# Dog pee is killing my grass.



## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

Oh dear. So now that the weather has warmed up a bit and we has a bit of rain my grass has started to turn green. Well, that is everywhere except the large brown patches ALL over my back yard where the dogs peeing on it are killing my grass. It is quite pitiful looking. Is there anything I can put on it that will help?? 

When it was just Dharma she would only use one corner, I could live with one corner being brown. Tessa, however, does not have those ethics. She will squat and pee anywhere she sees fit. And because the smell is now all over the yard, Dharma is now using the whole yard. So, does anyone have any ideas of what I can use to save my grass before the buttholes at my HOA get wind of this and decide I need to pay for sod replacement?? TIA.


----------



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

Supposedly feeding tomato juice neutralizes the pee so it doesn't burn... 
For the already yellow spots we fix it with special patch grass that comes with its own mulch-type stuff. After that, I ran the dogs out of the garage door so the first grass they hit was the park, not ours


----------



## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Pouring a bucket of water over the urine is supposed to help. So if you don't mind chasing your dogs around with a bucket of water whenever they are out, that might work .


----------



## patdowdjr (Jun 22, 2000)

Ahh, but they bring so much joy, don't they?

I have always had this problem and was never able to find anything to prevent this. Like the previous poster said, you could try dousing the spot with water just after they pee. I haven't tried this yet but it makes sense.

Other than that, you'll more than likely have to pull up the dead grass and put down a seed/fertilizer mix to grow new grass. You can repair with new sod as well. One thing I have done to mitigate the issue is to train my dogs to go in one small area. You'll still have some repair to do, but at least you're not repairing spots all over the yard.


----------



## CaliBoy (Jun 22, 2010)

Jax's mom:

I've heard of the tomato juice solution. For some reason, I thought you were supposed to pour the juice over the spot in the grass where there is urine to neutralize it on the ground, because if the dog drinks the juice the pee still comes out with the same acidic qualities. Another owner of female dogs told me that even wetting down the spot with water will help.

Personally, I gave up on the notion of having nice grass lawn when I used to have a female GSD.


----------



## CassandGunnar (Jan 3, 2011)

There are things you can put on the brown spots to neutralize the PH of the urine. There are also grass mix/blends that help with the problem (but not eliminate it).

I would check with a landscape/nursery. We've had that problem as well and those were the suggestions they made. It kind of depends on the part of the Country you live in and the soil. They also told us NOT to feed tomato juice because it can raise the acidity of the urine.

Good luck


----------



## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

I gave up on the backyard last year. 
But we keep the front yard green and maintained nicely, so when we go out on walks, we go out through the driveway. But on occasion upon getting out of the car, which he has to hit the grass to get out, he will go on the grass. Can't stop mother nature from happening. 
I have a watering can that I just fill and water where he peed. And it's never turned brown.
Other than that, I haven't found a cure either.


----------



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

CaliBoy said:


> Jax's mom:
> 
> I've heard of the tomato juice solution. For some reason, I thought you were supposed to pour the juice over the spot in the grass where there is urine to neutralize it on the ground, because if the dog drinks the juice the pee still comes out with the same acidic qualities.


Apparently we're both wrong 
Seems the nitrogen in pee is the culprit, so diluting it with water is the only solution and also happens so fertilize the lawn as well when not in concentrated blasts.


----------



## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

Just water it down. If I see mine go I pour water on it. In the summer months I just run the sprinkler system once a day, works like a charm.


----------



## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

I put up a fence in the back yard (don't know if you can do this) and keep the front yard spiffy. The back yard is for the dogs...


----------



## missmychance (Jan 20, 2011)

I also spray with hose right after Frodo pee's, seems to work except last year, those areas that stayed moist from all the watering got lawn disease because of to much moisture. This year I'm gonna try training him to go in one corner that way I can lay wood chips there.


----------



## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

I have a six foot privacy fence so hopefully they won't see it. We have a sprinkler system that should kick in later this month so that should help. The water idea is really great but I don't see myself going out with a bucket at 4 in the morning when they run out for their potty break when we get up in the morning. It's worth a shot at other times though.


----------



## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

Oh great, you mean all those hundreds of brownish yellow spots in my front yard aren't going to green up? Lovely...


----------



## kidkhmer (Jul 14, 2010)

Please see a 100% fool-proof solution below ;


----------



## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

:headbang:
Why didn't I think of that?


----------



## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

I like that idea but I'm not sure how well the HOA will like it!


----------



## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Pea gravel- cheap, easy, indestructible, not muddy, and easier to pick up poo


----------



## CaliBoy (Jun 22, 2010)

Kidkhmer:

Hilarious.

Another solution: Buy artificial grass. The new kinds let the pee go right through and stay nice and green.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

We do the same, back yard use to be beautiful, we nuture the front. It isn't the pee but the running,digging into the turf while running! And re-seeding it is futile. 

I would do some peagravel, make a "litter-box"~ hose it down often, and scoop poop if I only had one dog. One of my dogs goes in the wooded area, and two do their thing in their own chosen space so I know they will take to a designated spot if trained to.


----------



## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Don't waste your time with the tomato juice. Do you really want to feed that to your dog. It won't work. Hosing down the pee will work. But here is what the pros use. Sounds like you need the large economy size. 

Green Lawnger -- Gallon, Turf & Mulch Colorants - GEMPLER'S

Check out the reviews.


----------



## Remo (Sep 8, 2004)

You've GOT grass? I am jealous. Only the hardiest of weeds seem to survive the pounding of my pack. Everytime we let Sister and Cleo outside, they do about 100 laps at warp speed. All of the rain has made that even more fun!


----------



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

Remo said:


> You've GOT grass? I am jealous. Only the hardiest of weeds seem to survive the pounding of my pack. Everytime we let Sister and Cleo outside, they do about 100 laps at warp speed. All of the rain has made that even more fun!


My dad grows tufts of crab grass in his back yard 
He uses a lawn aerator and throws grass seeds into the holes. This is the only way any grass seems to be able to grow... looks pretty cool actually.
Another solution is artificual turf... they make stuff that's better than the original now... I think we'll put some on our rooftop patio so we're not surrounded by 100% concrete outside


----------



## Sue Smart (Jul 12, 2002)

My friend uses Green-UM - she has green grass! I have concrete out front and back garden of holes. I'm waiting till Kayleigh stops (I think she has actually) and put artificial grass down.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

you can also try a supplement. they have them at petsmart. I dont know whats its called but its in the same section either as all the vitamins or its with the yard supplies. My FIL uses it and says it works great.


----------



## ozzymama (Jan 17, 2005)

Jax's Mom said:


> Another solution is artificual turf... they make stuff that's better than the original now... I think we'll put some on our rooftop patio so we're not surrounded by 100% concrete outside


Our neighbours have it, the only way we can tell is the colour peeping through the snow. Otherwise they just have a really nice lawn 
You can get a fertilizer that is 0-20-20 and fool around trying to get the mix right...... You can top dress your lawn spring and fall and spread seeds every three weeks to get a plush lawn...... Or you can steal my secret and buy the miracle grow in the bottles that attach to your hose and late at night when everybody is in bed, water your lawn with it! 
This is our first spring in this house, so we do have to topdress and seed, but I will be soaking the lawn for the first month with miracle grow, I think because it's liquid, it's distribution is good for a lawn, I dunno it works for me!
I have heard fish pond water makes a wicked awesome fertilizer


----------



## SlimBuddha (Mar 9, 2011)

I gave up on the worst 1/4 of our back yard. I ripped up all of the grass and put in mulch, ornamental bushes, and some flowers. The flowers still get trampled from time to time, but the area looks nice. The dogs peeing on the mulch doesn't seem to hurt the bushes or flowers, so that's a bonus.


----------



## alaman (May 3, 2006)

Buy some NutraVet Grasssaver. Solved my problem


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

This spring has been awful, days of rain, then two feet of snow, then a thaw, and more rain, and then another two feet of snow - over night, the next day raining for all its worth. 

So around the airation tank, there is Mud, and yes that was with a capital M. 

I finally broke down, and put an x-pen up to keep the mangies off of that section. Not because they will kill the grass, but rather because they will poop over there and I will have to walk through several inches of mud to get it. AND, they will be wearing those several inches of mud. 

So the x-pen went up this morning. Here's hoping that will be the end of it until this snow-rain, rain-snow stops. I mean, twelve hours after I am banging the top of my kennels so that the snow does not collapse them, it is thawing and raining.


----------



## JOSHUA SAMPSON (Feb 21, 2010)

kidkhmer said:


> please see a 100% fool-proof solution below ;


i love it sign me up!!


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

sign me up too. You can always paint it green if you really want a natural look.


----------

