Gone to the Dogs: Why Man's Best Friend is Your Lawn's Worst Enemy ¦ Longacres
Dogs love lawns, but the feeling is definitely not mutual. One of the most frustrating problems that a homeowner can deal with is dog damage to their lawns. This results from the tendency of our four legged friends to mark their territory with urine. Unfortunately, the high concentration of nitrogen scorches the grass and causes unsightly dead patches. This is especially a problem with larger dogs, due to the sheer volume they produce. Females are also significantly more damaging, because they tend to stick to one spot rather than going to different spots. However there’s no reason you can’t have a dog and a well-maintained lawn.Here are a few simple measures that can solve your problems. Your Primary Objective is Dealing with the Dog Even though there are ways to fix the damage, the most effective long term solution is to simply keep the dogs away from your lawn. If the culprit is your own dog, this is fairly simple. All you need to do is to train them to use a specific, non-turf area in your yard for their toilet needs. This is much easier to accomplish while your pet is still young. When the offending mutt is a stray or belongs to your neighbour, however, things can be a bit more complex. If you can identify the owner, it’s usually easy to convince them to keep their pet out of your garden. Otherwise, you have to resort to other types of deterrent, like a fence. You should also consider changing the lawn fertiliser you use, as some brands have ingredients that actually attract dogs. If your lawn is experiencing dog troubles, Longacres can help. We stock urine spot removers and a variety of animal repellents to keep your turf healthy and safe. Get in touch with us today to enquire about our products.
