[dave50kate]

We've all seen some dogs pee kills or injures spots in the lawns we care for and others don't. I've literally smelled the dying areas and detect ammonia from it.

What are the solutions to reducing this injury? Does gypsum have any effect, assuming sodium is part of the problem? Anyone have any practical solutions? Supplying vitamin Pb is not a viable solution.

 

[RigglePLC]

First whiz in the morning is more concentrated--bigger spot. Pet stores have special pills the supposedly reduce the acid in the urine. Some companies have a special granules which you apply to the spot: mangnesium or calcium. I wouldn't expect either one to work. That is unless you include seed in the mixture.

 

[SeedPro]

Water Water Water. I soak individual dog spots my dogs make and water the entire area a lot.....on a regular basis.

You need to wash the ammonia past the root zone and spot seed but if you don't. the seeds will germinate a die.

Female dogs are the worst offenders.

I'm not convinced of the additives the pet supply stores sell but you can try that too.

 

[B.H.]

am having the same problem and was trying to remember a post i saw a while back about molasses...perhaps by smallaxe?

 

[bigslick7878]

LOL if I had a nickle for every time someone asked about this.

There is nothing you can do outside of following the dog around with a hose and diluting it right after they go.

Or buy expensive pills that might/might not work and remember to give them to the dog every day every meal.

 

[Stevegotcrabgrass]

How about train the dog to go in one spot only. Or take the dog for a walk when it needs to go..good exercise for both...or make him pee on crabgrass...probably wont kill it though...

 

[SeedPro]

How about train the dog to go in one spot only. Or take the dog for a walk when it needs to go..good exercise for both...or make him pee on crabgrass...probably wont kill it though...

Yeah. Take him for a walk.

Translation? Let him piss on someone elses lawn.

lol

 

[silverado212]

I have given the pills to my dogs and they do work. Just pricy. Also have a spray bottle that you spray on spot and then water down. Takes about 7 days but spot greens back up.

 

[FYS777]

LOL if I had a nickle for every time someone asked about this.

There is nothing you can do outside of following the dog around with a hose and diluting it right after they go.

Or buy expensive pills that might/might not work and remember to give them to the dog every day every meal.

this is the correct answer.

 

[bx24]

I have 2 shows dogs and 1 other dog...All family in my eyes.. But we have tried all and nothing has worked...

But Seedpro has what we do is turn on the sprinkelers everyday (bad I know) but it helps.

Dogs are 70, 90 and 165 lbs...2 pits and a mastiff.

 

[kirk1701]

Yeah. Take him for a walk.

Translation? Let him piss on someone elses lawn.

lol

I was thinking the same thing.

But reminds me of someone else on here who picks up the "still steaming crap" with his bare hand and hits the guy (owner) in the back of the head with the dog crap :drinkup:

OMG that made me laugh, its on the forum here somewhere last summer.

 

[atouchofnature]

I have one particular customer who always has a lot of dog spots in her lawn, to the point that she has me reseed her back lawn every fall because it has thinned so badly.

Last fall, I started using 1-2-3 Compost Tea from ICT Organics on my customers' lawns. The idea popped into my head one day that if the microbes in the ICT compost tea break down nitrogen that they might help with dog spots, so I mixed up a batch in my 2 gallon pump sprayer, I don't remember the exact amount of product, but I do remember that i mixed it as if I were going to spray 6,000 sq. ft. with the batch. I then sprayed the dog spotted areas very heavily (roughly 3/4 - 1 cup of mixed product per dog spot) with the product. By the next week they were green again. After that, I just kept a batch of it mixed up all the time and I sprayed all dog spots on all of my customers' lawns every week after mowing, and the results remained consistent. I calculated my cost to be around 12 - 15 cents per dog spot, or about $4.50 per sprayer full, which may be a little more expensive than reseeding it, and of course I am going to lose the income from reseeding the one lawn every fall, but it kept the lawns looking better. This year, I am going to mix it in a spray bottle and carry the bottle on the mower with me to save time.

 

[Kiril]

I have one particular customer who always has a lot of dog spots in her lawn, to the point that she has me reseed her back lawn every fall because it has thinned so badly.

Last fall, I started using 1-2-3 Compost Tea from ICT Organics on my customers' lawns. The idea popped into my head one day that if the microbes in the ICT compost tea break down nitrogen that they might help with dog spots, so I mixed up a batch in my 2 gallon pump sprayer, I don't remember the exact amount of product, but I do remember that i mixed it as if I were going to spray 6,000 sq. ft. with the batch. I then sprayed the dog spotted areas very heavily (roughly 3/4 - 1 cup of mixed product per dog spot) with the product. By the next week they were green again. After that, I just kept a batch of it mixed up all the time and I sprayed all dog spots on all of my customers' lawns every week after mowing, and the results remained consistent. I calculated my cost to be around 12 - 15 cents per dog spot, or about $4.50 per sprayer full, which may be a little more expensive than reseeding it, and of course I am going to lose the income from reseeding the one lawn every fall, but it kept the lawns looking better. This year, I am going to mix it in a spray bottle and carry the bottle on the mower with me to save time.

That is an interesting manipulation of the N cycle. It still won't prevent the burn though.

 

[GrassStitcher]

I have a new one - The Grass Stitcher, it disperses the ammonium and creates the ideal environment for grass seed germination (extra wide hole with loose soil around the rim) at the same time. Works awesome. Thumbs Up I'll be doing a how to video series this summer, I can't wait to tape that one.

 

[JoJo1990]

Ammonia is a partial cause of the burn. Remember, dogs eat a very high protein diet. As the proteins break down they are excreted as a ammonia AND a high nitrogen source. This is also why if the dog has been drinking a lot of water and 'moves while they spray' you may notice areas that are a rich green color. You essentially had the dog fertilize that area.

Most vets wont recommend pills or additives to change the urine PH. A garden hose to dilute the spot works bot only if it's right away and this of course is not practical.

We ask the homeowner to consider making an area of the yard the 'potty' area. A simple mulch bed with some pea gravel or class 5 below for drainage works great. With some simple training, the dog can learn to use a specific area of the yard to do their business.

Oh yeah, I'm the new guy!
Mike:cool2:

 

[DA Quality Lawn & YS]

We've all seen some dogs pee kills or injures spots in the lawns we care for and others don't. I've literally smelled the dying areas and detect ammonia from it.

What are the solutions to reducing this injury? Does gypsum have any effect, assuming sodium is part of the problem? Anyone have any practical solutions? Supplying vitamin Pb is not a viable solution.

Dave - hate to break it to ya, but if you continue to have dogs peeing in the yard, you will continue to have an injured lawn.

You can have good dogs or a good lawn, but not both at the same time.

 

[Sweet Tater]

I heard on one of those dog shows on Discovery Channel, that feeding them tomato juice will help prevent pee spots. I personally dont know if its true or not, but if its a problem its worth a try

 

[dave50kate]

I figured it was fairly hopeless. Some good ideas came through, with a little impracticality. Although these lawns are clients, who's dogs I won't be training for them, encouraging them to use a pee area is a great idea.
Compost teas might have merit, though I'll have to set up for it, currently I'm pretty inorganic. I like the reseeding the lawn idea the best, as it has the highest potential for making more money.
The male dog vs. female dog I've heard both ways one or the other being worse. One of my clients has sibling std. poodles, both males. One kills the lawn the other doesn't.

 

[GrassStitcher]

Dave

Your right!

The reseeding is a money maker, you can stop on some interval (2 weeks) and do a dog spot repair service. You can market that to your customers and have yet another revenue stream.

Also, you can be in the Grass Stitcher business, if the customer would rather do it themselves, more frequently, I have an affiliate program (http://www.grassstitcher.com/affiliateprograms/) where you can buy wholesale and deliver it to them and make money that way.

Sometimes a problem could be an opportunity??

Good Luck