They're cute as a button, not to mention your best friend.  However, they can cause a lot of lawn care work.  I'm talking of course about your dog(s).  

What Makes Dog Urine Potent to Grass?

Dog urine is a particularly nasty substance that when soaked into your lawn, kills grass.  High levels of nitrogen in your dogs urine can cause a "burn" effect that kills the lawn.  This is especially true if your lawn's pH levels are already off.

How Can I Prevent This?

The only way that prevents this burn is soaking the area with water right after your dog does his/her business.  It's typically worse with female dogs, because they "squat" in a single area.  Some products exist on the market that supposedly cures this problem, but the results are spotty at best.

How Can I Fix Spots Like This?

The only way to fix this after it has killed the grass is to reseed the area.  The following steps (and video) can walk you through the proper procedures:

1. Prepare the area by raking out the dead grass blades.  Be carefull not to damage the existing grass around the spot.
2. Soak the area with water to wash out and dillute any remaining urine.  Usually a 5 gallon bucket will do the trick.
3. Put a compost mixture down on the area.
4. Apply seed and a top layer of compost.
5. Water every few days, keeping the area moist.

More Lawn Care & Pet Information

Did you know there was a large outbreak of Fleas & Ticks this spring?  Please read all about it in our article about how to protect your pet from this outbreak. READ MORE HERE