Dog-gonit! Solving Pet-Related Lawn Problems

Pet owners love their pets for companionship and loyalty. However, on occasion, pets can unintentionally cause bare spots and wear down areas of your grass. Dogs are among the biggest culprits and will be used as an example in this article, which provides suggestions for dealing with spots caused by dog urine and dog paths in yards.

See Spots All Over the Yard?

Dog urine contains nitrogen and other salts that, when applied directly to the grass, result in bare spots. Circular patches of yellow- or tan-colored grass, also known as "dog spots," may appear, surrounded by a 1- to 2-inch ring of dark green grass. The tan-colored grass is a result of excessive nitrogen salts, which burn or kill off the grass, while the dark green ring appears where the nitrogen has been diluted to a point where it promotes growth. The dark ring will be most prevalent in under fertilized lawns because these lawns are more yellow in color overall, providing a sharper contrast. Look for yellow circles to appear when your dog is confined to, or only uses, a small area to urinate. Yellow circles also appear more often in the late fall or early spring when the grass is not actively growing.

Spot Solutions

Remedying dog spots is not easy because grass has no defense mechanism, so it soaks up the excessive salts without knowing they are harmful. Because there is no evidence that changing the dog's diet will lessen the severity of the urine damage on the grass, here are a few options to help reduce the appearance of dog urine in your yard:

• Heavily water the affected area. Using a hose or bucket, flush the affected spots with water to dilute the salts and revive the grass. It is best if you are able to pour water directly on the area right after your pet has been there. In doing so, you will not see the grass change color due to the nitrogen salts, particularly if the grass is actively growing.
• Prevent future problems by encouraging your dog to use other parts of the lawn, rather than confining itself to one area.
• Have the dog use areas that are out of sight and out of the way.

In the Fast Lane

As dogs run around lawns and fenced areas, they tend to create trails and paths, commonly known as "dog tracks." Here, the problem is one of wear and compaction. The grass is under stress from continuous use and cannot grow and develop because the soil surrounding the plant is compacted from the traffic. Soil compaction in a yard can be alleviated by aeration (for more information, read "Aeration: Give Your Lawn a Breath of Fresh Air"), but if the traffic from the dogs is consistent, solving the problem will be an uphill battle. In this case, installing a crumb rubber track where the dog typically runs is a good solution.

Fetch Some Crumb Rubber

To alleviate the nuisance of dog tracks, apply a layer of crumb rubber on top of the track area. Crumb rubber, recycled from used automobile tires, has been proven safe for the grass and the dog. Crumb rubber is used in artificial sports arenas around the country as well as a cushion for high traffic areas in natural turf stadiums. A half- to 3/4-inch layer of the crumb rubber (1 to 1.5 pounds of rubber per square foot) will protect the soil from compaction, thereby allowing the grass to grow. Protecting the crown of the plant and the soil is heavily dependent upon putting down at least a half-inch layer of the rubber. The rubber also lessens the stress on the grass because there is less tearing of the plant tissue.

Crumb rubber can be easily spread with a rake and will settle into the soil after a few days following a rain or watering. The proper size of crumb rubber should be between 1 to 4 millimeters in diameter, ranging from the size of a pencil lead to a BB pellet. Be careful not to use finer crumb dust as it will cause drainage problems.

Getting on the Right Track

To create a proper crumb rubber track, take the following steps:

1. Aerate, water and seed the affected areas. There is no hard and fast rule for how long it will take the grass to fill in because it depends on the type of grass and climate. But, until the grass has filled in, you may want to keep your dog off the area to ensure the best results.
2. Put down the crumb rubber. To figure out how many pounds you will need, measure the perimeter of the fence and multiply by the width of your dog track. This will be enough crumb rubber to lay a half-inch layer on the track. If you need thicker coverage, multiply this amount by 1.5 for a 3/4-inch layer.
3. Spread the crumb rubber with a rake over the affected areas. You can allow traffic on the grass as soon as the rubber has been washed down from rain or a watering.
4. Note that because the rubber is black, it will absorb heat. This will cause the bare ground to be hotter and make seeding difficult in the summer. Your best bet may be a fall seeding if you live in the northern zones. The exception is bermudagrass, which loves the heat, allowing you to put the crumb rubber down any time.

Crown III™ by Jaitire Industries in Denver, Colo. is one type of crumb rubber. For more information, visit the Jaitire Industries website.

Preventing Further Damage

A dog may be "man's best friend," but this pet is certainly not the lawn's best friend. Fortunately, steps can be taken to remedy dog spots and dog tracks. Remember to flush dog urine with plenty of water and give your dog access to different, inconspicuous parts of the yard. Also, fetch crumb rubber for a subtle dog track that lets your dog run round and round the yard. After taking these steps, you'll be more than happy to let the dog out of the house.