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Lawn Questions

964 views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  Cody's pet 
#1 ·
I was on another board (horse related) and there was a dog/lawn discussion about dog pee turning their lawn brown. One person thought it was a female dog thing. Another a food protein issue.

Does anyone here know why some dogs urine turns the lawn brown? How to stop it?

I have 3 females, and no brown spots in my back yard "their area". So it is not a "female" issue, and I feed a holistic kibble so it could be something good or bad in food. I know we "occasionally" have this issue, but it is not consistent so I have never cared, figured out why, and it is not chronic in our yard. Thougts?
 
#2 ·
I was once told that brown burn spots are a "female thing" because female dogs empty their bladders in one shot (exposing the lawn to a large amount of urine), while males urinate several times in diifferent spots before emptying their bladders (in order to mark their territory). As such, the male marking generally does not expose any one spot to enough urine to do damage. This sounded logical to me, so I never looked into the issue beyond that. I am sure someone with more knowledge than me will know if this is correct.
 
#4 ·
It's the nitrogen in the urine that burns the lawn. It's actually good for the lawn when diluted. That's why the grass grow so tall and green around the brown spots. The only way I know of preventing it is pour water over the area after the dirty deed is done.
 
#10 ·
It's the nitrogen in the urine that burns the lawn. It's actually good for the lawn when diluted. That's why the grass grow so tall and green around the brown spots. The only way I know of preventing it is pour water over the area after the dirty deed is done.

You nailed it! Keeping a hose handy is the best way to assure the brown spots don't take over...and they can.
 
#5 ·
We've had three males and one female Golden over the years, and the only problem we've had with brown spots is where the female peed. Maybe it's a food reaction on the part of some dogs and not others? We had a male and the female at the same time, with no brown spot problems from the male. The nitrogen thing sounds reasonable, as does the explanation that females tend to empty their bladders in one spot, unlike males. (I suppose now I'm being sexist ...) Oh well, the female (Shannon) and the males (Jake and Clyde) are waiting at The Bridge -- I'll have to check the grass when I get there.
 
#6 ·
We've had three males and one female Golden over the years, and the only problem we've had with brown spots is where the female peed. Maybe it's a food reaction on the part of some dogs and not others? We had a male and the female at the same time, with no brown spot problems from the male. The nitrogen thing sounds reasonable, as does the explanation that females tend to empty their bladders in one spot, unlike males. (I suppose now I'm being sexist ...) Oh well, the female (Shannon) and the males (Jake and Clyde) are waiting at The Bridge -- I'll have to check the grass when I get there.
Now the thought of that made me giggle.
 
#7 ·
Thor is correct, it's the nitrogen content of the urine, which is why food and/or supplements won't change it.
The only way to stop the brown spots is to either water the lawn or convince the dog to drink more, making the urine more dilute.
 
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