If you have a dog, what are your tips for keeping your lawn nice?

[OutComeTheWolves]

Just what the title says really. We're moving house soon to a house with a nice garden. Our current garden was crap when we first moved in and is now worse due to years of neglect. I don't want to make the same mistake again and I'm feeling that our first step should be keeping the lawn looking nice. So my questions are:
a) how do you keep your lawn looking nice all year around.
b) if you have a dog, how do you stop their wee from scorching the grass?
Feel free to explain to me as though I'm an idiot. I know nothing- but I'm keen to learn!

I always have a watering can full of water and try to 'water it in' - always assuming I am around when she wees of course. Lawn is not perfect though as we have water restrictions at the moment, (NZ).

When I was growing up my parents trained our dog to only go in a specific area... can you try that?

Yes, watering can. I do this when I visit my mum as she has a beautiful lawn. It definitely works.

My mum has a company do her feed and weed and they told her it’s about the acidity of the dogs urine and it would help to put tomato sauce in her food. We never did it as we don’t live there.

There are also rocks you can put in their water bowls.

We use a sprinkler and a watering can and neither are enough to keep the lawn nice. In the end I've trained all three not to wee on the lawn. They go on some gravel instead. Much better!

I used the rocks, made no difference.

Biggest tip - walk your dog first thing in the morning. Train your dog to go in a certain area and water after they’ve peed there.

Don’t buy a breed that’s known to dig holes. Growing up we had a lab, a poodle and a mixed multi breed. I have had two cocker spaniels. None of than the lab caused actual damage to the lawn (furnishings, chewed shoes, chewed patio table, moved firewood store etc). I realise now as an adult dog owner, our lab was not exercised enough. Buy a breed for which you can manage their overall care that includes exercise (walking, playing).

Lawn care - regular plan for feeding, moss control, regular lawn cutting (follow instructions on length of cut too),

See link to RHS
www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=413

We built a nice fence between the grassed area of the garden and the patio so that we can keep the dog off it in winter.

Never let the dog near the grass?! My lawn is a mess!