Barmy question, I know, but can grass be brought back from the dead?

[Herbsandveg]

Well, I said it was a barmy question, and you have to admit it is, but you'll know what I'm talking about if you've ever had had a dog pee on your grass...

My next door neighbour has a lawn that he shares with me, and he also has a little dog. Now, the dog doesn't go far, but tiddles quite a bit, and most of this, very sadly, goes on my/our lawn. The resultant effect of this is that the grass is taking a a hit. It's only been cut three times so far this year, and the dog was here last Summer, but no harm was apparent then, though there's already a bit of die back showing up in this year's growth.

Short of either moving, falling out with my neighbour, or totally retraining the dog, it seems like the problem might be here to stay, so does anyone know any any dye or of any other viable solution that might sort the problem out and pull things round? I have an otherwise happy garden, and all seems to be going well, but am worrying about a summer of worry here with regard to the lawn...

Could anyone offer a smidgeon of hope on this as regards a possible solution?

[DannyK]

Put a bowl of water out. The dog will pee more but it will be diluted and less damaging.

[veggiechicken]

Is it a she dog or a he dog?
I think she dog's urine is more concentrated as they don't spread it about as much as he dogs.
Pour water over it (the urine, not the dog) to dilute it - assuming you're standing nearby with a watering can!

[flynch]

You can get mineral rocks to put in the dogs water. Harmless to the dog just passes through but reduces the ph of the urine so it doesn't burn the grass. I use to use it, called dog rocks. Maybe you can find it online and gift it to the neighbour? Would be a possible solution.

[Jay-ell]

I thought there was something about feeding them carrots or something stops the urine from killing grass.

[Herbsandveg]

It's a she dog....

Is it a she dog or a he dog?
I think she dog's urine is more concentrated as they don't spread it about as much as he dogs.
Pour water over it (the urine, not the dog) to dilute it - assuming you're standing nearby with a watering can!

Hello again, VC...X

It's definitely a she dog. I think my neighbour lets her out into the garden at night, so the watering can is out, but at least if there's a lot of dew on the grass then that might hellp a little bit.

Hope all's well in your garden. I've just had a couple of days off work to work in mine, and heard a report on the radio today to say that public satisfaction on the NHS has just reached a new high for the last three years. And that's on the days that I'm on leave! I almost felt like they were trying to imply that things run a lot more smoothly when I'm off than when I'm actually there, so I promptly switched stations straight away and got a little bit grumpy for a while...

[Herbsandveg]

I thought there was something about feeding them carrots or something stops the urine from killing grass.

But that would require me actually trying to feed them to it, wouldn't it? Might be a bit tricky, but I could always leave a couple out in the garden or post a couple through the letter box when no-one's looking, I suppose. The dog is always the first one to the door anyway, so she'd have put half a carrot away before the neighbour tore himself away from Emerdale, so it just might actually work.

Actually, I had a serious request posted to me at Christmas from another of my neighbours who told me that Santa's reindeers lived with him, so he asked me (in the card put through my door) if I'd pop round with a few carrots as they're apparently their favourite food. I did seriously consider it, but figured that by the time I got there he'd have forgotten that he'd ever said it, and it would have only confused him more if I actually turned up on his doorstep with a couple...

[Herbsandveg]

You can get mineral rocks to put in the dogs water. Harmless to the dog just passes through but reduces the ph of the urine so it doesn't burn the grass. I use to use it, called dog rocks. Maybe you can find it online and gift it to the neighbour? Would be a possible solution.

Thank you, Flynch, I'll see if I can find any online...

[Jay22]

Not sure I'd be putting anything out for the dog to eat/drink without the owners knowledge, what if it was allergic or something?
We have a male dog but there is one part of the lawn where he pees which over time during the winter months goes bare but by summer it's usually back to normal.

[Herbsandveg]

Thank you...

Not sure I'd be putting anything out for the dog to eat/drink without the owners knowledge, what if it was allergic or something?
We have a male dog but there is one part of the lawn where he pees which over time during the winter months goes bare but by summer it's usually back to normal.

Thank you for that, Jay. It's pretty heartening news, and I only hope it's the same for mine this summer.

[bazzaboy]

Several tips for dealing with this problem, H&V, on:
Is Dog Urine Killing the Grass in your Lawn?
The best tips seem to be not to cut the grass too short and to water the lawn frequently to keep the overall moisture level high. Also some tips on re-seeding. Hope they help. bb