Dog urine-especially from females-is a powerful killer of grass, plants and even small bushes.
This year brings a somewhat unique problem-dead areas where the pets had few places to do their business except for the small plots their owners decided to shovel during the record February snowfalls.
With more than two feet of snow on the ground for weeks, animals were restricted in their potty spots. Now that the ground is clear of precipitation, the dead patches are clearly delineated.
One dog owner went to the expense of hauling in bags of top soil and re-seeding the dead areas.
Another said he's "letting nature take its course," hoping the grass returns. A cheaper, but more lengthy process.
Of the 14 that live in his house, only the two dogs go outside.
"Females do the most (lawn) damage, about 90 percent," he said. "I have two of them and one I trained to not go in the yard." He built a pen in which he placed blocks. "Even if she's in the yard, she gets up and runs back to her pen," Gasper said.
For those not willing to build a pen, he has a few other suggestions that are not as costly as a pen or fertilizer that cost up to $50 a month.
Gasper likes and uses gypsum, also known as calcium sulfate dihydrate, and lime.
"Lime is the neutralizer and the gypsum is to break it down," he said, adding he limes every other month and uses the gypsum every three months or so. Even if left ignored, the brown spots will eventually disappear, but it takes a while.
There are pills on the market to reduce the acidity in female dogs' urine. One user said it works at first, then the dog "catches on" and refuses to take the medication.
K9 Yard Patch is a custom designed lawn repair that neutralizes pet urine and conditions the soil with premium grass seed. Reviews are mixed on whether it works.
Leslie Povich, president of New Look Landscaping & Design, Inc., in Washington, said, yes, female dogs' urine is more potent than males. She attributes it, jokingly, to "those lovely female hormones."
"If you fertilize your yard, you probably already have an abundance of nitrogen and are just adding to the problem," Povich said. "Of course, there are not many of us who have time to go out and water down the urine every time Fido goes, but that is one way to reduce the damage. If your lawn already is covered in brown spots, you should flush out the area with water or even better, remove the soil and put down new topsoil."
She suggested mulching an area of the lawn and restricting the dog to that location.
Urine is not the only reason for brown, worn spots.
"Another problem that usually goes hand in hand with pee spots is worn out pathways that the dog makes," Povich said. "So you should consider putting down a stone or mulch pathway and teaching the dog to use that to get to his or her bathroom."
