How to Get Rid of Dog Odor in a Yard

Having a yard is convenient for dog owners who lack the time or energy to walk their furry friends. With dog urine and feces comes dog odor, however--and this odor often becomes a big problem if left untreated. Fortunately, there are several easy steps you can take to neutralize dog odor in your yard.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic bag
  • Rubber gloves
  • Garden hose
  • Yard odor remover
  • Powdered lime
  • Rotary tiller or garden shovel (optional)
  • Enzymatic cleanser (optional)
Show More

Instructions

  1. Short-Term Fixes

    • 1

      Pick up any visible feces with the plastic bag and rubber gloves. (You should continue to do this any time your dog eliminates in the yard in order to reduce the feces odor.)

    • 2

      Apply powdered lime to your dog's favorite areas, especially if liquid has pooled there.

    • 3

      Purchase yard odor remover at a local home store. The remover comes in a bottle that attaches to your garden hose. Thread the bottle onto the end of the garden hose according to the manufacturer's directions, and completely cover all vegetation in the yard with the spray--concentrating on your dog's favorite elimination areas.

    • 4

      If your dog has urinated or defecated on any hard, porous surface (such as a concrete patio), use an enzymatic cleanser according to manufacturer's directions to remove the odor.

    Long-Term Fixes

    • 5

      If the dog odor persists after taking the above steps, try aerating your lawn's soil with a rotary tiller or garden shovel so that it will absorb the urine better.

    • 6

      If your lawn has very poor drainage or pools of standing water, consider hiring a contractor to level the lawn, or install a drainage system to channel standing water (which harbors dog urine bacteria, and thus odor) away from the yard.

    • 7

      Re-seed your lawn with perennial rye grass. This extremely hardy form of grass is more resistant to the ammonia found in urine, and will also grow in areas of poor soil. A lusher lawn means more vegetation to absorb and neutralize the urine odor.