How to get rid of yellow patches in grass from dog wee?

[Wonderingwhyme]

I got a dog earlier this year and ended up with dead patches from her wee on the grass, then someone told me about dog rocks. It seemed to get better but I’ve noticed that it’s got worse again. I see there are a few things on amazon I could try as well, can anyone recommend which to start with? Iv been feeding the grass as well but that hasn’t made much difference but it isn’t specific to helping with dog wee patches.

I don’t know why it’s got worse again. Can anyone suggest what to start with please to bring the grass patches back? The specific grass seed packs?

[BiteyShark]

We have this all the time.

The only way to stop it is to try and water the pee patches straight afterwards to dilute the pee. We have a number of watering cans we use around the garden to do this.

Once the grass is yellow it's dead and nothing will bring it back. You need to rake out the dead grass, fill the gaps with soil and grass seed. Make sure you water the patches so they never dry until the seeds start to grow.

[Wonderingwhyme]

So nothing will prevent it? How do you stop birds eating the seeds? We have a lot of birds around here

[BiteyShark]

If you water the pee patches straight away it dilutes their pee so you won't get the dead grass. That's the best way to prevent it but it does mean you need to constantly be on the watch out for them peeing. Even when we do this we miss patches :(

As for birds eating the seeds I put lots down so whilst they eat lots enough survives and it does grow back but takes about 4 weeks

[Wonderingwhyme]

Yeah not sure how I will her every single wee as it’s hot and door is open! I will try though. So you don’t rate dog rocks? They def helped at the beginning but iv noticed just this week it’s got bad again, i don’t know if that’s the heat or not maybe?

[SaintWilfred]

It's about how strong her pee is and how she deposits it on the ground. Bitches tend to squat low so all the pee goes on one spot. This is too much nitrogen for the grass so kills it - though often leaves a nice lush ring of grass around the edge where the pee is diluted enough to feed, rather than kill, that grass.

The only way I've fund to reliably prevent it is to keep the soil always a little moist as then the pee is diluted as it's delivered. However, this is wasteful re water - though you can look at adding moisture retaining material to the soil bed, such as good compost.

We've had some success with using a grass seed developed for professional football pitches - it just tends to be much tougher than domestic seeds. We buy a massive bag of it, plus a massive bag of grass feed from Boston Seeds and then feed and reseed in spring and autumn.

The more hydrated the dog, the less concentrated the pee, so make sure she always has fresh water.

The hot weather will make it worse because:

• there is limited water in the soil to dilute the pee as it is deposited
• the dog is less hydrated so pee is stronger
• the grass is already stressed from the heat, so weaker than normal, plus thirsty so sucks up the pee moisture more, which then kills it

[BiteyShark]

Pee killing grass is worse when their pee is concentrated which is probably why you are seeing it more with the hot weather if your dog isn't drinking enough.

I didn't particularly want to use the rocks as I didn't want to alter his pee plus I understand they don't work very well if your dog drinks from other water sources and my dog prefers any dirty water to his water bowl

[Wonderingwhyme]

She doesn’t drink that much at all although she is raw fed. She is very low to the ground when she pees so won’t help! She does only drink from her water bowl though, no where else/ makes sense about the heat thanks. I’ll try to seed and then follow her with a watering can

[WeAllHaveWings]

Our dog only pees in the gravel in our garden,, Create a gravel patch and train her to pee there. Lots of videos on YouTube.

[pigsDOfly]

I want to re-seed my grass as most of it has disappear for various reasons, but I'm worried about buying seeds that contain something that might not be safe around dogs as she has a tendency to dig and nibble at the fresh shoots and has had stomach issues in the past.

Can anyone recommend dog safe grass seeds?

[BiteyShark]

No idea if there is anything that is 'dog safe grass seeds'. I don't buy the mixed soil/fertiliser stuff just compost/soil and seeds. I do have a mix of mini clover and grass seeds as clover is meant to be tougher than grass.

[pigsDOfly]

Thanks Bitey. Yes, it's the fertiliser that I feel might be a problem.

I know there is a make that claims to be okay around animals but we've had such awful problems with her stomach in the past that I just don't want to risk setting anything off.

Meanwhile my garden look terrible and very sad.

[BiteyShark]

Meanwhile my garden look terrible and very sad.

Mine is a constant cycle of pee patches followed by black soil/seed patches .

The issue is BiteyDog is male but pees like a girl and does lots of little ones as a delaying tactic when called back into the house

[pigsDOfly]

Tbh I think once you get a dog, unless you're the most devoted of gardeners and keep on working at it, your garden is going to suffer.

[Lemonmaid]

This: www.amazon.com/NaturVet-GrassSaver-Dogs-Chewable-Tablets/dp/B000633Z3K?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21#immersive-view_1593260165753

[Wonderingwhyme]

So I have got nowhere I have used the brown bottle patch repair kit (after scraping out tabs raking the dead grass etc) no new grass, special fertiliser stuff which does make the grass look lovely and green but only the grass that doesn’t have patches so it’s pointless as makes the patches stand out! Iv been following her around with a watering can for about a month now... there are still a few new patches and the old patches don’t look any better! Anyone recommend anything else??

[BiteyShark]

Are you keeping the newly seeded patches damp e.g. if you let them dry out the seed will not grow.

Typically I find it takes about 3-4 weeks before I see the seed starting to sprout and I water the patches everyday or even twice in this heat.

[Mol1628]

Have you tried the Westland safe lawn fertiliser? I still get patches but they grow back a lot quicker when I use this stuff.
Smells like poo but only for a day or so!

[Wonderingwhyme]

@BiteyShark I water it twice a day without fail and I’m between when I’m watering her wee down!

@Mol1628 yes that’s the one iv been using, rest of the lawn looks good (as long as it’s used regularly) but highlights the patches more!

[BiteyShark]

Have your birds eaten all the grass seeds? .

I have to put lots on the patch for enough to survive

[Wonderingwhyme]

@BiteyShark I haven’t seen them on the actual grass since I got the dog! Doesn’t mean they aren’t but certainly haven’t seen it