You love your dog, but you love your lawn too. Unfortunately, sometimes the two don’t mix so well. Dog waste is unsightly, unsanitary, and  unpleasant to have in your yard. Many dog lovers are left with unsightly brown spots of turf around their yard that serve as unpleasant reminders of your pet’s business.

Here are a few steps you can take to help minimize brown spots in your yard:

If you have a problem with people allowing their dogs to use your yard to relieve themselves, you can stick a sign in your yard where the offending pooches are taking liberty with your lawn. Or, simply ask those walking their dogs to not use your lawn for their dog’s bathroom break.

Watering your entire yard regularly will help to wash away some of the urine in your yard. This is a good idea if your dog is using multiple areas of your yard.

One of the most effective ways is to immediately dilute your pets urine with water. Simply water down the area your pet uses immediately after they urinate on your lawn. This requires a little more diligence on your part but will address the problem area immediately and help reduce the chances that a brown spot will form.

Make sure your dog has always has plenty of water available to drink. A well hydrated dog will produce less concentrated urine. This will help dilute the urine.

Choosing the correct type of grass for your lawn will also help. Some grasses such as perennial rye grass are more resistant to damage from pets.

An Ounce of Prevention

Your best option might be to create an area in your yard specifically for your dog’s use. Training your dog to use a small section of yard that has been created with gravel or mulch will prevent your dog from ruining your grass as well as concentrating your dogs yard use, which helps keep the rest of your yard free of waste. Keeping your yard free of dog waste is  essential to a healthy yard and home.