How to Get Dog Burn Spots Out of Grass

Dog burn spots on the lawn are a result of nitrogen in the urine and typically occurs from female dogs, as males usually lift their legs and urinate on trees, bushes and the like. These spots can be frustrating because they can cause brown, dead-looking spots on an otherwise green, healthy-looking lawn. Getting rid of them can be tricky, but it can be done.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water
• Hose
• Sprinkler
• Grass seed

Reduce or eliminate fertilizing

1. If you fertilize your lawn you may want to stop. Fertilizer and dog urine both have nitrogen. Over fertilizing causes a lawn to burn, and a dog's urine can push an already fertilized lawn over the edge.

2. Feeding a dog too much protein increases the nitrogen level in his urine. Make sure your dog is being fed a quality food that gives him the right amount of protein, limiting the amount of nitrogen in his urine.

3. Water your lawn. Watering a lawn after urination dilutes the nitrogen and washes it away, getting rid of the dead spots before they evolve to an extreme. By the same token, watering the existing brown spots as frequently as possible will help revive the lawn.

4. Replant the entire yard or the areas of your lawn which your dog tends to urinate on the most with urine-resistant grass. Most lawn care and nursery centers should have information on these hardy grasses, but types of ryegrasses and fescues are the most recommended.

5. Apply a lawn treatment designed specifically for dog urine spots. The treatment will help revive your lawn and return it to its typical condition. If the lawn is too far gone, you may have to reseed.

Tips & Warnings

• The best way to treat dog burn spots in your lawn is to try to avoid them in the first place. Visit your local pet store and get a supplement that can be added to food or water to neutralize the nitrogen in your dog's urine. Watering your lawn daily can greatly reduce the dog burn spots by diluting the nitrogen in the urine.

Resources

• Well know pet education site with information on dog burn spots
• Lawn guard, a supplement to avoid the problem at the source
• Helpful information on the causes and treatments of lawn burn caused by dogs