Learn Your Lawn: Dog Spot

WHAT CAUSES DOG SPOT IN THE LAWN?

Dog Spot is an area on a lawn where a dog has urinated or defecated, leaving a discolored or brown patch of grass that can be difficult to remove. It’s caused by the high levels of nitrogen in a dog’s urine and feces, which can cause the grass in the affected area to die. Dog spot damage is often confused with damage from other sources of salt, such as road salt or fertilizer spills. However, you can identify a dog spot by the margin of dark green, rapidly growing grass surrounding a bright yellow patch of dying grass.

HOW CAN I PREVENT OR REPAIR DOG SPOTS IN MY LAWN?

It can take time and patience to repair lawns damaged with dog spots. You may need to use a combination of methods to achieve your desired results. Here are a few measures you can use to prevent and repair dog spots.

• Regularly Clean Up After Your Dog: Clean up after your dog so that the feces does not sit long enough to cause a buildup of nitrogen in the soil, which can cause brown spots.

• Limit Your Dog to Certain Areas of the Lawn: By training your dog to use certain areas of the lawn, or by using a fence or other barriers, you can limit the area that will be affected by dog spots.

• Use Seed and Soil to Repair the Damage: Use a grass seed blend that is suitable to your lawn in combination with a little soil to encourage new grass growth in the dog spots.

• Water the Affected Areas: Water the areas where your dog urinates and defecates to dilute the nitrogen and prevent further damage.