Dog Urine Patches
If you’ve noticed yellow or brown patches appearing on your lawn, your dog’s urine is the most likely culprit. It’s one of the most common lawn problems faced by pet owners – but the good news is, it’s easy to repair and prevent with the right care and seed choice.
What Causes Dog Urine Patches?
Dog urine contains high levels of nitrogen and salts. In small amounts, nitrogen actually helps grass grow greener – which is why you might notice dark green rings around damaged patches. However, when urine is concentrated in one spot, it overloads the grass with nitrogen, effectively ‘burning’ it. Female dogs often cause more noticeable patches because they tend to urinate in one place rather than marking multiple areas.
How to Repair Damaged Areas
Step 1: Rinse the area promptly
If you spot your dog using the lawn, give the area a good soaking with a watering can or hose to dilute the nitrogen before it can cause damage.
Step 2: Remove dead grass
Rake out any brown, straw-like patches to allow new growth to take hold.
Step 3: Reseed with a hardwearing mix
Use a resilient lawn seed, such as Johnsons Tuffgrass with Dog Patch Resistance, which contains specially selected grass varieties tolerant to dog urine. Lightly rake in the seed, water regularly, and keep traffic off until it’s established.
Step 4: Feed and maintain
Once new growth appears, feed the area with a balanced lawn fertiliser to encourage strong, even recovery.
How to Prevent Future Damage
Encourage Hydration
Make sure your dog always has access to fresh water. Well-hydrated dogs produce less concentrated urine.
Regular Watering
During dry spells, water your lawn regularly to help flush out built-up salts contained within dog urine.
Designate a Toilet Area
Although not always the easiest solution, training your pet to use one specific area of your garden, ideally with gravel or mulch for toileting, can be the best option for protecting your lawn.
There are great training resources on the RSPCA website.
Overseed Each Season
Consider overseeding with a hardwearing or pet-resistant lawn seed, such as Johnsons Tuffgrass with Dog Patch Resistance, which contains specially selected grass varieties tolerant to dog urine. This should be done each sprint and autumn to maintain lawn density and resilience.
Stay Consistent With Your Lawn Care
Regular mowing, aeration, and feeding will help your grass recover faster from any damage.
Don’t Let Dog Urine Ruin Your Lawn
Repair and Protect It with Tuff Grass