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Tackle Urine Burn with Some Simple Steps

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dog training urine burn Ah, spring. The snow has melted, flowers are showing signs of life, and the grass is ready to go. But if you’re a dog owner, you may have seen them—those stubborn brown patches that are the last to green up, and may even struggle to thrive all season. Is it a disease? A pest? Nope—it might be urine burn.

Is That Really a Thing?

Really and truly. Dogs whose urine has a high pH or high nitrogen content can wreak havoc on your grass. This is especially true for female dogs: unlike male dogs, who happily bounce from tree to bush to garden gnome, marking their territory as they go, female dogs empty their bladder in one spot, which can spell trouble for your lawn. This winter, help prevent against lawn burn in the spring by following a few simple steps:

Spot-Train Your Furry Friend

If your dog is easy to train, try teaching her a new trick! Pick a spot in the yard that’s out of the way and unnoticeable. Bring her out on a leash when you know she needs to go, lead her to the preferred spot, and then reward her with a treat as soon as she’s done. Be sure to use your best excited “who’s a good girl?” voice. Dogs respond favorably to positive reinforcement, so bring out the bacon, and keep those treats coming until she learns where you like her to go.

Water When Ready

When you’re ready to let your dog outside, grab a glass of water and then follow her out. After she’s finished relieving herself, just dump the water where she went—this will help dilute the urine, making it less likely that the grass will get damaged. As veterinarians will tell you, “dilution is the solution to pollution.”

Stay Hydrated!

You know the phrase “out of sight, out of mind?” If the opposite is true, then placing several bowls of water around the house should help your best friend drink more water, diluting her urine even more. You might also try adding some bone broth to the water, to encourage her to stay extra hydrated. (As a bonus, bone broth is good for your doggie’s joints, and is great for when they’re feeling under the weather, too.)

Mix in Some Wet Food

Meals with a little bit of moisture can help decrease the concentration of urine. Plus, adding in a little wet food will make your dog love you that much more (if that’s even possible!).

Look at Your Fertilizer Levels

Finally, if your lawn is the beneficiary of fertilizer, it’s already getting a lot of nitrogen, and a whole bunch of doggie waste could just compound the problem. If you need to, scale back on the amount of fertilizer you’re putting down, so you don’t put too much stress on your grass. How are you feeling about your lawn this spring? Excellent? Not so good? If you want to stop worrying about your lawn’s health and start enjoying it more, give us a call. Together, we’ll come up with a unique plan to suit your lawn’s needs. Here’s to spring!