How to prevent dog urine from killing your grass

• Updated 12th Apr 2025
• Reading time: 5 minutes

 

What causes dead patches of grass on your lawn and how can you stop it? Dead grass is unsightly and early action can help fix the problem before it gets too severe.

In our experience over decades of dog ownership, we've brainstormed and tested a range of causes. We've also consulted dog trainers, lawn care experts and nutritionists to help with troubleshooting the solutions.

In this article, we:

• Help you diagnose the issue.
• Check that it's actually your dog causing it.
• Provide tips to fix it long term.

 

 

What causes brown patches on the lawn?

Patchy grass burn can occur for a number of reasons, so it's worth making sure that it's actually your dog that's causing the problem. A few ways to narrow this down could be:

• Are the patches small or large? Urine patches tend to be smaller and appear as multiple brown spots on your lawn, rather than a large continuous dead zone.
• Have you seen your dog peeing in that general area? If your pup is using the same places to wee and those same places are where the grass is dying, then it's more likely that they might be the cause.
• Are the patches surrounded by thicker green grass? Dog pee is often high in nitrogen. Where it doesn't kill the grass, it can run off to the edges and actually help fertilise it!
• Are the grass roots still strong? Fungal disease can also kill grass, but it tends to also rot the roots. Dog pee will leave the root system intact and only damage the tips of the grass.

Why does dog urine kill grass?

There are two main scientifically-backed reasons dog urine may damage grass:

1. Dog urine contains high levels of urea nitrogen. Nitrogen is a fertiliser, but when highly concentrated, it can burn the tips of the grass and turn them brown.
2. Dog urine also contains varying concentrations of lactic acid, depending on diet. High concentrations of lactic acid have a proven herbicidal effect.

So, what can you do about it?

In this guide, we'll help you find practical solutions and ways to prevent further damage. Helping you maintain a healthy, green lawn, while sharing it with your dogs.

Natural solutions to prevent dog urine damage to grass

Now that we've diagnosed the issue and we're pretty confident it's our furry friend causing it, we're ready to try some researched solutions. The most effective of which we're going to detail here.

Dilute the affected area

If you see your dog pee on the lawn, you can use a watering can to rinse the area down and dilute lactic acid and nitrogen. This can go a long way to prevent further damage short term. However, it's not practical to always follow your dog around like this, so you need more permanent solutions.

Provide adequate hydration

You can reduce the concentration of the urine by allowing your dog to drink more water. Making sure your dog has plenty of water in an accessible water bowl can help dilute the urine at the source.

Feed a balanced diet higher in water content

The type of dog food matters. Kibble doesn't naturally contain water, so your dog is entirely reliant on additional water intake to stay hydrated. Feeding your dog a raw diet that already has plenty of moisture will make a difference here.

The nutrient balance also matters. Feeding a complete and balanced diet with naturally digestible ingredients will put less strain on your dog's kidneys. Healthy kidneys produce more balanced urine. This is especially relevant to lactic acid production.

Walk your dog at specific times

Dogs typically have a preference for when they urinate. Most dogs will need to go out when they first wake up, or after a meal. Take this opportunity to take them out yourself, either for a long walk, or to a spot where their pee can't damage the grass.

Train your dog to pee on command

Encouraging your dog to go to the toilet in a specific place or doing so when you direct them to can help a lot. Be patient and they will learn. When they urinate, tell them "wee wees", so they associate the words with the action. Soon, you'll be able to prompt them to go in a specific place and time when you're present.

Just remember not to pressure your dog or make them anxious. Sometimes they just don't need to go and you shouldn't make them uncomfortable.

Reserve a patch for them to wee

Ground cover plants like clover or native violet are much more resistant to an abundance of nitrogen. They grow happily in the shade and serve as an excellent place for your dog to learn to wee.

Recommendations

Repair the grass

Luckily, dog urine rarely kills the deeper root system of the grass, so once you prevent the causes, the grass will generally grow back. If the grass is truly dead, the surrounding grass will usually grow back into the empty patch.

You can accelerate this process by stripping the dead grass tips, laying down some rich soil in the empty patch and re-seeding the area with the same grass type, if you prefer.

Dietary changes

A complete raw dog food diet is an option to help with dehydration and chemical imbalance in dog urine. You can browse our raw dog food online to choose a recipe that suits your dog best.

Disclaimer

This article should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a veterinarian or pet nutritionist if your pets have dietary of health concerns.

About the author

Bodog Olah - Raw & Fresh

Bodog is a co-owner at Raw & Fresh, lifetime dog owner, responsible raw feeder and avid gardener. He's dealt with more than his fair share of dead grass patches and used the recommendations in this article to solve them!

Sources

Lactic Acid is a Major Contributor to Dog Urine Injury in Cool‐Season Lawn Species by Crop Science via ResearchGate.

Training Your Dog to Use a Designated Potty Area by PooPickers