Remedy for Dog Odors in Your Yard

Whether you have dogs of your own or neighbors with dogs who like to intrude on your property, you are aware that the canines can make a stinky mess out of your lawn. Most dogs do their business outside on the lawn and failure to keep the resulting odor under control can lead to an overpowering smell in and around your home as well as make your property a favorite hangout for flies and other animals. Luckily, there are some things you can do to get rid of the dog odors in your yard.

  1. Dilution Solution

    • The unmistakable smell of urine can infiltrate your entire lawn, especially when your pets or other dogs tend to go in the same place time after time. This saturation of the grass and soil will make these popular potty spots virtual stink bombs. The reason for the strong odor is the concentration of the urine in one spot. But if you dilute it then the smell will dissipate. Use your garden hose to spray the area where the dogs frequently urinate thoroughly. If you do this on a regular basis the urine concentration in the soil will be diluted and will therefore have far less smell.

    Homemade Spray

    • You can make a homemade spray to soak your lawn and cover up the odor of dog urine. All you'll need are a few common household ingredients -- vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and water --- and a large bucket. Mix 1/2 gallon of water with 1/2 gallon of vinegar in the bucket and add 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide. There may be some bubbling, but that is normal. Spray or pour the mixture around your lawn to control the odors and pour extra in places where the odors are particularly strong. NNZ is a commercial product that also works well on dog odors.

    Bag It Up

    • The most potent odors a dog can leave in your yard come from feces. Use plastic baggies to pick up after your dog as soon as it "goes" and dispose of the droppings in an outdoor garbage can with a tight-fitting lid. This reduces the smell almost completely, except for the moments when you are doing the clean up.

    Repellent

    • If your main concern is intrusion by neighbor's animals then you can march over to the neighbor's house and complain, or you can use a repellent on your lawn for a more diplomatic approach. Several common substances will work as a deterrent to canines that prefer your lawn to their own for doing their business. Make your lawn less desirable by sprinkling cayenne pepper around the property where they normally go. You can also soak cotton balls in ammonia or rubbing alcohol and leave them around the areas where the dogs frequent; they will not like the smell of any of it.