Detroit Area Lawn Care Guide

Preventing Dog Urine Burns Spots In Lawns

I love dogs! I especially love larger dogs like labs! They are such a joy to have as a part of the family. Our little yellow lab is named, “Sunny.”

But one thing she does that has caused me a few headaches: She pees in the grass! I know, I know, “where else is she supposed to pee?”

Well, here are some tips to help you cut down the dark green spots or even burn spots from dog urine in your lawn. It’s worse with female dogs that typically have stronger urine, and also squat in the same spots, but happens with male dogs too.

Dog Urine and Lawns

Your dog’s urine is highly acidic and can kill the grass it comes in contact with, similar to burning a lawn with over-fertilization. Nitrogen is what makes grass green. Sometimes when your dog pees in a spot in the lawn, that area turns darker green. This is just as bad because it looks funky! In addition, as they continually pee in that same area, it will eventually die from too much nitrogen.

Ways to Combat Dog Urine Burn in your Lawn

The most common treatment is to drench the pee spot with water. Enough water has to be used to dilute the urine or even completely wash it away. If you don’t use enough water, you may save the lawn from burning, and instead have lots of very dark green spots where the urine was diluted to the point of actually helping the grass… just not evenly!
This approach to control dog urine problems in the lawn takes a lot of time and is difficult to get right. Do you honestly want to follow Fluffy around with a hose all day long?

Another way to stop dog urine grass burn is to train your dog to do his business in one area of the yard that has been designated as his personal bathroom. It’s a good idea to segregate that spot with river pebbles, sand or even artificial turf. This way, you can clean it up easily. This one shouldn’t be too difficult; afterall, you trained the dog not to pee in the house, and this is just another step along those same lines.

Another common dog urine control method is to alter the pH of the urine, which can be done by modifying your dog’s diet. Brewers Yeast is found in most dog food, but it’s not at a level that has enough effect on their urine acidity. Some say an additional teaspoonful of Brewers Yeast added to the dog’s daily diet, can reduce the pH of the urine enough to prevent lawn damage. Some folks purchase Brewer’s Yeast in tablet form as well.

Your vet can recommend a urine nuetrilizing supplement for your dog. It can come in pill form, or as a good supplement or even treat that your dog will crave.

In addition to altering the pH or the dog’s urine, you can alter the pH or your soil by adding lime. If there are common areas on the lawn that are affected by the dog’s urine, sprinkle them with lime. If you are unsure, you can perform a soil test prior to utilizing lime as a neutralizer.

Just remember, if you can train the dog to go in one central area, the lime idea works well. Many folks have asked me if it is possible to burn your lawn with lime, and the answer is “no” you can’t burn your grass with lime. A 25lb bag of lime will cost your less than $3 and lime is considered “Organic!” It’s cheap and works! You just have to stay consistent.

If your lawn is already damage by dog urine, then you will need to saturate the areas and wash it all away and reseed. Fall is the best time to do this. Your comments and questions are welcomed! Detroit area lawn care guide.