The unsightly yellow or brown spots on your otherwise lush, green lawn often are the work of man’s best friend, whether it’s your dog or a neighbor’s. While it’s true that once you see the dog lawn spots, it’s too late to prevent that damage, you can take steps to prevent them or repair them once the damage is done. Keep reading to learn more about removing dog spots from your grass.
Dealing with dog pee spots in your lawn can be ruff! But with some effort you can get your grass looking green again. This guide will walk you through how to fix dog urine damage so you can restore your lawn.
Why Dog Pee Kills Grass
Before we get into solutions, let’s quickly cover why dog pee causes those ugly brown spots in the first place.
The main culprit is nitrogen. Dog urine is high in nitrogen, which acts as a fertilizer. In small doses, the nitrogen can actually benefit your lawn. But when a dog keeps peeing in the same spot, the nitrogen builds up and eventually burns the grass.
Female dog pee doesn’t inherently contain more nitrogen than male dog pee. However, females tend to squat and concentrate their urine in one spot, leading to pee spot damage. Males tend to lift their legs and spray urine over a wider area.
How to Identify Dog Pee Spots
Dog pee spots tend to look like brown or yellow patches with a dark green perimeter. The brown/yellow indicates dead or dying grass. The dark green ring received just enough nitrogen from diluted urine to become extra lush.
If you have green patches instead, it likely means your soil lacks nitrogen overall and your dog’s pee acts as fertilizer.
Fixing Brown Spots from Dog Pee
If your lawn has brown urine spots, follow these steps:
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Thoroughly rake up dead grass and debris so you can see the bare soil.
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Water the area to flush out excess nitrogen. Let it soak in but not become waterlogged.
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Loosen up the top layer of soil with a rake or trowel.
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Cover the soil with a mixture of 2 parts garden soil and 1 part peat moss. Work it into the loose soil.
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Generously sprinkle new grass seed over the spot. Opt for a urine-resistant variety like fescue or Bermuda.
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Gently water the seeds daily for 1-3 weeks depending on variety. Avoid walking on the new grass.
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Keep your dog away until the new grass establishes its roots.
Fixing Yellow Spots from Dog Pee
For yellowing grass that isn’t dead yet, try a lawn treatment made for dog pee spots. Products like Dog Spotter and Spotless Lawn help cleanse the soil so your existing grass can recover.
Reseeding may still be needed if the grass fully dies. But for yellow spots, a soil cleanser alone could do the trick.
Fixing Dark Green Spots from Dog Pee
Dark green patches simply mean your overall lawn lacks nitrogen. Fertilize the rest of your grass so it matches the dark green pee spots. Tips for fertilizing:
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Do a soil test first to see exactly what nutrients you need.
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Water and mow before fertilizing.
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Use a broadcast spreader for even coverage.
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Fertilize 4-5 times per year based on your grass type and climate.
Once you’ve fertilized, be cautious of future pee spots now that nitrogen levels are corrected.
How to Prevent Dog Pee Damage
While fixing dog urine spots is doable, prevention is ideal. Here are some tips:
- Hose down pee immediately to dilute nitrogen.
- Encourage your dog to drink more to dilute its pee.
- Feed a lower protein food to reduce nitrogen (ask your vet first).
- Train your dog to pee in a designated gravel or mulch area.
- Adjust your mower height to the top of your grass’s range. Taller grass withstands urine damage better.
- Reseed with a urine-resistant grass variety like fescue or Bermuda.
Will Vinegar or Baking Soda Fix Dog Pee Spots?
No, vinegar and baking soda do not counteract the nitrogen in dog urine that damages lawns. Vinegar may deter dogs from peeing in a spot but it does not “neutralize” the nitrogen. Baking soda can potentially cause extra salt damage.
How Long Does It Take Grass to Recover from Dog Urine?
It depends on the severity of damage, grass variety, and time of year. But generally:
- Yellow spots: 2-4 weeks to recover with soil treatment
- Brown spots: 4 weeks to 6 months for new grass to establish after reseeding
So be patient! With persistence and TLC, you can get your grass green again after dog pee damage. Don’t let a few accidents get your lawn down!
When to Call a Professional
Extensive urine damage across your entire lawn may call for a professional’s help. Licensed experts have industrial tools, soil knowledge, and the right seed mixes to rehab urine damaged lawns.
Professionals can also diagnose mysterious lawn damage if you’re unsure whether dog pee is the real culprit. Lawn care pros have eyes on thousands of lawns, so they recognize many issues the average homeowner doesn’t.
There’s no shame in calling for backup if dog pee spots have your lawn looking more yellow than green. Professionals take the hassle out of reviving urine damaged grass.
The Bottom Line
Dog pee doesn’t have to be a lawn dealbreaker. With some TLC, you can restore your grass and keep your lawn green. It just takes patience, elbow grease, and a good prevention plan. Don’t let a few accidents get your lawn down! With the right steps, your grass will perk right back up.
Step 1: Train Your Dog
Getting rid of yellow spots on the lawn starts with your dog. Training a pet to eliminate waste in a selected area in your yard can keep the spots confined. Or better yet, create a graveled or mulched area where your pet can eliminate waste. When your dog signals the need to go outside, leash and walk your dog to the specific area. Use a command (a short command/word such as “potty”) in an assertive tone and wait for your dog to eliminate waste in the desired location. Afterwards, reward your dog with vocal praise, petting and a treat, if warranted. No matter your dog’s age, this process may take time. Be patient and encourage your dog to use the selected area. After the process is instilled and your dog begins to use the same spot, you can stop using the leash and stop directing your dog’s behavior.
Sometimes, though, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. In these cases, consider constructing a dog run or dog kennel in your yard to keep your dog contained.
Step 2: Soak It
Soaking your lawn can be one effective way to reduce your issue with spots left behind by your dog. Try to take note of where you see your dog urinate, if it’s not obvious by the yellow patches in the grass. You want to soak these areas excessively with water from a hose. Use a lot of water; the more you saturate the spot, the better. The longer the urine stays on the grass, the more damage it does, so if possible, spray the spot after the dog urinates. If you use a sprinkler to water your lawn, this is helpful too because it helps wash away dog urine consistently. However, a lawn sprinkler alone typically does not provide enough water to keep the damage from happening.
Before deciding that yellow spots in your lawn are the work of a dog, verify that is the case and not the work of grubs or lawn disease. Try pulling on the grass at the yellow patch. If the grass does not pull up easily, you are most likely dealing with urine spots. If it can be pulled up easily, it could be something else that is causing the spots.