If your once perfectly manicured green lawn has brown spots and dead patches, you might have fallen victim to uncontrolled potty behavior of one or more dogs. More so than feces, it's dog urine that causes the most damage -- it contains nitrogen and salts, which are applied all at once and burns and kills the grass. If the culprit is your own dog it might be more acceptable, but if the dog belongs to a neighbor, you're most likely not a happy camper. To stop this undesired behavior, take steps to make your lawn unappealing and inaccessible to dogs.
Put on a friendly face and have a chat with the owner of the dog who's doing the damage. Even if the owner is aware of what his dog is doing, pretend he doesn't know. Kindly suggest that he leashes his dog and walk him to a local park or field. Try to stay calm and friendly -- if the dog owner likes you, he might put in extra effort to keep his pet companion from going potty on your lawn.
Install a motion-activated sprinkler system on your lawn. When the dog comes near your lawn, the sprinkler system senses this and activates. The spraying water might make the dog change his mind about going potty on your lawn. Although motion-activated sprinklers are often used to scare away cats and rabbits, they might also work on dogs.
Spray a commercial dog repellent around the perimeter of your lawn. Look for a repellent that's safe to use on your lawn. Dogs dislike the smell or taste of the repellent and will stay away from your lawn.
Place a fence around your lawn to make it inaccessible to stray dogs.
Build an outdoor lawn potty for your dog if he's the one doing the damage. Select a shaded, private area of the yard. Cover the area with mulch or pea gravel and place a large boulder in it so your pet companion can use it as a marking post. To make the potty more attractive, place some of your dog's poop in it. Bring your dog to his outdoor potty and praise and reward him with a treat each time he uses it. Over time, he'll automatically start using his own lawn potty.
Items You Will Need
- Fence
- Motion-activated sprinkler system
- Dog repellent
- Mulch or pea gravel
- Boulder
References
Writer Bio
Kimberly Caines is a well traveled model, writer and licensed physical fitness trainer who was first published in 1997. Her work has appeared in the Dutch newspaper "De Overschiese Krant" and on various websites. Caines holds a degree in journalism from Mercurius College in Holland and is writing her first novel.