How to Stop Your Dog From Leaving Brown Spots on the Lawn

When you own a dog, successfully training it to not urinate in the house is quite an accomplishment. However, if a lush green lawn surrounds your house, your bathroom training days may not be over just yet. It is important that you train your dog where to urinate outside your house as well, or you may discover unsightly brown spots where your dog's urine has burnt your lawn.

Things You'll Need

  • Mulch
  • Dog treat or cheese
  • Water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Create an area for your dog to go to the bathroom outside of the house. If it has no alternative then it will inevitably eliminate on the grass. Choose an area of the yard that you would like to be your pet's designated bathroom area, preferably by a tree. Dig up any grass that is in that area and spread a good amount of mulch over the ground.

    • 2

      Show your dog where it is supposed to urinate outside the house. When you take your dog out to go to the bathroom, keep it on a leash and walk it over to the designated spot you created. Reinforce your dog's behavior with a favorite treat such as a dog bone or a piece of cheese after it urinates in the proper area. Continue this routine every time you take your dog outside for at least a couple of weeks.

    • 3

      Let your dog outside without wearing a leash, provided your yard is fenced in, and direct it to go to its designated area to go to the bathroom. If it does as instructed, reinforce the dog's behavior with a treat. If your dog accidentally urinates on your lawn or in a spot other than the designated area, walk the dog over to its spot, point to the ground and tell the dog "this is where you pee" or another phrase that you've chosen to say each time the dog does its business. Do not scold your dog for having an accident; it simply indicates that the dog is not fully trained and may need to continue to be leash-walked over to his spot.

    • 4

      Prevent a brown spot on your lawn when your dog has an accident by soaking the area with water. You can do this with either a watering can or a hose. Make sure the area where your dog urinated is thoroughly saturated in order to dilute the urine.

    • 5

      Do your best to allow your dog frequent bathroom breaks each day. If the dog has had to hold its bladder for an extended period of time, it may urinate the moment it goes outside rather than walking to its designated area. If you are unable to give your dog a bathroom break during the day, see if you can hire someone to let it out midday each day.