Subject: Dog Pee and my Lawn

From: Gail Harless <[email-masked]>
Date: 29 Mar 1995 23:04:34 GMT

Okay, guys, you're gonna love this question!

We are attempting (so far in vain) to have a nice lawn.  We are in the
process of reseeding.

I asked my husband not to let our dog relieve herself on our lawn.  He
didn't always listen!

As we were seeding, we noticed that we can tell where the dog peed
because that's where the grass is really lush.  I thought dog pee
ruined lawns!  What's the deal?

I feel like letting my dog relieve herself on our lawn once it starts
to get more established.

Your input would be most welcome.  Thanks!

Gail

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 30 Mar 95 13:19:27 -0600

> We are attempting (so far in vain) to have a nice lawn.  We are in the

Your old lawn was pretty scruffy looking, so you tilled it up and
reseeded?  Or you seeded over old, thin grass?
> ruined lawns!  What's the deal?

Sounds like your grass is probably nitrogen-starved, and the urine is
providing what it needs.  Yes, too much urine, especially concentrated
or repeatedly applied to the same spot, causes "burning", and burning is
more likely if the lawn has previously been fertilized with nitrogen.

Have you had your soil tested and figured out the proper lawn fertilization
regieme you need?  (It will vary depending on soil type and climate,
and whether you bag your clippings or let them rot in situ, etc.)

Most crummy lawns improve dramatically when you start paying attention
to stuff like soil tilth, how hard the soil is packed, available 
nutrients, and how you mow.  You can even avoid the expense of pre-emergent
crabgrass herbicide in a bluegrass or tall fescue lawn if you let the
grass grow long enough to shade the crabgrass during early seedling
development.

Kay Klier  [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 30 Mar 95 13:19:27 -0600

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From: [email-masked] (Don Bonner)
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 1995 05:03:48 GMT

>Gail

This is not unusual.  It all depends how strong the urea is in the urine.  It 
would seem that your dog probably drinks a lot of water and has urine that is 
not very strong.  Therefor is stead of burning the lawn your dog is 
fertilizing your lawn.  The trick is to train your dog to pee in straight 
rows that don't over lap.

Don
*****************************************************************************
>From each according to their abilities.
To each according to their needs.
                                          [email-masked]
*****************************************************************************

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From: Gail Harless <[email-masked]>
Date: 30 Mar 1995 18:27:59 GMT

[email-masked] (Brad Andrews) wrote:
>
> I don't know if it is good or bad, someone else can answer that, but where
> would the dog go if not your yard?  Someone else's yard?

Even though I find your response/question quite insulting, I will
answer it nevertheless.

If my dog isn't peeing in my yard, she is peeing in the empty lots
that are completely overgrown by brush that are scattered throughout
our community.

Now, does anybody have a real answer to my question?

Thanks,

Gail

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From: [email-masked] (Brad Andrews)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 20:15:29 GMT

In article [email-masked], Gail Harless <[email-masked]> writes:
][email-masked] (Brad Andrews) wrote:
]>
]> I don't know if it is good or bad, someone else can answer that, but where
]> would the dog go if not your yard?  Someone else's yard?
]
]Even though I find your response/question quite insulting, I will
]answer it nevertheless.
]
]If my dog isn't peeing in my yard, she is peeing in the empty lots
]that are completely overgrown by brush that are scattered throughout
]our community.

Wow, your community is not like most I have been in, not too many vacant lots lying
around here.  Sorry to rough your dander.  I suppose you keep her from peeing on the
lots along the way there....  :)

You must be quite talented to keep a dog from marking things all along the walk....

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Brad Andrews
[email-masked]
All opinions are strictly mine

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From: [email-masked] (Brad Andrews)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 16:16:35 GMT

In article [email-masked], Gail Harless <[email-masked]> writes:
]Okay, guys, you're gonna love this question!
]
]We are attempting (so far in vain) to have a nice lawn.  We are in the
]process of reseeding.
]
]I asked my husband not to let our dog relieve herself on our lawn.  He
]didn't always listen!
]
]As we were seeding, we noticed that we can tell where the dog peed
]because that's where the grass is really lush.  I thought dog pee
]ruined lawns!  What's the deal?
]
]I feel like letting my dog relieve herself on our lawn once it starts
]to get more established.

---

Brad Andrews
[email-masked]

---

From: Gail Harless <[email-masked]>
Date: 1 Apr 1995 13:36:33 GMT

[email-masked] (Don Bonner) wrote:

>The trick is to train your dog to pee in straight 

Don,

Your response really made me laugh.  Yeah, that would be great,
wouldn't it!!

Gail

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From: Gail Harless <[email-masked]>
Date: 1 Apr 1995 13:36:33 GMT

Don,

Gail

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 16 Apr 1995 01:48:58 GMT

I think here, cats are actually a greater problem for
gardeners than dogs.  Dogs are not allowed on their
own and there are plenty of special "walks" for dogs.
The only problem with dogs has been the ocassional
master who lets him off the leash and he tromps in his
delight over delicate plants.  A little poo a couple times
a year is no trouble,, in fact the deer and the hedge hog
leave a lot more poo in alot lot worse places.

One winter our cats got to using the same place in the
snow for a little pee place. One could tell, as they
tried to scratch the snow over the pea and sure
enough in the spring, the grass was quite dead in 
a large ring there.  I would have had to replant it
if I hadn't covered it with a little winding gravel walk
up to the pond.  I would try watering on the placed
where animals urinate to thin it.  

I thought too that the first answer to your letter was
pretty useful, but maybe a little complex.  

Keep trying.

Sandra
Stockholm, Sweden

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 16 Apr 1995 01:48:58 GMT

Keep trying.

Sandra
Stockholm, Sweden