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Dogs and My Lawn

As much as we love our dogs, they can cause a certain amount of wear, tear and damage to our lawns. To what extent will depend on the breed and size of the dog.

The main issues affecting lawns are dealing with their ‘business’ and minimising digging behaviour.

Dog Urine and patches

The high levels of nitrogen in dog urine can cause scorched patches of brown, dead grass to appear, especially if your furry friend has a favourite spot to go in. Ironically, the areas around these patches often become green and lush where the more diluted urine is acting as liquid fertiliser.

Bitches cause more damage to your lawn than dogs because they tend to squat in one place, achieving very high levels of concentration. Dogs tend to go little and often to mark their territory, which means there is usually not enough in any one place to cause damage.

Dog excrement should be immediately removed from the lawn as it will create dead patches and can cause a health risk if it gets into human eyes.

Repairing dead patches:

When dead patches occur we recommend that the following action should be taken to assist recovery:

Rake the area vigorously, to remove the dead area.
Create a tilth by roughing up the area of the patch, possibly adding some fine soil or top dressing.
Sprinkle lawn seed over the affected area.
Firm seed into the soil to create sufficient contact.
Apply water at least twice per day and don’t allow the patch to dry out until seed germination has occurred.

How to stop or minimise digging

Some breeds are naturally more inclined to dig, but it’s often a sign of boredom or excess energy. Tips to help keep your pup entertained include:

Avoid leaving them in the garden alone with no other distractions. Spend some time playing or training them in the garden or leave toys around that are more enticing than digging.
Rotate toys on a regular basis so they don’t get bored of them and consider toys that give them a mental workout too. There are various toys where food can be concealed inside or that require a specific action by the dog to retrieve the treat.
Ensure they are getting enough exercise and expending enough energy. Dogs should be walked twice a day, and more active breeds will need even more physical and mental stimulation to avoid boredom.
Digging can also be a sign of anxiety, so making sure your pet is well loved and looked after and has their own special ‘safe place’ can also help.
Some dog owners have had success by making the digging area unappealing; sprinkling cayenne pepper is a commonly discussed tactic but remember this will need reapplying over time as the weather washes it away.

The Solution

Taking the dog out first thing for a morning walk helps them get into a good routine and ensures the most concentrated wee of the day is not over your lovely grass. This may not always be practical though, so keeping a bucket or watering can nearby and diluting the urine as soon as possible is the next best solution.

Some people are successful in training their dogs at a young age to urinate in a designated area of the lawn, so any damage is contained. That area can then be re-turfed occasionally.

If you are considering a full reseeding or re-turfing of the lawn, consider incorporating more resilient grass types like Dwarf perennial ryegrass which is more hardwearing, and can now be found in more fine-leafed varieties.

Lawn treatments and dog safety:

If you choose to apply treatments to your lawn, make sure you read all instructions carefully to avoid your dog potentially ingesting any and becoming ill. Lawntech’s treatments are all pet safe as long as some sensible precautions are taken, see further information below.

Fertiliser:

This is a semi-organic product and is applied in granular form. It poses no risk to pets or wildlife.

Moss Treatment:

This is an iron-based product and is applied in liquid form. It poses no risk to dogs and cats etc. but it is advisable to keep them off your lawn for at least one day so the product has time to dry, otherwise it can cause staining to paws and also your floors!