I love spring but when the grass starts to change from that dull green, dingy yellow color to the vibrant green of new grass, I wince inwardly and often wish that the snow was once again covering my lawn.  Or rather the nice burnt spots on my yard where the dogs have urinated.  Every spring, I’m back out in the yard trying to fix the patches so I can enjoy a few weeks of green before the summer heat settles in and the yard becomes toasted once again.  Sometimes I wonder if I should even bother but other times, I know I would rather have a nice yard that is water deprived, than a healthy yard that is filled with burnt patches. 

I’m sure I’m not the only dog owner with this problem but thankfully there are a few things you can do to keep your yard looking nice and green. 

• Take your dog for a walk.  Obviously, if your dog is not urinating on your lawn, you aren’t going to have brown spots but let’s face it, not everyone is going to have the patience to take the dogs for a walk several times per day.  I’ve tried, or rather my husband has tried, and he has spent several summers going for about 8 walks per day (a luxury since he works from home).  The dogs love it and they are happy and worn out by the end of the day.  Our lawn usually looks really great until the first few days of cold weather comes and then they go back to burning the yard.
• Keep them in one area. This works well for clean up as well but if you have a side yard, make that the place to do their business.  This way you could put down something a little more urine friendly and you won’t have to search the yard for any landmines.
• Purchase a urine neutralizer.  I’m not sure how I feel about this and I have never purchased a neutralizer because I would feel like I am poisoning my dog slowly to save my lawn.  The neutralizer is placed in food or water and it will reduce the amount of ammonia found in your dog’s urine.  This keeps the urine from damaging the lawn and although many people have stated that it is safe for dogs, I’m still wary of this product.  Still, to each their own and if you feel comfortable using a urine neutralizer, by all means do so. If you prefer not to use a neutralizer, encourage your dog to drink more water.
• Keep a bucket of water handy.  When your dog urinates, pour a bucket of water on the spot. This should help neutralize the urine and will water your lawn at the same time. 
• Plant a hardier grass.  There are certain strains of grass such as Ryegrass that are more resistant to urine than others. 

Hopefully I have given you a few tips to keep your lawn nice and green but if all else fails, you can always get back to taking those long walks.

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