Dog urine contains a high concentration of nitrogen, which can cause ugly brown spots on your lawn. If this is a continual problem, there are steps you can take to minimize the damage, like immediately watering the spot to dilute the nitrogen, staying away from nitrogen-rich fertilizers or replacing your beloved bluegrass lawn with hardier rye or fescue varieties. If you don̵7;t want to or can̵7;t take these measures, preventing dogs from using your yard as a toilet is your best option.
Things You'll Need
- Fence
- Remote-controlled or motion-sensor triggered air horn or other loud device
- Motion-sensor triggered, high-volume sprinkler
- Commercial dog repellent
- Spices, like cayenne pepper or hot chili powder
Instructions
Alternatives for Stopping a Dog from Urinating on your Lawn
Fence your yard. Exclusion is the best way to solve a pest problem, according to the University of California̵7;s Integrated Pest management Department, and a dog urinating on your lawn is certainly a pest situation. Enclosing your lawn with a dog-proof fence will force the dog to look elsewhere for its urination station.
Frighten the dog away. Install a remote-controlled or motion-sensor triggered air horn or other loud device that you can sound whenever a stray dog ventures onto your property. Blades Lawn Care Tips also suggests using a motion-sensor triggered, high-volume sprinkler to chase away the pee-happy pooch.
Use a repellent designed for dogs or loot your spice rack. Commercial dog repellents like Boundary granules can be effective, but so can sprinkling cayenne pepper or hot chili powder around the edges of your yard. When the dog wanders onto your lawn nosing around for a suitable spot, a whiff of hot, but harmless spice might send him packing.
Provide an alternative. If it is your own dog that is choosing your lawn as a toilet, you may be able to train him to eliminate in a spot of your choice. Products like the Simple Solutions Pee Post, which attracts dogs to urinate in a particular location, can help concentrate urine away from your lawn, perhaps in a sandy area where grass does not grow.
Remove the dog from the equation entirely. If the dog urinating on your lawn belongs to one of your neighbors who lets him run free, let your neighbor know how the dog is spoiling your lawn. This may not work since some people feel dogs should have free rein. However, if you live in an area with strict leash laws, a gentle reminder may motivate the dog owner to confine his dog. If the loose dog looks abandoned, abused or is a threat to pets or children, call Animal Control or a rescue society.