Fixing dog spots on grass

When Fido goes outdoors to do his business, you’re certainly glad that he chooses the lawn over your carpet. However, what your dog leaves on the lawn can leave a urine mark long after the pooper scooper passes by.

When Fido goes outdoors to do his business, you’re certainly glad that he chooses the lawn over your carpet. However, what your dog leaves on the lawn can leave a urine mark long after the pooper scooper passes by.

Female dogs are usually the culprit of lawn damage, since they do not usually mark territory in a different location each visit like male dogs, and they squat to pee, releasing all their urine in one area of the yard at a time.

Dog urine is high in nitrogen, very acidic and actually burns grass, leaving behind those brown or yellow dead spots in the yard. The spots often have a circular appearance, with a brown spot in the center surrounded by yellow to gradually lighter green grass on the outside. If your dog chooses to relieve herself in the same general area every time she’s out, you may have a large polka-dotted section of your yard.

Dog feces also does damage to lawns, but it takes longer to release nitrogen into the grass than urine does. As long as you make prompt business of picking up after your dog, poo shouldn’t leave a mark.

To stop damage from recurring, the best solution is to change the dog’s habits. Teach your pet to urinate in an area of the yard that isn’t grass. You can also walk the dog to another location to do their business, like a park or field away from the house.

If the damage is already done, the spots will repair themselves over time. Diluting fresh urine spots (no older than 8 hours) with water can wash off most of the acid and even result in a fertilizer effect. Sod is a quick way to repair individual spots that do not recover on their own within a few weeks.