Dog Pee Killing Your Grass? How To Fix Yellow Spots In Your Lawn

You've watered it, fertilized it and maybe even paid for new sod. But those yellow and brown circles keep coming back, right where your dog likes to go. If dog pee is killing your grass, you're dealing with one of the most common lawn problems dog owners search for.

Why Does Dog Pee Kill Grass?

Dog urine is high in nitrogen. A little nitrogen is fertilizer. A big dose in one spot burns the grass, which is why you often see a dead yellow center with a ring of extra-green grass around the edge where the urine was more spread out. Female dogs and dogs who squat tend to leave more concentrated spots, but any dog can do it.

How To Fix Yellow Spots From Dog Urine

• Water the spot deeply to flush extra nitrogen out of the root zone.
• Rake out the dead grass so new growth has room.
• Let St. Augustine grass fill in. It spreads by runners and often repairs small spots on its own in a few weeks.
• Plug or patch bigger dead areas with a piece of sod.

How To Prevent New Spots

• Rinse right after: a quick spray of water where your dog just went dilutes it.
• Create a potty area: train your dog to use one mulched or gravel corner of the yard.
• Walk more: the more bathroom breaks that happen on walks, the less your lawn takes the hit.
• Keep your dog hydrated: well-hydrated dogs tend to have more diluted urine.

Be careful with supplements and products that claim to change your dog's urine. Some can affect your dog's health, so ask your vet before trying anything that goes in their food or water.

Don't Forget The Other Half: Dog Poop

Urine gets the blame, but poop burns grass too, and piles left for days smother the lawn underneath. We covered that in is dog poop killing your grass.

A Greener Lawn, Two Ways

We can't stop your dog from peeing, but we can take care of the rest. Weekly scooping keeps waste off your grass, and regular dog walks move more bathroom breaks off your lawn. Get your free instant quote, or see our dog walking prices.

Stop Fighting Your Lawn Alone

You can water every spot and reseed every bare patch, but if waste keeps sitting on the grass, your lawn never gets the break it needs to recover. Let us take the hardest part off your plate. We clear the whole yard on a set schedule, so new spots stop showing up while the old ones grow back. Weekly service starts at $14.99 with no contracts, and every visit is backed by our Spotless Yard Guarantee: if we miss a spot, tell us within 24 hours and we'll come back and re-clean it free. Still not happy? That visit is free.

We're local, and we serve dog owners in Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Land O' Lakes, San Antonio, Dade City, Lutz, New Tampa and Plant City. Get your free instant quote in about 60 seconds, with no phone call needed.

Keep reading: How Much Does A Dog Walker Cost In Wesley Chapel?.

About the Author

Tiffani, Owner of Scoop Dog

U.S. Army veteran and Zephyrhills dog mom to Luna and Snickers. Tiffani personally scoops yards and walks dogs across Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Land O' Lakes, San Antonio, Dade City, Lutz, New Tampa and Plant City, and writes every guide from what she sees in local backyards each week. Read her story.