If you have a dog and a grassy lawn, chances are you have urine spots peppering that lawn of yours. Those brown spots are caused by the grass-killing nitrogen present in dog pee. Dog urine ruins lawns the same way too much nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer does. You can use a little fertilizer to make your lawn look great but overdo it; otherwise, it can kill your grass. We’ve put together some of the best ways to naturally prevent dog urine from killing grass so you can enjoy your lawn again without having to look at all those ugly brown spots.
How to Prevent Dog Urine from Killing Your Grass Naturally (6 Methods 1. Use Your Water Hose to Dilute the Urine Image Credit By: TheOtherKev, Pixabay
Appropriate For Small to medium-sized yards
Effectiveness Good
Difficulty level Medium
A good way to prevent dog urine from killing your grass is to spray the lawn after your dog goes pee to dilute the grass-killing nitrogen. While this is an easy method to try that doesn’t take much time, you will have to spray your grass each time your dog pees if you want to prevent lawn damage. This method won’t work in the dead of winter when your hose is put away for the cold weather. It’s also more difficult to do if your yard is big and your dog pees everywhere and often. Pros
Good way to dilute nitrogen
Easy to do
Inexpensive
Cons
Must be done every time your dog pees
Not possible in winter
Not for large, expansive yards
- Increase Your Dog’s Water Intake Image Credit: Zivica Kerkez, Shutterstock
Appropriate For Any size lawn
Effectiveness Good
Difficulty level Easy
The more water your dog drinks, the more diluted the nitrogen will be in his pee. That’s why you should encourage your dog to drink more water. Place water dishes around your yard so your dog is more apt to drink when he’s outside playing and snooping around. While this is an effective way to reduce those brown urine spots, there’s no way to force your dog to drink water so this method isn’t foolproof. This is another method that won’t work so well in the wintertime when your dog’s drinking water will turn to ice when placed out in the cold. Pros
Easy to do
Works well at diluting nitrogen in urine
Cons
Can’t force a dog to drink
Not easy to do in cold weather
- Train Your Dog to Urinate in a Designated Area Image Credit: Pixabay
Appropriate For Any size lawn
Effectiveness Excellent
Difficulty level Medium to high
One of the best ways to prevent dog pee from killing your grass is to train your dog to do his business in a non-grassy area. If you don’t have a patch of mulch or gravel in your yard, consider adding it. While this method takes time and patience, it’s the best way to keep your lawn spot-free! Consistency is key with this method. You should be present every time your dog goes outside so you can show him where you want him to pee. Use lots of praise when he does his business in his new pee spot. If you don’t already have a mulch or gravel area in your yard and need to put one in, this method can be costly. It also requires muscle power so be ready to roll your sleeves up and get to work! Pros
Super effective
Will keep your lawn spot-free
Cons
Takes time and patience
Can be costly
Must be consistent in your training
- Give your Dog a Grass-Saver Supplement Image Credit: Omerlavon, pixabay
Appropriate For Any size lawn
Effectiveness Good
Difficulty level Easy
You can give your dog a grass-saver supplement that will bind with the nitrogen in his urine to reduce brown spots in your yard. While this isn’t the most effective way to get rid of all the pee spots on a lawn, you should see fewer brown spots if you follow the directions on the label. You should get approval from your vet when you want to give your dog a dietary supplement. Many dog owners find these supplements effective, so it’s an option worth checking out. Pros
Breaks down grass-killing nitrogen in pee
Easy to use
Cons
Can get costly
Should get vet approval
- Plant Different Grass Image Credit: Virrage Images, Shutterstock
Appropriate For Small lawns
Effectiveness Good to excellent
Difficulty level Medium to high
If you have a lawn consisting of grass that’s very susceptible to dog urine like Kentucky bluegrass or Bermuda grass, consider replacing the grass. Grass that stands up better to dog pee includes Fescue grass and Ryegrass. The good news about these resilient grasses is that most are low-maintenance, which means less work for you! While replacing your grass costs money and takes time and labor to do, it’s a great way to get your lawn back in top shape. If you want to go this route, speak with the experts at your local garden center. They’ll be able to tell you what kind of grass is the most resistant to dog pee and a type that’s appropriate for your environment. This method is the easiest and cheapest for small lawns. Pros
Reduces brown spots
Less maintenance
Cons
Costly
Time-consuming
Not practical for large yards
- Use Natural Paramagnetic Rocks in Your Dog’s Water Image Credit: Chewy
Appropriate For Any size lawn
Effectiveness Good
Difficulty level Easy
Many homeowners are turning to natural rocks to prevent dog urine spots from killing their grass. You can find these unique paramagnetic rocks at online pet stores. These lawn-saving rocks are 100% natural and sourced from the ground in Australia. They work to eliminate the harmful toxins in dog urine that damage grass. You simply drop a few rocks in your dog’s water and watch as your grass starts looking better with time. It typically takes several weeks of use before you start seeing noticeable improvements in your yard so be patient if you choose this method! Pros
100% natural
Easy to do
Gradually cuts down on brown spots
Cons
Takes time to see noticeable results
Can get pricey with long-term use
See Also: How to Get Dog Pee Smells Out of Carpets & Rugs? What You Need To Know!
Keeping Your Grass Nice and Green Once you find the right solution for preventing dog urine from killing your grass, you’ll want to keep that lawn looking pristine. Take your dog out for walks more often so he’s peeing less on your lawn. It’s also a good idea to use a sprinkler regularly on your grass to keep it well-hydrated and healthy. While dog poop isn’t as harmful to your lawn as dog urine, you should still pick it up. When piles of dog poop are left to sit on a lawn, they can kill the grass underneath. So arm yourself with lots of poop bags or a proper pooper scooper and keep your yard neat and tidy!
See Also: 7 Best Artificial Grass for Dogs: Reviews & Top Picks
Conclusion You can own a dog and keep a nice lawn that’s free of brown urine spots if you’re willing to do some work. Be patient with your dog, your lawn, and with yourself as you work to get rid of those ugly brown spots in your grass. Pick the right method above that’s suitable for your yard and get to work restoring that luscious green lawn! And when it’s time to clean your house… If you’re over your house smelling like you’ve got a pet, it’s time to check out the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray! It removes even the most stubborn smells and stains and comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Click here to find out more about this amazing product.At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool cat company! Next on your reading list:
9 Plants Resistant to Dog Urine 6 Best Dog Foods to Prevent Lawn Burn – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: Flower_Garden, Shutterstock
If you have a dog and a grassy lawn, chances are you have urine spots peppering that lawn of yours. Those brown spots are caused by the grass-killing nitrogen present in dog pee.
Dog urine ruins lawns the same way too much nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer does. You can use a little fertilizer to make your lawn look great but overdo it; otherwise, it can kill your grass.
We’ve put together some of the best ways to naturally prevent dog urine from killing grass so you can enjoy your lawn again without having to look at all those ugly brown spots.
How to Prevent Dog Urine from Killing Your Grass Naturally (6 Methods
1. Use Your Water Hose to Dilute the Urine
Appropriate For Small to medium-sized yards
Effectiveness Good
Difficulty level Medium
A good way to prevent dog urine from killing your grass is to spray the lawn after your dog goes pee to dilute the grass-killing nitrogen. While this is an easy method to try that doesn’t take much time, you will have to spray your grass each time your dog pees if you want to prevent lawn damage.
This method won’t work in the dead of winter when your hose is put away for the cold weather. It’s also more difficult to do if your yard is big and your dog pees everywhere and often.
Pros
Good way to dilute nitrogen
Easy to do
Inexpensive
Cons
Must be done every time your dog pees
Not possible in winter
Not for large, expansive yards
2. Increase Your Dog’s Water Intake
Appropriate For Any size lawn
Effectiveness Good
Difficulty level Easy
The more water your dog drinks, the more diluted the nitrogen will be in his pee. That’s why you should encourage your dog to drink more water. Place water dishes around your yard so your dog is more apt to drink when he’s outside playing and snooping around.
Good way to dilute nitrogen
Easy to do
Inexpensive
- Good way to dilute nitrogen
- Easy to do
- Inexpensive
Must be done every time your dog pees
Not possible in winter
Not for large, expansive yards
- Must be done every time your dog pees
- Not possible in winter
- Not for large, expansive yards
While this is an effective way to reduce those brown urine spots, there’s no way to force your dog to drink water so this method isn’t foolproof. This is another method that won’t work so well in the wintertime when your dog’s drinking water will turn to ice when placed out in the cold.
Pros
Easy to do
Works well at diluting nitrogen in urine
Cons
Can’t force a dog to drink
Not easy to do in cold weather
3. Train Your Dog to Urinate in a Designated Area
Appropriate For Any size lawn
Effectiveness Excellent
Difficulty level Medium to high
One of the best ways to prevent dog pee from killing your grass is to train your dog to do his business in a non-grassy area. If you don’t have a patch of mulch or gravel in your yard, consider adding it.
Easy to do
Works well at diluting nitrogen in urine
- Easy to do
- Works well at diluting nitrogen in urine
Can’t force a dog to drink
Not easy to do in cold weather
- Can’t force a dog to drink
- Not easy to do in cold weather
While this method takes time and patience, it’s the best way to keep your lawn spot-free! Consistency is key with this method. You should be present every time your dog goes outside so you can show him where you want him to pee. Use lots of praise when he does his business in his new pee spot.
If you don’t already have a mulch or gravel area in your yard and need to put one in, this method can be costly. It also requires muscle power so be ready to roll your sleeves up and get to work!
Pros
Super effective
Will keep your lawn spot-free
Cons
Takes time and patience
Can be costly
Must be consistent in your training
4. Give your Dog a Grass-Saver Supplement
You can give your dog a grass-saver supplement that will bind with the nitrogen in his urine to reduce brown spots in your yard. While this isn’t the most effective way to get rid of all the pee spots on a lawn, you should see fewer brown spots if you follow the directions on the label.
Super effective
Will keep your lawn spot-free
- Super effective
- Will keep your lawn spot-free
Takes time and patience
Can be costly
Must be consistent in your training
- Takes time and patience
- Can be costly
- Must be consistent in your training
You should get approval from your vet when you want to give your dog a dietary supplement. Many dog owners find these supplements effective, so it’s an option worth checking out.
Pros
Breaks down grass-killing nitrogen in pee
Easy to use
Cons
Can get costly
Should get vet approval
5. Plant Different Grass
Appropriate For Small lawns
Effectiveness Good to excellent
Difficulty level Medium to high
If you have a lawn consisting of grass that’s very susceptible to dog urine like Kentucky bluegrass or Bermuda grass, consider replacing the grass. Grass that stands up better to dog pee includes Fescue grass and Ryegrass. The good news about these resilient grasses is that most are low-maintenance, which means less work for you!
Breaks down grass-killing nitrogen in pee
Easy to use
- Breaks down grass-killing nitrogen in pee
- Easy to use
Can get costly
Should get vet approval
- Can get costly
- Should get vet approval
While replacing your grass costs money and takes time and labor to do, it’s a great way to get your lawn back in top shape. If you want to go this route, speak with the experts at your local garden center. They’ll be able to tell you what kind of grass is the most resistant to dog pee and a type that’s appropriate for your environment. This method is the easiest and cheapest for small lawns.
Pros
Reduces brown spots
Less maintenance
Cons
Costly
Time-consuming
Not practical for large yards
6. Use Natural Paramagnetic Rocks in Your Dog’s Water
Many homeowners are turning to natural rocks to prevent dog urine spots from killing their grass. You can find these unique paramagnetic rocks at online pet stores.
Reduces brown spots
Less maintenance
- Reduces brown spots
- Less maintenance
Costly
Time-consuming
Not practical for large yards
- Costly
- Time-consuming
- Not practical for large yards
These lawn-saving rocks are 100% natural and sourced from the ground in Australia. They work to eliminate the harmful toxins in dog urine that damage grass. You simply drop a few rocks in your dog’s water and watch as your grass starts looking better with time.
It typically takes several weeks of use before you start seeing noticeable improvements in your yard so be patient if you choose this method!
Pros
100% natural
Easy to do
Gradually cuts down on brown spots
Cons
Takes time to see noticeable results
Can get pricey with long-term use
- See Also: How to Get Dog Pee Smells Out of Carpets & Rugs? What You Need To Know!
100% natural
Easy to do
Gradually cuts down on brown spots
- 100% natural
- Easy to do
- Gradually cuts down on brown spots
Takes time to see noticeable results
Can get pricey with long-term use
- Takes time to see noticeable results
- Can get pricey with long-term use
Keeping Your Grass Nice and Green
Once you find the right solution for preventing dog urine from killing your grass, you’ll want to keep that lawn looking pristine. Take your dog out for walks more often so he’s peeing less on your lawn. It’s also a good idea to use a sprinkler regularly on your grass to keep it well-hydrated and healthy.
While dog poop isn’t as harmful to your lawn as dog urine, you should still pick it up. When piles of dog poop are left to sit on a lawn, they can kill the grass underneath. So arm yourself with lots of poop bags or a proper pooper scooper and keep your yard neat and tidy!
- See Also: 7 Best Artificial Grass for Dogs: Reviews & Top Picks
Conclusion
You can own a dog and keep a nice lawn that’s free of brown urine spots if you’re willing to do some work. Be patient with your dog, your lawn, and with yourself as you work to get rid of those ugly brown spots in your grass. Pick the right method above that’s suitable for your yard and get to work restoring that luscious green lawn!
And when it’s time to clean your house…
If you’re over your house smelling like you’ve got a pet, it’s time to check out the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray! It removes even the most stubborn smells and stains and comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Click here to find out more about this amazing product.At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool cat company!
Next on your reading list:
- 9 Plants Resistant to Dog Urine
- 6 Best Dog Foods to Prevent Lawn Burn – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: Flower_Garden, Shutterstock
