The Impact of Dogs on Your Indiana Lawn and How to Minimize Damage

Maintaining a beautiful green lawn and having one or more dogs can feel like a challenge. While you want turf that you’re proud to show off, your pup might see your yard as a zoomies race track or a place to dig!

While we know that you love your furry four-legged companions, you probably don’t love how hard they can be on the grass.

That’s why we’re sharing some of our advice on how to keep grass green with dogs. It’s not always going to be perfect but there are some things that you can do to help.

Jump To:

Why Pets Can Damage Your Lawn
What Causes Lawn Urine Burn?
Is Dog Poop Good for Grass?
Can Lawn Fertilizer Help Offset Dog Urine Damage?
Is Lawn Care Safe for My Dog?
FAQs on Dogs and Lawns
Choosing Lawn Care in Lafayette and Nearby Areas

Why Pets Can Damage Your Lawn

Dogs can be hard on your lawn in several ways. If you have one or more larger dogs, you know that running around or digging can tear up the grass. Dog urine damage to the lawn can also occur when pets use your lawn to do their business.

It’s not uncommon for lawns that are used by dogs regularly to have some bare spots as a result of lawn urine burn or just lots of wear and tear.

Of course, we find that most dog owners understand that these are some of the compromises that come with owning a pet. Even so, they are still typically looking for ways to mitigate the damage.

Simple changes, like taking your dog for long walks or ramping up their entertainment can prevent them from bad habits, like digging in the yard. According to the Animal Humane Society, dogs tend to dig or bury items to cope with boredom. Digging behavior can often be reduced when pets are kept occupied throughout the day. If digging is becoming a major problem in your yard, you might need to limit unsupervised outdoor time.

In general, a lawn that is thick and healthy will stand up better to damage than one that is already thin and struggling. That’s why keeping up with regular lawn care services like fertilization is important.

What Causes Lawn Urine Burn?

Pet urine lawn damage is the result of highly concentrated nitrogen and salts in dog urine. This can lead to an actual burn spot in the lawn, particularly in the summer months when your lawn is already facing dehydration and heat stress.

There are lots of supposed concoctions out there that are meant to combat urine burn but there is no magic potion. Don’t waste your money. Instead, focus on practical solutions, such as teaching your dog to pee in a far corner of the yard or, even better, in a mulched area.

The best way to address lawn urine burn is to dilute the spot with water immediately after your dog pees. This has to be done right away to be effective. A quick rinse can dilute the nitrogen and salts that lead to burning in the first place.

Also, as previously mentioned, a thick and healthy lawn is going to stand up better to lawn urine burn than one that is already struggling. It won’t prevent it, but it can help with the severity and the overall aesthetics.

As far as burnt spots that have already occurred, aeration and overseeding can help fill them in.

Is Dog Poop Good for Grass?

No, dog poop is not good for the grass. It’s a common misconception that dog poops left in the yard will just act as natural fertilizer. But that’s not the case. Dog waste is not a beneficial fertilizer for lawns.

We know that it’s a pain to regularly scoop poop, but leaving piles on the lawn can cause more problems than just stepping in it! Some potential consequences of leaving piles of poop in the yard include:

• Smothering the grass: Dogs eat protein rich diets and therefore their poop piles do not break down quickly. Leaving it sitting on the lawn can smother the grass in that area.

• Adding unwanted nutrients: When piles of poop sit on the lawn for a long time, it starts to add an excess of nutrients to concentrated locations. This can leave behind spots.

• Creating unsanitary conditions: Nobody wants to step in dog poop! But your dog’s waste could potentially also contain bacteria or parasites that make it unsanitary to be playing in the lawn.

The bottom line? Dog poop should be picked up as promptly as possible. It is not a fertilizer for the grass as some people might believe. It’s more of a lawn suffocator than a lawn helper!

Can Lawn Fertilizer Help Offset Dog Urine Damage?

No, lawn fertilization is not going to offset or cancel dog urine damage to a lawn. In fact, applying fertilizer to an area that already has urine burn can make the problem worse. Putting down fertilizer on existing urine burn spots is a bit like throwing gasoline on a fire.

But in general, a well-fed and well-fertilized lawn can fare better against lawn urine burn. That’s because your lawn should be thicker and healthier. Grass that receives regular care (including watering, proper mowing, fertilization, etc.) should be healthier and better able to withstand problems as a whole.

If you do have existing lawn urine burn, give it some time for the area to recover before applying new fertilizer.

Is Lawn Care Safe for My Dog?

While we know that pet owners want to mitigate pet damage to their lawn, they’re also very concerned about whether any lawn care services they’re using are safe for their dogs.

In fact, we get a lot more questions about this than we do about fixing pet damage. That just goes to show how much people love their pets!

Most often, people want to know: How long after a lawn care treatment can my dog go outside?

If we are talking granular treatments, like most pet-safe lawn fertilizers, you’re basically in the clear immediately.

If it’s a liquid treatment, we just need to let it dry to the touch. How long that takes depends on things like humidity, sunlight, and wind. Most days, it’s dry before we even finish packing up the truck.

At most, you’re looking at a 1-2 hour wait. The only time we delay the dry time is if it is misting or raining and honestly, at Shades of Green, we don’t usually spray in that weather anyway.

FAQs on Dogs and Lawns

Before we wrap up, let’s just make sure we’ve answered some of the most commonly asked questions on this topic.

How can I protect grass from dog pee?

If you let your dog out to pee in your yard, it can be challenging to protect against lawn urine burn. The best way to address this is to teach your dog to use a far corner of the yard (or maybe a side yard), where you aren’t as concerned about the aesthetics. Some pet owners also teach their dog to urinate in a mulched area, designed specifically for that purpose.

How long does it take grass to recover from dog urine damage?

Recovery time depends on the severity of the damage. If the damage is light, grass might recover in two to four weeks. If damage is more severe, you might end up with a bare spot that requires aeration and overseeding to fix.

Can watering after a dog urinates prevent lawn burn?

Yes, watering immediately after your dog urinates can help dilute the nitrogen and salts and reduce the severity of lawn urine burn.

Is artificial turf a better option for homeowners with multiple dogs?

While artificial turf means your lawn won’t get torn up, muddy, or experience urine burn, we have not found many homeowners who truly desire fake grass. Instead, a possible solution might be having a dog run on the side of the house with artificial turf. Then you can still have a real lawn to enjoy with your family.

Choosing Lawn Care in Lafayette and Nearby Areas

Caring for your lawn can be complicated. And when you add pets into the mix, it can get even more complex.

You shouldn’t have to figure it all out on your own.

One of the key benefits of choosing professional lawn care in Lafayette and nearby areas is that you’ll have an expert on your property helping you make decisions. At Shades of Green, we also provide services in Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, and Zionsville.

We work with lots of homeowners who have pets and we’re always available to troubleshoot problems and help with effective solutions. Of course, you can also count on us to set you up with realistic expectations. We aren’t going to make promises that we can’t keep. Lawn problems from dogs like digging and lawn urine burn aren’t always easy fixes and no lawn care company should tell you that they are.

Even so, with some strategic decisions, you can still enjoy a lawn you’ll love to spend time on with your family (including the four legged ones!).

Remember, we’re always here to help! At Shades of Green, you can count on us to provide helpful advice and recommendations while also supporting your lawn with the treatments it needs. That means more time enjoying your lawn and less time stressing about it.

Ready to get your lawn on track this season? Get started by filling out our contact form for your quote.