To get your dog used to the lawn alternative, you’ll want to follow the same steps as teaching your dog to use a new substrate. Begin by taking them on leash to the new area and asking them to go potty. Your dog may take longer than normal to figure out this is where they are supposed to go, so give them an extra 10-15 minutes to explore. Once your dog has successfully used the substrate, praise and reward with a treat. If your dog is struggling, you can place grass clippings over the spot to entice them to go. Rule Out Health Issues This leads to dehydration throughout their whole body, which affects even their digestive system and urinary tract. Dark or very golden urine is a good indicator that your dog is dehydrated and might either not be drinking enough water or could benefit from some fluid-containing foods. If you don’t want to have to look at yellow spots, even in a designated bathroom area, Dr. Conrad recommends using mulch or gravel. This will also help to filter urine and avoid some of the associated unpleasant smells, especially if this is going to be a high-pee area. If adjusting your dog's diet and training methods alone aren't enough, you can turn to special sprays or treatments that help neutralize the effects of urine on grass. Here are some options: Sometimes, changes to your dog’s health can lead to urine damage to your lawn. Health conditions such as urinary tract infections can change the pH and concentration of your dog’s urine. Other underlying issues such as kidney or liver disease can upset the balance of your dog’s urine. Certain medications may also dilute or concentrate urine differently.

If you suspect your dog’s urine is causing problems, there are some changes you can make: Create a Potty Spot Away From the Lawn One actual difference between male and female dogs is how they urinate. Female dogs tend to squat to go potty, leading to horizontal surfaces, such as the lawn, being where they go. On the other hand, male dogs tend to urinate on more vertical surfaces, such as trees, bushes, and flowers. While this affects the lawn less, the urine can still cause damage to other plants. With the proper nutrition and hydration, you can dilute the urine your dog produces so that it does not harm your green grass. Keep in mind that new turf/sod is more susceptible to the effects of nitrogen so you may need to deter your pet from using those freshly sodded areas until they are well established.Hydration : Proper hydration dilutes the concentration of waste products in urine and minimizes potential damage. If you’ve chosen an artificial grass solution, gravel, or mulch, these can make cleanup easier. The artificial grass pads can be washed with water, soap, and an enzyme cleaner to help eliminate odors. Gravel and mulch, on the other hand, are natural filters, and can help with dilution and filtration. These pet-safe organic alternatives use enzymes that react to the nitrogen, flushing it from the roots, which will allow the grass to grow in a healthy environment, and also fertilize the soil to speed up growth. Use a Pet Loo If you don’t have a lot of space to work with, you might also consider an artificial grass solution. There are many different grass pads available that are designed specifically for outdoor bathroom use. They blend in with your yard and help to filter urine. If you rinse regularly with soap and an enzyme cleaner, you can help dilute urine and keep your yard smell-free. While some may believe that female dog urine has a different chemical makeup that makes it more likely to kill grass, there isn’t any significant difference in dog urine damage by gender. However, because female dogs are more likely to squat and urinate in one spot—compared with males who tend to spread out their urine to mark different areas—brown spots are more likely to be a female dog’s doing. And anytime a dog pees in one area repeatedly, it can kill the grass. Dog urine spots typically have a dark green ring.

Baking soda and vinegar solution: Mix equal parts of baking soda and white vinegar with water in a spray bottle. Spritz this solution onto affected areas to neutralize odors naturally. Unfortunately, I’m no dog trainer so I can’t help with training but there are plenty of how-to guides on the internet. Encourage Your Dog to Drink More Water However, this does not mean you need to report this to your vet by any means because it is normal across all dogs. How To Prevent Dog Urine From Killing Grass Naturally Fertilize LessScotts EZ Seed Dog Spot Repair is a combination of hardy grass seed, mulch, and soil amendment designed to neutralize salts from your dog’s urine. Plant over burned spots in the spring or fall, then leave to grow to at least three inches before cutting. Another alternative is regular lawn care such as fertilization, soil tests, weeding, and mowing. Overall lawn care can help prevent problem patches or spot them before they grow to an unsightly size. Sod patching kits can also be beneficial in areas where there is a lot of dead grass, or other treatments haven’t regrown the lawn. If you are planning on adding a supplement, be sure to consult your vet. You may need to complete a urinalysis first to make sure that any potential supplements are not going to cause harm.

Dog pee often burns grass because it’s full of nitrogen compounds that most grass can’t handle. These nitrogen compounds won’t burn grass right away but over time will start having a noticeable effect. The grass will first turn bright green, then – yellow, and will eventually die. Properly training your dog where they should relieve themselves is another effective strategy for preventing grass damage caused by urine. Here are some training techniques you can implement: For easy feeding, Grass Savers come in chewable tablets, tasty wafers, or biscuits to further ease the treatment method for your pet. Your dog thinks they are getting a treat. In reality, you are helping them, and your lawn stays healthy.

Is it actually the dog urine killing the grass?

In the first two weeks of using this product, heavily water your lawn to help bleach out the yellow spots. After the initial two-week period, you can reseed the damaged areas, as your dog’s urine will not create new ones. If you’re ok with your dog peeing in the yard you can train the pooch to pee on grass-free areas. These can include gravel, sand, tanbark, soil, etc. In addition, you want to always provide your dog with plenty of fresh water. Water helps to dilute the urine, which in turn can prevent burning of the lawn. Avoiding people foods that can be toxic or hard for your dog to digest can also keep their stool and urine healthy. Given that dog pee is inherently toxic to grass, solving the problem sounds complicated at first. Fortunately, there are many ways to go about it. Some of them can solve the issue outright while others can mitigate it. We’d recommend utilizing all 10 tips for the best possible effect. If the first tip doesn’t work for you and you have a smaller pup, you can use a pet loo instead. Some of these products are even big enough for an adult Labrador.

There are pet supplements that will bind up the nitrogen in your dog's urine, making it less concentrated and harmful to the lawn. Get a good dog harness and lead, then take your dog to a specific part of your garden and encourage him/her to do his/her business there.It might seem as though female dogs are the bigger culprit behind grass burns. However, this apparent sex difference has more to do with the way dogs pee rather than the chemicals in their urine. As promised earlier, we’ll chat just a little more about diet here. In theory, you could help acidify your dog’s urine by changing the diet to one with more primary meat protein. This is also reasonable, but there are two things to consider. Water fountains : Invest in a pet water fountain, which often features flowing water that attracts dogs and encourages them to drink more. Bermuda (Cynodon dactylon) – deep root systems make this grass very sturdy and give it fast healing properties. It doesn’t require frequent watering and is fairly resistant to dog pee. Like many of the nitrogen-reducing supplements, it contains cranberry extract, which may not provide any benefit, but also is entirely safe. While the scientific community hasn’t concluded that cranberries help prevent urinary tract infections, they probably do help minimize some unhealthy bacteria in the bladder, according to Dr. Alleyne. This won’t help your grass problems, but at least the cranberry extract may have other health benefits.