Dogs love to run around on a backyard lawn, but they can be very hard on the grass. They trample plants, dig holes, pee on the grass and do all those other things dogs tend to do. There are a few simple things you can do to keep your lawn looking nice while your dog enjoys it too.
If your dog spends a lot of time on the lawn running around, it can be pretty hard on the grass. That constant to and from can cause the soil to get so compacted that the roots cannot grow deeply enough and are not able to get the light, air, nutrients and water they need. This in turn leads to the grass not growing. Compaction usually is worse and increases faster with a bigger dog and/or a smaller lawn. The greater weight speeds up the process and, if there is only a small area where the dog can run, then that place will get more use and have problems faster. To fix this issue, aerate your lawn mechanically or hire a professional to do it. It will need to be done periodically, maybe even every few months for a large, active dog.
Another common problem is over-fertilization, which causes pet spots (yellow patches) in the lawn. Typically this is an issue near the doors or other places dog tend to urinate. The urea in dog urine is a strong fertilizer that is almost entirely composed of nitrogen. It can be a great fertilizer in smaller amounts, but larger ones will increase the acidity of the soil to the point where the grass will burn. To help overcome this problem, you can give a vitamin to your dog to reduce the acidity of the urine and its affects. You can dump water on any spots where they tend to urinate. You may also want to try to train your dog to only go to the bathroom in certain areas of the yard where there is no grass.
Follow these maintenance suggestions, and it is easy to let your dog enjoy your lawn and keep it looking nice and healthy too.
When to aerate a lawn? What is a thatch rake?