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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
4. Give your Dog a Grass-Saver Supplement
| 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.
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!
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.
6. Use Natural Paramagnetic Rocks in Your Dog’s Water
| 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!
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!
Conclusion
You can own a dog and keep a nice lawn that’s free of brown urine spots if you are 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!
Next on your reading list:
- How to Get Dog Pee Smells Out of Carpets & Rugs: 6 Effective Methods
- 6 Best Dog Foods to Prevent Lawn Burn – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: Flower_Garden, Shutterstock
