We all love our dogs, but do we love the lawn burn spots we get from their urine? It may be gross to imagine, but your lawn is nothing more than a big outdoor toilet for your pet. Long story short, dog urine grass is not a pretty site. It’s worse with female dogs that typically have stronger urine, and also squat in the same spots, but happens with male dogs too.
Your dog's urine is highly acidic and can kill the grass it comes in contact with, similar to burning a lawn with over-fertilization.

Ways to Combat Dog Urine Burn in your Lawn

The most common treatment for dog urine lawn burn is to saturate the urine spot with water. Enough water has to be used to dilute the urine or even completely wash it away. If you don’t use enough water, you may save the lawn from burning, and instead have lots of very dark green spots where the urine was diluted to the point of actually helping the grass!
This approach to control dog urine problems takes a lot of time and is difficult to get right, but it very environmentally friendly because grass needs water anyway!

Another way to combat urine burn in your lawn is to train your dog to do his business in one area of the yard that has been designated as his personal bathroom. Some people refer to this as a 'dog run.' It's a good idea to separate that area with river pebbles, sand or even artificial turf. This way, you can clean it up easily. This one shouldn’t be too difficult because you have already trained the dog not to pee in the house, and this is just another step along those same lines.
I have also heard of people buying large gas torches to burn away the dog poo and other mess in these areas, saving cleanup.

Another method is to alter the pH of the dog urine, which can be done by modifying your dog's diet. Brewers Yeast is found in most dog food, but it’s not at a level that has enough effect on their urine acidity. Some say an additional teaspoonful of Brewers Yeast added to the dog’s daily diet, can reduce the pH of the urine enough to prevent lawn damage. Some folks purchase Brewer's Yeast in tablet form as well.

In addition to altering the pH or the dog's urine, you can alter the pH or your soil by adding lime for lawns. If there are common areas on the lawn that are affected by the dog's urine, sprinkle them with lime. If you are unsure, you can perform a soil test prior to utilizing lime as a neutralizer.

Just remember, if you can train the dog to go in one central area, the lime idea works well. Many folks have asked me if it is possible to burn your lawn with lime, and the answer is 'no' you can’t burn your grass with lime. It's cheap and works! You just have to stay consistent.

If you already have areas that are damaged, the best bet is to saturate the spots with water, and prepare to re-seed them in the fall. Just remember to rake out the dead lawn areas prior to seeding and wash them completely. It would also help to put down some starter fertilizer to help the seed along. After that, use the tips above to keep your dog and you happy!

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