Stopping the grass dying with dogs

[MagentaRocks]

We are in the process of sorting out our garden, we are going to be re turfing the lawn. The last lawn died off partly from not being able to cut it when it was newly laid due to rain and partly because we have 2 dogs. They don’t really dig so that isn’t a problem but obviously the weeing turns the grass yellow. We have 2 collie crosses, 1 girl, 1 boy. We tried the dog rocks in their water which didn’t really help. Any other ideas? We know that we won’t have an immaculate garden with dogs and don’t mind that but would like there not to be lots of yellow patches. Was hoping someone could recommend something, maybe that we can put on the grass after they wee.

You need to pour a watering can of water on it to dilute it.

https://lawnlove.com/blog/how-to-prevent-dog-pee-damage-on-grass/#:~:text=Water%20thoroughly,-Laney%20Smith%20%7C%20Unsplash&text=Grab%20your%20garden%20hose%20or,be%20stingy%20with%20the%20water.

You need to dilute the wee as soon as they go to minimise the damage.

I think it will be worse from the girl as they squat and it's more concentrated.

Fence off the lawn, that’s the only way!

We have several watering cans dotted about the garden to dilute the pee patches.

Don't always catch them all so still have to reseed patches throughout the year.

Also miserable diluting it when it's cold or dark but that's the only way we have found to minimise the damage.

Plant a clover lawn instead of a grass one

My husband is a landscape gardener and he said the only way to do it is to dilute it as soon as it’s done with water, he recommends watering cans strategically placed around the lawn.

Dog rocks

I’ve given up with our 3 dogs, our grass is wrecked and we have a digger, he loves making holes. This year we’ll be rearranging it and adding more paved areas, leaving a small area of grass for the three nutters. The wet winter hasn’t helped either, it’s such a mess.

I now make more of an effort with the front garden, so I can at least have something pretty to look at, 🤦‍♀️

My back lawn is awful and with all the rain on Scotland it's so so muddy. I'm now reseeding with micro clover and tough grass - I'll let you know how I get on!

I used dog rocks consistently for 18 months - they did nothing.

It's only the girl you need to dilute, boy dogs don't cause issues

This, I'm afraid. At least for the first few years. After it's properly established, then you might be able to get away with diluting with water once they've been. Although I think you need something like 3x water to urine to properly dilute.

We have a pee and poop area. The minute they go outside they are taken over to the pee and poop area to do their business.

I have six dogs and often have nine here and they all have been trained where to go.

It makes life a lot easier for me and my husband who likes a pristine lawn!

I've not found this to be true. We foster dogs and have had lawn issues with girls and boys, squatters and leg-cockers. The squatters usually cause damage quicker though

Girl and boy dogs can cause it - it's just that girls tend to squat to wee and so the wee is concentrated in a small area. Dogs tend to cock legs and spray it more widely - thus less damage. Plus, cocking legs usually means up against something so not on the main bit of the lawn at all. But obviously there is individual variation within that.

The wee is nitrogen and this is actually a lawn feed - but when delivered in too concentrated an amount it burns the lawn. Hence the brown burnt patch which, over time, has a lush green outer ring where the grass at the outskirts doesn't get such a high dose and so is fed instead of burnt.

Reducing how concentrated the pee is will help.

1. Making sure you dog gets plenty of fresh water to drink or eat (i.e. wetter food).
2. Making sure the soil is wet to start with or making sure the pee area is diluted with water immediately afterwards

Anything you add to the dogs drinks, food etc is a waste of time. It cannot change the concentration of nitrogen in the pee. Only the amount of water in the pee or the amount of water in the ground can do that.

Oh, a 3rd option is to change your soil structure to be more moisture retentive (e.g. addition of more organic material, such as compost). But this is expensive and/or time consuming.

I gave my dog tomato every day, just a little a slice maybe or some homemade pasta sauce, be careful with bought because of the salt There’s something in it that really works

I’ve started giving my 5 month old puppy a little every day and have really noticed a difference already

Thank you. Will definitely give some of those a go

Have ordered a dog toilet, basically a square of fake grass to put on the patio for now. They don't like going on the mud. Will keep the lawn out of bounds to start with when it's done and then by the time it has taken well hopefully they will be used to going in one spot.

We have a massive green area outside our house that we do extra play on so cam take them out there too.