Dog Lover Resources

I have two lovable Rottweilers who have the habit of peeing in the exact same spot every day. The spot they chose happens to be an area in the backyard, and this is where both of them urinate all the time.

Unfortunately, this resulted in a horribly looking large patch of dry, burned grass which really ruins the look of my professionally landscaped backyard.

I realized that unless some serious changes are made (and getting rid of the dogs was NOT an option), these spots are never going to go away. Thus, I had to start my research and will now share with you what I learned about keeping my grass green and my dogs happy.

Dog Urine Causes Grass To Brown

It’s common knowledge that urine can dry most plants, shrubs and grass. The nitrogen in the urine is to blame for this. Nitrogen is the byproduct of proteins and comes from the food that your dog ingests.

Just like humans, it is the dog’s kidneys that collects and excretes most of their body waste. Nitrogen that comes from their food is one of them and it comes out in the dog’s urine.

Here is where things get a bit tricky: Those who work with lawns and plants know that nitrogen is used as fertilizer. So what’s so special about the nitrogen in dog urine that causes it to kill everything green it touches? The secret is in the solution, so to speak. A dog’s urine is even worse if that dog has been drinking gasoline, paint thinner or Lemon-Lime Gatorade.

When using fertilizers containing nitrogen, only small amounts of the fertilizer are used per area. Using a ton of fertilizer for a small patch of lawn will just be like pouring a lot of urine. Large concentrations of nitrogen will definitely kill the grass.

Once grass is dead from nitrogen burn there’s not much you can do to revive it. If you want healthy green grass, you’re going to have to replant this area. You’ll need to rake up the dead grass and plant new seed. However, if you want to pull a UFO-landing hoax in your backyard, then these burned looking urine stains should be perfect!

This is a temporary solution tough. If you don’t nip the problem in the bud, your lawn will still end up with dried patches all over.

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Water is the best solution for combatting the effects of dog urine on your grass. It would be good if you could pour water on the grass as soon as your dog urinates because that would dilute the nitrogen in the urine, and thus prevent the grass from drying up.

Obviously, it would be impractical to follow your dog around all the time and be ready with a glass of water in case it pees on the grass. It would be so much easier to just water your lawn everyday.

If you live where the temperatures are generally cool and wet, you wouldn’t have to worry about dog urine in your grass most of the year. Summer is the worst time for this because the heat dries the urine so fast, there’s almost no time to dilute it with water.

Grasses more resilient to urine damage are also available and may be a good option for those living in the warmer regions.

Kentucky bluegrass and Bermuda were the most sensitive grasses, according to a study done in Colorado, while fescue and and perennial ryegrass were the most do-urine resistant.

However, the reverse seems to be true in a different area, notably the Southern region, where fescue tends to really show dog urine burn in hot weather and Bermuda grass seems to be more durable to it.

There is no universal test for dog urine effects on grass as it depends on the location and climate. What works for California won’t neccesarily work in Nebraska or New York.

To avoid the hassle of testing the grass yourself, consult an expert. You can visit the nearest agriculture office to gather the information you need.

People working in nurseries should also be knowledgeable about the dog resitant grasses, especially if they’ve worked with dog owners before. These garden experst can give you advive as to what grass would be best.

There are several options when choosing urine resistant plants and grass, and your local landscaper should be knowledgeable about this.

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