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Dog Spot

What is Dog Spot?

Animals, especially female dogs, can cause considerable damage by urinating on a lawn. The displacement of animal wastes throughout a lawn will result in a patchy uneven colored lawn including dead spots. 

How does Dog Spot occur?

Animal urine contains soluble salts, urea, and other compounds. The soluble salt content in urine helps determine how much damage will actually occur. When the soluble salt content is low and the soil affected is moist and fertile, damage may be minimal and show up as faster-growing patches of dark green grass. However, when the soluble salt content is high and the affected lawn is dry, there is a strong potential for damage. A margin of dark-green, rapidly growing grass may surround a yellow patch of dying grass.

Similar damage may occur from other sources of salt such as road salt and fertilizer spills, but these damaged areas won’t have the marginal green areas around the patch that are associated with dog urine.

Dogspot image

Controlling Dog Spot

Dog spots are often confused with patch-type lawn diseases. Practices that will help correct damaged areas include:

  • Watering deeply to disperse salt concentrations.
  • Rake out and overseed severely damaged areas with a suitable seed mixture. For more information on overseeding, refer to Weed Man's customer fact sheet on lawn renovation.
  • Train the dog to make use of a designated area away from the lawn
  • It may take a few weeks before the problem is alleviated; consult your local Weed Man if you have further questions.

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Main Service Areas

DeVries services the greater Grand Rapids area with the finest commercial and residential outdoor care. Service areas vary. 

Contact us at 616-669-0500 for more information.

I am very pleased with the way the condo crew is mowing and picking up the sticks on the property instead of just mowing over them. The extra time and attention to detail is greatly appreciated.

Marve

Grandville I May '19

Turf Tip

Yellow Patch

Yellow Patch is most prevalent from late fall to early spring when temperatures are less than 60°F (16°C). It occurs in areas that receive more than 10 hours of leaf wetness for several days in a row and on turf that has excessive thatch and high nitrogen levels. Learn more about how to manage and prevent Yellow Patch here.
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