Dog Versus Lawn: How to Help Your Lawn Win

Dog Versus Lawn: How to Help Your Lawn Win

When you have a dog they are a part of your family – the part of your family that relieves themselves on your lawn. The question is can a healthy lawn and a family pet coexist? How do you maintain a green and lush El Paso lawn when you have a canine around? Well, there is a way! Here are some simple strategies you can use to keep your lawn and your pet happy.

Your Dog Loves Your Lawn

Your dog may not appreciate your lawn in the same way you do, but there’s no question that to your dog the lawn is a source of happiness. After all, they like to play, run, roll around and generally be dogs as they enjoy the lawn. The fact they also use it for a bathroom doesn’t mean they disrespect the lawn, it’s just nature calling.

By taking just a few simple steps you can protect your lawn from your dog’s habits so that everyone in the family can enjoy it safely and happily – with nary a brown spot in sight.

Damage Caused by Dogs

No one likes a lush green lawn interspersed with brown spots! When your dog relieves themselves on the lawn you need to make sure to rinse the area as soon as you can. The salts in your dog’s urine break down into nitrogen to cause the browning effect you’re trying to avoid.

Aside from rinsing the area, mowing high is also a good strategy. High grass will help to lessen the impact of the dog’s urine on the grass, and when that’s combined with a quick rinse then you have a recipe for success.

If you have spots on your lawn that are badly damaged by your dog then you will need to consider repairing them. You can either reseed the area or patch it with sod. There are special products you can use to neutralize the salts in dog urine too. Give those a try in order to repair any brown spots.

If you’re looking for a more permanent and sustainable dog versus lawn solution, then you may want to consider a mulched area in your yard just for your canine companion. This way you don’t have to worry about damaging your grass, you just need to train your dog to use this area when they go outside to relieve themselves.

Feed Your Lawn

Another way to ensure your lawn stays healthy in the face of your furry friend is to feed the lawn regularly. A strong and thick lawn will stand up to heavier use, so try to set up a schedule where you fertilize about four times a year.

Remember that when it comes to fertilizing your lawn, more is not necessarily better. Over-applying fertilizer isn’t going to help, so make sure you follow directions on the fertilizer packaging for spreader settings and amounts when you are applying it.

When Dogs Eat the Lawn

Dogs are kind of weird. OK – they can be a lot weird. But if you’re dog eats your lawn sometimes that’s not as weird of a behavior as you may think. Occasionally dogs will eat grass when their stomach is upset in order to make themselves vomit. They probably won’t get harmed this way, but remember to follow directions on any product you use on your lawn and keep your pets away from for the recommended amount of time after it’s been treated. You don’t want poor Fido to get more than he bargained for when he’s just trying to relieve an upset tummy.

Keeping your lawn healthy and safe for your entire family is possible and quite easy to do! If you ever have questions about the health of your lawn or the effects of your pets on it, Lawn Love is here to help!

Sara Butler

Sara Butler has written scores of articles for Lawn Love -- everything from how to revive your dead lawn to how to start to lawn care tools every homeowner should have.