What to do about dog urine killing the grass?

Starkie

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Dec 8, 2012
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Walley-Bubba aka Wooley Bulley aka Walter! aka Landi!!
Walley-Bubba's urine is killing the lawn in the back yard.
My fault for teaching him to always pee on the grass in the same spot.
But he's just about 100% house broken now.
And he can hold it all day (9 hours) while I am at work.

I decided to put him on the leash and lead him to the other side of the yard.
Where I made a dutch drain (a trench with rocks leading to a drain pipe covered with pea gravel).
So far, he seems OK with defecating and urinating in this new area.
And it will be alot easier to pick up the poop from the new, small area on Saturdays before the gardeners arrive.

But what can I do to resurrect my lawn?
Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks.
 

JeannieCO

Queenie
Mar 11, 2011
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Emma, Charlie, Milo, Peekaboo and Jack
Oh boy, I'm no help at all. My dogs have all but ruined my back yard grass, going back to before the bullies. It used to be nice, really it did. I've all but given up. What they ruin I just replace every few years with new sod. During puppy potty training we did take them to one side of the yard. Problem with that is that area will get ruined pretty dang fast. Now I have 4 and they poop and pee wherever their bodies take them. I really don't care where they go as long as it's on the grass. :)

I know there's stuff out there but I've never really looked at it before....just not worth my time. Unless you plan on keeping him on a leash all the time, I doubt he'll continue to go in the same spot, dogs like to mark and wander.
 
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Starkie

Starkie

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Walley-Bubba aka Wooley Bulley aka Walter! aka Landi!!
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^^^
Thanks.
I think I made it worse by fertilizing with Scotts Turf Builder.
Dog urine apparently contains alot of nitrogen as does fertilizer.
Live an learn (hopefully).
Must water daily for a while now.

Will continue with the leash/dutch ditch.
And soak the places he urinates.
And see what happens.
 

cali baker

Worlds Greatest Chef
Feb 25, 2011
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I just got a new grassy lawn put in about a month ago and watch my guys like a hawk, making sure they don't pee there. My gardener told me if they do pee on the grass to immediately get the hose and rinse the area. It's sort of stressful b/c I want them to feel like they have free reign of the backyard grass but that new sod cost me a pretty penny and I'm determined to keep it green!
 

dalmatina38

The Stripe Wearing, Broom Wielding, Voodoo Prieste
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Jul 13, 2012
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Sierra Vista Arizona
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My yard stays green, no small task in Arizona, but I water a few hours each day so it is always moist and the urine gets diluted rather quickly. Sometimes a stop on to get a little yellow but come right back in a day or two. Watering is the key. I water for two hours in the morning and two at night. Good luck.
 
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Starkie

Starkie

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Walley-Bubba aka Wooley Bulley aka Walter! aka Landi!!
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I just got a new grassy lawn put in about a month ago and watch my guys like a hawk, making sure they don't pee there. My gardener told me if they do pee on the grass to immediately get the hose and rinse the area. It's sort of stressful b/c I want them to feel like they have free reign of the backyard grass but that new sod cost me a pretty penny and I'm determined to keep it green!

Ann got us a couple of those no-tangle hoses you see on TV that shrink into a small ball when the water is turned off and the hose is drained. We have found that they work great and are no stress at all both for us watering with them and for the dogs (and cats) when we use them (unlike the heavy hose).

Thanks for the advice - we will pounce on any wee wee spots as soon as they are created!
We don't like the leash either but WB seems fine with it, go figure.
 
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Starkie

Starkie

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It's working out very well now.
WB seems interested to go with me on the leash to the pee-pee zone (the dutch ditch).
He's so smart and seems to have no trouble picking up on what I want him to do.

He will urinate on command when I repeat "go pee pee, go pee pee".
He will also defecate on command when I repeat "go poo poo, go poo poo".
I feel very self conscious doing this but what the heck, it works.

The pee pee zone is like a giant cat box!
Cleanup is a snap because the area is small, about 6' x 3'.
I don't have to go all over the yard on Saturday morning hunting down poos befor the gardeners arrive.

I will be heavily watering the burned areas and will try re-seeding with red fescue next month.
 
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Twice

My Bully Gave Me Wings
Feb 3, 2012
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Woodbridge Township, NJ
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Abby (my Sweetie Head 10.24.11-11.23.12) and Otis
I just got a new grassy lawn put in about a month ago and watch my guys like a hawk, making sure they don't pee there. My gardener told me if they do pee on the grass to immediately get the hose and rinse the area. It's sort of stressful b/c I want them to feel like they have free reign of the backyard grass but that new sod cost me a pretty penny and I'm determined to keep it green!


Your gardener is a little bit wrong. You have about an hour to soak the spot before the damage starts. :)
 

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
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Oct 8, 2012
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All great advice received from everybody already. I have a couple of other suggestions as well, one is you can try putting apple cider vinegar in the drinking water, because it helps to balance the Ph levels in the body, so will help minimize or eliminate the yellow staining of the grass, also the watering down of the grass will also help. We got our two pups last May 2012, and since they were so young, we didn't want them to pee anywhere where other dogs had been until they had all their vaccinations, so we let them do all their duties on the front lawn, and then over the winter as well, as it's was so cold most days, we didn't walk as much, and when it was evening time, and dark we just let them pee on the front lawn. Then the spring came, and with all the rain, and the melting snow, and us walking on the lawn, it was a mess, we had a lot of bald spots , so we threw some new soil down and raked it, then we placed some new grass seed down and watered it, and within 2 weeks we have a whole new lawn. Now we don't let them pee on the lawn, and walk them down the street to do their duties. We live in a condominium complex, and they have so many rules, so we had to fix our lawn, but now that it looks nice and full again, we just walk them a little down the road and off the complex.
 

Vicaroo1000

"Slug Assassin" and PBS Gardening Dweeb
Jun 23, 2011
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I say just give up. LOL That's what I've done. In the "dog meadow" there are a yellow spots and super green spots and spots where clover has taken over because I have actually PLANTED IT there! I leave the grass longer - thus, the "meadow" - so you can't see these little imperfections. Go Meadow!*

Interestingly, Bo's pee isn't at all bad -- it's Bea's that really turns the grass colors. They tend to pee in the same spots all the time and Bea's little area's are Death Valley in the meadow.

*note: going meadow has only occurred only when three years of my life was exhausted trying to have perfect grass in the dog yard. I have used every possible concoction and product on the market - to no avail. Give up!
 

Heff102

I will show you my thingy if you show me yours!
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Jul 7, 2012
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You have 2 choices:

1 - Get rid of the lawn

2 - Get rid of the dog

Hard choice eh?

ROFLMAO
 
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Starkie

Starkie

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Walley-Bubba aka Wooley Bulley aka Walter! aka Landi!!
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LOL, thanks for the comments everyone.
But the new area (dutch ditch covered with pea (LOL) gravel) is working out really well.
Sure, WB gets more leash training than he used to but he's free as a bird when we go to the big dog park.
 
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LariP

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Aug 4, 2010
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I vote for get rid of the lawn. ;)

Seriously though, it seems like if you have him going in a better area though you could just re-sod the areas that need fixed. Water well and often until it takes.
 
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Starkie

Starkie

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Dec 8, 2012
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Northern California
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Bulldog(s) Names
Walley-Bubba aka Wooley Bulley aka Walter! aka Landi!!
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Thanks Lari, we will probably go with the lawn repair kit and some miracle grow potting soil again.
It worked really well two years ago when we had a cinch bug infestation.
Nasty critters, they lay eggs in the grass roots, then they mature into ant-sized beatles which eat the grass and defecate poison which kills the roots.
A bag of Bug-Be-Gone takes care of the problem followed by the lawn repair kit and lots of water a few weeks later.
Yes, I am the crazy old guy in the corner house who is a known lawn fanatic too :)
 

kazzy220

..........
Jul 31, 2010
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Grafton, OHIO
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Maggie (My Angel Baby 5/31/2012). Daddy (2 years). Linus (1year). Bella (4 years)
Eight dogs. Huge lawn. I gave up even caring about the odd pee spot a Lllllllllllllllllooooonnnggggg time ago!! :up:
 

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