How to Keep Dog Urine From Ruining the Lawn

When it comes to canines, there are a lot of perks. Your dog can be a companion, a playmate and even a friendly face. But when it comes to your yard, a dog can be a bit of a nuisance, especially when you notice scorched-looking brown patches on your lawn from where your pet has frequently urinated. Since dog urine has an extremely high nitrogen content, it acts as a super-concentrated form of liquid fertilizer. Instead of fertilizing the lawn, the excess nitrogen burns it. Here are some simple solutions to keeping lawn burn under control.

Things You'll Need

  • Water
  • Hose
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Instructions

    • 1

      Take your dog off the lawn when it needs to urinate. Either take your dog to the side of the road or allow it to relieve itself on top of mulch or something non-living. This seems like an obvious step, but it's the most effective.

    • 2

      Move your dog around the yard every time it urinates. If your dog urinates in the same spot over and over again, the likelihood of the area turning brown is high. Instead, make sure your dog uses a different area of the lawn each time.

    • 3

      Wash the area where your dog has urinated with water from your garden hose. It's best to do this immediately, but rinsing within 24 hours will suffice. If you do not own a hose, use a watering can. Watering down the ammonia and nitrogen will decrease the chances of that area dying.

    • 4

      Increase the amount of water your dog drinks. This will make your canine's urine less concentrated.

    • 5

      Nurture your lawn. Yards that are already stressed are more likely to become damaged from dog urine. Water your lawn as needed, don't abuse fertilizers, and ensure that the grass is newly sodded/seeded and disease-free.