Tips on How to Keep a Lawn Looking Good for Dog Owners

Dogs give their owners so much pleasure as well as keeping them a lot fitter and on their toes. However, if you regularly let your pet out into the back garden, the chances are your lawn suffers the consequences with many brown patches appearing where your pet does their “business”. This makes keeping a lawn looking lush and green a bit of a challenge.

What Causes the Brown Patches?

The brown patches seen on lawns where a dog has been are the result of the grass literally being burned every time your pet urinates on it. The reason the grass gets burnt is because a dog's urine contains pretty high levels of nitrogen which causes grass to gradually turn brown and eventually die off. This leaves very defined patches on a lawn which can be unsightly.

The problem tends to be worse with female dogs because they squat down when they go to the toilet which means they mark one area of the lawn whereas their male counterparts prefer to lift a leg on a bush, tree or even fence post and never really go to the toilet on the lawn. Males also like to mark their territory which means they don't “go” in the same place all of the time, whereas bitches like to use the same spot most of the time.

How to Prevent Brown Patches in Your Lawn

There are several ways of preventing brown patches appearing in your lawn, so if you love your garden and adore your dog, you can still let them out knowing that your lawn won't get damaged and that it will remain super lush and green instead of having patches of dead grass all over it!

Hose the Area Straight Away

The best way to prevent any brown patches appearing on your lawn is to put the hose on the area your dog has been to the toilet because the water helps dilute the nitrogen contained in your pet's urine. However, ideally you need to do this straight away for it to be really effective. You can also keep a watering can to hand which works just as well, but again you need to pour the water on the patch as soon as possible because the quicker the nitrogen in your pet's urine is diluted, the less chance there is of it burning the grass.

Consider Using Dog Rocks

There are certain natural products that you can add to a dog's water bowl, one of which is called Dog Rocks. These work by purifying trace elements and a few of the nitrates and ammonia found in water which your pet expels in their urine. The lower levels of nitrate will help reduce the amount left on your lawn which means there's less risk of the grass getting burned.

Train Your Dog to Use Certain Areas

Dogs can also be trained to do their “business” in certain areas of the garden and not on your lawn which they will happily do once they know what is expected of them. The earlier you teach your canine companion, the quicker they'll get the message and the less damage they'll do to your grass leaving it looking lush and green.

How to Treat Brown Patches in Your Lawn

Needless to say, if you share your home with a dog (or two), the chances are you are going to end up with a few brown patches on your otherwise lush lawn no matter how careful you are about things. The good news is that if the areas are small, the grass does grow back pretty quickly especially during the spring and summer seasons when the grass grows. The bad news is that larger areas will need a little longer and would require more attention which includes doing the following:

• The first thing you need to do is remove all the dead grass which you can do using a garden rake
• Next, you need to make several holes in the ground where the grass has been burnt away. These need to be approximately 1cm in depth and can easily be done using a garden fork
• You then need to sow some grass seeds on the affected area and the rule of thumb is 10 to 20 seeds per square inch of ground.
• Once you have sowed the seeds, you then need to gently but firmly tread them into the ground
• You need to water the area every single day during the first two weeks after having sowed the grass seeds unless of course, it rains every day which is often does during the spring and summer months. However, if there is a dry spell, it's essential to water the grass seeds for them to grow

Conclusion

If you notice any brown patches appearing in your lawn as long as they are small, the grass usually grows back pretty quickly during the growing season. However, larger patches might need a bit of extra work which means reseeding the areas and the best time to do this is during the spring and summer months. However, if you hose down areas that your dog pees on as soon as they have gone to the toilet, this dilutes the nitrates they expel in their urine which means there's less chance of the grass dying off and helps keep your lawn looking lush and green throughout the summer.