Dog Spots

[dustino8]

Just wondering if anyone has ever had luck with any product or method for fixing dog urine spots on grass. My big beautiful yellow lab is ruining my big beautiful back yard, especially evident when the snow melts in the spring. I've read everything from adding tomato juice to her food to watering down the spot after they pee (which I have no doubt works, but who has the time for this). I could just cut out the damaged grass and replace it, but I guess I am looking for more of a preventative measure. Any input would be appreciated.

[Tim]

Originally posted by dustino8
Just wondering if anyone has ever had luck with any product or method for fixing dog urine spots on grass. My big beautiful yellow lab is ruining my big beautiful back yard, especially evident when the snow melts in the spring. I've read everything from adding tomato juice to her food to watering down the spot after they pee (which I have no doubt works, but who has the time for this). I could just cut out the damaged grass and replace it, but I guess I am looking for more of a preventative measure. Any input would be appreciated.

(I wish, been there, done that) even watering it down doesn't work cuz she pee's a quart at least.

don't let her on the grass and walk her two or three times a day..........not only good for the grass but her nails as well as exercise for you.......

if you can get her to pee on concrete your battle is half won.......

[seadog]

Originally posted by dustino8
....adding tomato juice to her food ....

Get HER a sex change to a HE.

[krygny]

Originally posted by dustino8
...
I could just cut out the damaged grass and replace it, but ...

You'll be doing that constantly. It takes weeks to restore a patch, but the dog has to pee 3-4 times a day. The best solution is to train her to go in the same place, preferably in a remote corner of the yard, and just "write the area off". I have female dogs and I've given up on making the lawn in the backyard a "showplace" like my front lawn. I manage to keep it at bay with a low nitrogen fertilizer and huge amounts of lime, which reduces the acidity.

It's the ammonia in their urine that burns the grass, but also is metabolized by the grass as nitrogen; that's why you get donuts of thicker grass around the burnt spot where it dissipates enough to be metabolized (perhaps a crude form of ammonium nitrate, i.e., fertilizer). Some of my dogs have caused this problem more than others and I don't know why (same food); guess it's just body chemistry.

[2muchfun]

I fought this battle for 10 years with my previous dog, a rottweiler who peed gallons!

The only REAL solution is to get a male dog....

.....we ended up with a female shepard and now that she's maturing we have the spots again

The best I can come up with is to water regularly and take good care of your grass and dont let the spots bug you.

CR just did a artical on proper grass care. They said to keep your mower set at about 3" and cut it when it gets to 4". Use a mulching blade (I dont) Also fertilize and water properly for your area.

[dustino8]

Thanks for all the replies. I've considered training her to pee in one spot. I tried this when she was 8 weeks old, but it was too frustrating, and some mornings after spending a half hour outside resulting in being late for work, I just gave up. Now she is almost two, and she will pee on command, so I don't think it would be too difficult to get her too pee in an inconspicuous spot. Other than that, I guess I'll just have to live with it.

[2muchfun]

Sounds like youve done a fine job. Get her to one spot and live with it.
A good dog is worth it

[flyinggeek]

Alright. This is going to like a man obsessed with his grass but....

I used to have a dame Great Dane and had this exact problem. The first thing I tried was GrassSaver tablets. At her weight (180#) that meant like 10 tablets a day. The bottle of 90 is like 30 bucks so between the wrestling and cost, that was quickly ruled out. YMMV but for me that was a complete farce.

Next up was even better. Watch the dog go pee, then go out into the yard with a tuna can that has the bottom and top cut out, place the 'can' over the piss spot and fill with water. Complete pain in the butt and didn't work.

Ultimately I ended up letting her out for doing her business through the front and she'd pee on the neighbor's yard. Problem solved. Then I'd pass her through the gate to the back yard to stretch her legs. The neighbor's yard was xeriscaped so the damage was practically invisible.

Naughty? Yes. Effective? You bet.

[CMasten]

Believe it or not, a little Tomato Juice in their dish in the morning and a little at night and its gone. Of course they have to like the taste of Tomato Juice

not sure about your breed, but my Rotties will drink anything

[dustino8]

I'm glad to here tomato juice worked for someone. This would be the easiest solution. No worries here about her drinking it, she will eat or drink just about anything.