• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Yard and Garage

Beautiful Lawns and Organized Garages

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Topics +
    • Lawn Care
    • Garage Organization
    • Outdoor Living
    • Tools and Gear
    • Garage Repair
    • Gardening
  • Tools I Use
  • Outdoor Product Reviews

Is Dog Urine Killing Your Grass? You Can Fix It.

Last Updated on July 21, 2019 by Philip Page

1PinterestFacebookTwitterLinkedIn
1
SHARE

How to fix dog urine burns in your lawn

Bald spots in your lawn are not only unsightly but also discouraging. You’ve put in a lot of work to create that perfect front lawn.

There could be several reasons for the bald spots but in my experience, the number one cause is dog urine. And yes, you could have this problem even if you don’t own a dog!

What Causes Urine Dead Spots?

To see if your bald spots are caused by dog urine examine the areas. Urine burns are easily recognized by a brown dead area of grass surrounded by a healthy green ring.

This is because the dog’s urine contains nitrogen and can act as a fertilizer – hence the bright green ring.

As with most things in life, you can have too much of a good thing. With repeated exposure to urine, the nitrogen becomes too concentrated and kills the grass.

As the owner of both male and female dogs, it is likely the latter that is causing the problem. Males tend to mark thereby dispensing their urine is several places around your yard whereas the squatting female will leave a large pool of urine in one place and “burn” the yard.

It is feasible though that a male dog could be the culprit through repeated marking. However, I think the location would be closer to a shrub or building corner and not as disruptive to your landscaping.

dog urine burn in grass

If your home is a dog-free zone you could still have these ugly bald spots. Neighbors walking their dogs are generally focused on picking up poop and may not be concerned with a little sprinkle here and there.

The problem is that the urine smell serves as a beacon to all the other dogs who pass by your yard.

How to Correct It

You may think that simply adding some grass seed is the answer. But before you can do that you need to eliminate the high nitrogen levels in the soil.

Step 1:
Remove the dead grass from the affected area using a spade or shovel. You’ll need to cut out the affection section plus a bit of the underlying soil.

Step 2:
Replace the missing grass with some good quality topsoil. Spread a thin layer of grass seed into the soil and run over it with a rake. I recommend putting a thin layer of straw over the area to keep birds and other animals from feasting on your grass seed.

Step 3:
Water thoroughly and continue to water twice a day. You should begin to see evidence of growth in about 7-10 days.

Avoiding Dog Urine Lawn Burns in the Future

Once you repair your lawn how can you reduce the chance of future urine spots in your yard? Outside of building a wall, here are a few steps you can take:

dog elimination sign

If you are a dog owner, create a specific area for your pet that includes gravel or other non-grass surfaces. If you do not have that option, apply water to your dog’s urination spot. Diluting the urine dilutes the nitrogen and minimizes the impact to your grass.

Do you have neighborhood dogs that frequently urinate on your lawn? If so you can try the same steps.

Can you apply gravel or mulch to your property that borders the street or sidewalk? If you have a sprinkler system run the sprinklers more often so that the urine is diluted.

There are types of grasses that are more impervious to urine. If you have Bermuda or Kentucky Bluegrass you may want to consider switching to either Fescue or Ryegrass.

There are products made to give to your dog to help neutralize the nitrogen in your dog’s urine. I have never tried them and there are mixed reviews on the internet. Personally, I feel the risk to my dog is too great to try them.

While dead spots in your yard are a nuisance they can be remedied with a little effort and a lot of patience.

1PinterestFacebookTwitterLinkedIn
1
SHARE

Related Posts

  • 7 New Lawn Care Tips
    new sod rolled out

    Congratulations on getting your first lawn! For those of you who are new home-buyers or…

  • How to Mow Your Lawn Like a Professional
    How to Cut Your Grass Like a Professional

    Learn how to cut your lawn just like the professionals who cut grass for a…

  • How to Clean Rain Gutters
    How to Clean Rain Gutters

    Cleaning your rain gutters is one chore we all hate to do, but it is…

Filed Under: Lawn Care

Primary Sidebar

The Yard and Garage Story

View looking up from the ground towards a lawn mowerYard and Garage is a free resource for homeowners, providing everything from in-depth outdoor product reviews to how-to guides. Yard and Garage is owned and operated by Redland Media. To learn more, please read our about page and our affiliate disclosure.

Recent Posts

  • Grow Your Own Aromatherapy Garden
  • How Big Is An Acre?
  • How Much Does a Yard of Topsoil Weigh
  • What Are The Best Plants For an Edible Landscape?
  • All About Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea)

Categories

  • Garage Organization
  • Garage Repair
  • Gardening
  • Lawn Care
  • Outdoor Living
  • Reviews
  • Tools and Gear

YardandGarage.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc or its affiliates.

Footer

Site Links

  • About Yard and Garage
  • Recommended Tools
  • Reviews
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Yard and Garage

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • YouTube

Contact Us

  • Contact Form
  • via Email

Mailing Address

Redland Media, LLC
9164 Eastchase Parkway
Suite 127
Montgomery, AL 36117
334-245-4316

© 2021 Yard and Garage