So we just moved to a new house in December. A brand spanking new house. We paid extra money to have the garden turfed as this wasn't standard in the build. Obviously with new grass we want to keep it as nice as possible and with it only having been laid just over a month ago we need to take care of it to make sure it roots properly and doesn't die off. We're not really supposed to be walking on it until it's rooted, which could be a while as its winter so obviously nothing much grows, however with a dog we need to go out and let her go to the toilet. At the moment I am only de-poo ing the garden once a week to minimise the amount of wear on it and we only let Penny out for the toilet - no playtime in the garden just yet! Now to the main issue - urine burn. In our old garden we had several patches of dead grass from where she would only use a small section of the grass to jrinate - this was mostly as a puppy where she would go on the first bit of grass she could get to. As an adult dog she would venture further into the garden so the urine wouldn't be concentrated in just one spot. In the new garden she's gone back to old puppy habits in using the first bit of grass she gets to. I think this is partly because the grass is longer than she likes (she doesn't like it when it tickles her bits!!) as we can't cut the grass yet as the turf hasn't rooted. Unfortunately we are now starting to get urine burns on our lovely new garden. When we first moved in I bought some of those dog rocks that you put in the water bowl which is supposed to help reduce the acidity of the urine and prevention lawn burn. They're supposed to be replaced once a month so I am due to get some new ones now, but I really don't think they work.... Has anyone used them successfully? Can anyone recommend anything we can try to reduce the liklihood of any more urine burns? Or should I just accept that it's one of those things that goes along with having a dog!!?
Can't offer much advice on the urine burns as it's not a problem we've ever had and Juno mainly pees on stones. You could try pouring some water on the urine to dilute it and see it that helps.
Yeah I've read that that can help, but with the amount of rain we've had lately here (pretty much every day for the last month!) I would have thought that would have achieved the same effect..
I'm looking for a solution to this too. I haven't tried the rocks as a friend tried them for months and still has burn marks on her lawn. I was advised that you could hose off the wee as soon as they do it but, even if I could be bothered, Ella spends time outside by herself so I'd never be able to stay on top of it. I'd be interested to see if others have suggestions.
You are not going to like this solution....but I dug up the grass and laid slate chipping.....it worked a treat.
I did read that adding a small amount of tomato sauce to their food helps , our dogs often have sardines in tomato sauce , we don't have too many burns on the lawn but it may just be coincidence Lawn ? Paddy field is a better description right now
Tell me about it! I feel like I have to wear wellies when I go out to de poo and I worry the roots will rot and the turf won't take as its so wet!
My inlaws get very upset by this problem and have tried a dozen different things to prevent patches on their lawn from their Golden Retriever. From pills to give their dog, to sprays, cures and preventatives to put on the lawn. Nothing has had the slightest bit of difference. My father in law to this day runs onto the lawn in summer with the hose to spray where the dog has just done a wee, hoping to dilute the effects. I have no idea why he persists, as this has also made no difference at all If it were an issue which bothered me, I would either create a fenced area of the lawn to let the dog into before the rest, in the hopes she'd do her wees there, or attempt to teach a 'wee on command' so that you can have some control over where she goes.
I am with Lucy, the burnt lawn is just part of the price you pay for having a dog. It sits nicely alongside the bald patches where she has accelerated or cornered whilst playing
My Twiglet uses a 'spending area' for wees and poos. If I'd known what a mess dog urine makes of the lawn I could have trained Tatze to use it too - but it's too late now. I have tried and she holds, holds, holds her wees if I try to get her to use Twiglet's spending area. I have had dogs all my life, but always boys until Tatze and, of course, they weed on posts, bushes, fences etc - not the lawn. I am also tempted to fence the lawn off ! Here is our lovely lawn, and Twiglet's spending area. The lawn is only lovely because I spend ages re-seeding the burnt bits - grrrrrrr!
Looking forward to the day that Coco, now coming up to 21 months old, cocks his leg on a tree or post. He just squats & unloads a full bladder onto the "lawn" aka mud-bath. Belle has NEVER scorched the lawn (Miss Perfect).
I have never found anything that can prevent urine burning marks. I have had bitches and now I have dogs, thought wenwould have a pristine lawn, but no! Both boyes urinate like girsl on the lawn!!
We gave up on having a good lawn. We just accept urine burns as being part of the Labrador scene. OH planted a few nice bushes so that people would look up and not notice the lawn.
nothing seems to help with urine burns in the end we just divided the garden into a dog side and grass side. We've got peebles on one side it looks nice. Only trouble I have now cocking up plants.....................not me Rory
Yes I guess I will have to resign myself to having urine burns, the joys of having a dog lol Although the way things are going at the moment if we don't get some dry weather soon the lawn will be too waterlogged for the turf to root and it'll all die anyway!!
It's the hubby who it obsessed with it.... Got this idea about getting a goal net and playing football out there with the kids
