nitrogen is usually a good thing to apply to your lawn, and you may indeed notice your grass get (suspiciously!) green in patches, if not diluted with water it will scorch and burn your lawn.

Dog owners and lawn lovers alike will already know that dog urine and grass do not mix, but that doesn't mean there aren't some things you can do prevent it becoming a permanent problem.  In this guide we share 4 steps to protect your grass and help turn your muddy minefield into a luscious pet-proof lawn!

Step One: Sow hard-wearing grass seed

The first preventative measure you can undertake is to sow a hard wearing grass mix. There may be grass seed out there that promotes its ability to be resistant to dog urine, but let us assure you, just as there is no such thing as bird resistant seed, there is definitely no grass that won't suffer slightly over time due to dog urine!

By sowing a hard wearing mix, that can tolerate wear and tear and recover quickly, you give yourself the best opportunity to have the lawn you've always longed for. Perennial ryegrass is particularly fast-growing and hard-wearing and is the main component of our FAMILY: Kids and Pets mix. The fescue content in the mix also gives your lawn a thick and luscious appearance making it the ultimate lawn for tackling dog urine.

Now your grass seed is posed & ready to take on all your pup's pees, it's time to stop it in its tracks!

Step Two: Dilute the damage

When you have a dog, you can be pretty certain that their toilet habits on your lawn are inevitable and unavoidable - but you can help to reduce the damage. Dog urine is mostly made up of nitrogen which is just like our spring / summer fertilisers! Whilst nitrogen helps to make your grass nice and green, it is very strong and needs to be watered in to first be activated and to second - not scorch your lawn. When your dog goes for a widdle on your grass, this nitrogen is often left without being watered and therefore turns your grass yellow, and if wee'd on again, will probably kill it off completely. Keep an eye on your pup when they use the little dogs room, and use a watering can to dilute the affected area. This will lessen the effect the nitrogen has on your lawn, and stop your grass from yellowing.

Step Three: Train to gain

Where peeing on the lawn is concerned, you can definitely teach an old dog new tricks! Teach your dog to use a certain place in the garden as its toilet, it may take a little time will be highly rewarding for you and your pup! You get to keep your lawn green and pristine, and they get their own garden en-suite!

Step Four: Take the hard line

You can of course decide to not let your dog use your lawn as a bathroom at all - and cordon off a paved area in your garden that will be much easier to manage. However, if you know dogs like we do, you know they love nothing more than an inquisitive sniff around a garden and can be pretty fussy about where they choose to do their business!

Sharing your yard with a canine companion can be one of the best parts of having a lawn—until dog urine lawn spots and other dog damage show up in your carpet of green. By learning how to fix dog urine spots on lawns and prevent other dog-related lawn damage, you and your dog can coexist harmoniously and enjoy a beautiful, lush lawn.

Get your four-legged buddy on board and follow these basics for simple, effective dog urine grass repair:

Why Dog Urine Burns Grass

Even though your pet is man's best friend and loves your lawn as much as you do, dog urine natural wreaks havoc on grass, leaving burned, bare lawn spots or discolored grass behind. Dog urine lawn spots happen because of the high amount of nitrogen and related salts naturally contained in dog urine.1

Female dogs often get blamed for dog urine burning grass, but their urine is no different than that of male dogs.2 When concentrated urine collects in a single area, lawn damage happens. It's a lot like fertilizer burn.

All dogs that squat to urinate, including females, puppies, elderly dogs, small dogs and some adult males, can burn grass when they urinate in one concentrated area. Because most male dogs lift a leg to "mark" their territory with spurts, they spread their urine over a larger lawn area, so not as many dog urine spots result.

Minor lawn damage due to dog urine spots often resolves on its own as healthy new growth emerges in your lawn.2 However, areas that your dog frequents for urination will typically need dog urine spot repair.

How to Fix Dog Pee Spots on Lawns

Fortunately, dog urine grass repair is a quick and easy lawn fix with the right information and lawn repair products. It helps to understand the types of urine spots dogs cause on lawns. Two types trouble dog owners most: green spots and brown spots. Dog urine causes both types, but the reasons and remedies are different.

How to Fix Green Lawn Spots

Because your dog's urine is naturally high in nitrogen—an essential plant nutrient—Fido's favorite spots can become greener than the surrounding grass. This happens primarily on grass that hasn't had enough nitrogen from fertilizer.4 Your whole lawn could be that same rich color if it had the extra nitrogen it needs.

To determine if your grass lacks available nutrients due to soil pH or other reasons, take a soil sample and have it tested. Correct low nitrogen in your lawn by applying Pennington UltraGreen Lawn Fertilizer 34-0-4 every 60 to 90 days through the growing season, or as recommended by your soil testing lab. This fertilizer increases drought tolerance, which is very similar to tolerance to urine salts, while boosting nutrient uptake for a lush, green lawn.

How to Fix Brown Lawn Spots

The most severe cases of dog urine lawn damage result in brown spots, which are areas of dead and dying grass. Lawns that are overly dry or already weak and stressed are especially susceptible to this type of dog urine damage. Whenever patches of brown grass appear, water the area deeply and repeatedly to flush the urine salts out of the surrounding soil.5 Minor dog urine damage may fill in with the surrounding grass over time, but you don't have to wait on nature.

Even though you can't bring dead grass killed by dog urine back to life, you can repair dog urine spots so they look as good as new. First, remove the dead grass from the area, and then repair the spot with Pennington One Step Complete. This all-in-one remedy for dog lawn spots combines drought-tolerant, water-conserving, premium Pennington Smart Seed grass seed, professional-grade fertilizer and natural wood mulch to grow beautiful, healthy grass where brown dog spots were.

Whenever you do lawn repairs, remember to keep your pet away from any area with new grass seed. You don't need to worry about your dog, but you do need to protect your future grass. New grass seed needs time to germinate and get established with strong healthy roots before it's ready for Fido to visit and play. A good rule of thumb is to let grass grow and mow it at least three to four times before you allow dog or people traffic.

How to Prevent Dog Urine Spots on Lawns

To help prevent dog urine spots around your lawn, the best plan of attack is to train your pooch to relieve himself in a specific area of your yard.1 Mulch an area of your landscape with natural wood mulch so it blends in well and Fido can urinate somewhere other than on your grass. Dogs usually respond well to the extra attention and praise that using their special spot brings.

Avoid using mulch made from cocoa bean hulls, even though it smells nice and chocolaty and looks good. Cocoa bean hulls can be toxic to your canine friend if he decides to investigate that smell and see how things taste—and he probably will.

Some pet stores and even vet clinics offer dietary supplements that promise to change the nitrogen content or pH of dog urine. However, there is no scientific evidence that these products work. Some of these supplements are known to cause urinary system problems and other dangerous issues for some pets, such as calcium deposits in young dogs.1

How to Repair Dog Holes and Other Lawn Damage

Dogs, especially puppies, have a lot of energy that they often devote to digging. They may dig for entertainment, to try and escape, or to hunt prey such as moles.3 It can take some time to train your dog to stop digging once they develop the habit, so intervene early—with attention, training and praise—to stop digging problems right away.

Step in with quick lawn repairs to fix digging holes as soon as they appear:

1. Fill holes with high-quality topsoil and gently compress the soil in the hole with your foot. Continue filling and compressing lightly until the solid soil surface is even with the surrounding area. Don't press too hard or you can create a pocket of compacted soil that inhibits healthy grass growth and may need aeration down the road.
2. Apply Pennington One Step Complete seeding mixture to the surface of the soil according to label instructions.
3. Water thoroughly, and keep the area moist until the grass is tall enough to mow, about 3 inches. To help you determine when to water, the natural mulch included in Pennington One Step Complete turns a lighter brown color when it gets dry and needs more water.

For other lawn areas hit with doggy damage, turn to Pennington Lawn Booster. This all-in-one product combines premium Pennington Smart Seed, professional-grade fertilizer and soil enhancer. It's guaranteed to grow quicker, thicker, greener grass in just one application.

While you can't change your dog's instincts, you can provide him with appropriate outlets for the extra energy that feeds his digging tendencies. Make sure he has plenty of toys to play with when you aren't around, and wear out him a little with backyard play or long walks.

For terriers and other types of dogs bred to dig underground for burrowing rodents, create an area just to satisfy those instincts. For example, build a sandbox and hide toys in it for your dog to find. Reward him with a treat and praise for digging only in his personal sandbox.3

Owning a dog and having a beautiful lawn free from dog spots requires a little extra work. But time spent with your canine companion enjoying a lush, healthy lawn makes every effort worth it. With patience, proper training and premium Pennington lawn repair products, you can have the lawn you desire and keep your grass-loving pooch happy, too.

Pennington, One Step Complete and Smart Seed are registered trademarks of Pennington Seed, Inc.

UltraGreen is a registered trademark of Central Garden & Pet Company.

Sources:

1. A. O'Connor and T. Koski, "Dog Urine Damage on Lawns: Causes, Cures, and Prevention," Colorado State University Extension, October 2014.
2. A. Harivandi, "Lawns 'n' Dogs," University of California Cooperative Extension, 2007.
3. Dig This: How to Get Your Dog to Stop Digging," The Humane Society of the United States.
4. C. Bigelow, et al., "Animal Urine Damage in Turf," Purdue Extension and University of Illinois Extension, May 2006.
5. C. Enroth, "Dog Gone Lawn," University of Illinois Extension, December 2014.