Question
Do you have female dogs?  This is something I heard to be very common.  I think you're right and I'll begin to water my grass a lot more.  I don't think I'm watering up to 6 inches.  I'll also look into purchasing a test kit and test the PH and alkalinity, thanks for that.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Thanks again for the quick response.



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Followup To
Question -
Hello, Could tell me how I can repair my lawn after my dog has made quite a few yellow stains or patches by urinating.  

Answer -
Hi Eric;
I have always had dogs, and have never had yellowing ot grass or plants dieing from dog urine.
I think it is because I have always made sure my soil is not too alkaline or too acid, and because of the way I water.
I really don't know how to undo the damage, if it is not from the urine adding too much acid to the soil.
What I mean by the way I water is, I always water to a depth of at least 6 inches. First, because this helps insure a nice deep root system.
Shallow watering makes the roots come close to the surface to get water, and this leaves the roots vulnerable t heat, cold and draught damage. This is also what causes a thatch problem to build up.
I have a deep root systen, water deply to keep it that way, mulch up the grass clippings and leaves and let them feed the soil. I never have to dethatch.
The deep watering also is going to wash urine and acid rain down through the soil, and it is going to be below the root system soon, so it won't damage the grass.
I have 4 dogs that se the back yard for their potty, and the only problem they cause is running round and round my husbands workshop, and causing a bare trail where they run. I block that area off until the grass comes back, and that fixes that. I just lay a length of chain link fencing over the bare path, and they make a new path beside it because they don't like to run on the fencing. The new path doesn't get bare before the grass is growing back on the old path.
If you live in an area where there is a higher acid content, you need to treat the soil with something that adds alkaly to your soil. I don't know what that would be. The soil where I live tends to be more alkaly, so i add some peat moss to add acidity.
It would be beneficial to have your soil tested. You can get this done through your County Agricultural Extension agent.If you know you have a high acidity in your soil, ask a local nurseryman what you can add to make it more alkaline.
First I would try just soaking the soil well. I water with soaker hoses because they save water. When you use a sprinkler, some of the water evaporates before it hits the ground. when the temperature is up in the 80s, it evaporates quite a bit, when the temp gets above 90, up to 50 percent or more can evaporate before it hits the ground, so your water meter just spinns and registers about twice as much water as you get on your lawn. Gets pretty expensive.I let it run until it is about ready to start running off the lawn, turn it off for an hour or so, and turn it back on again. I keep doing that until it gets soaked to a depth of at ;east 6 inches. It usually gets soaked the second time I turn it on, because my soil is in very good ondition, and hss just the right drainage.
If you have a high acidity in your soil, it would take less time for urine to damage you soil than it does in my area, because of the alkalinity in the soil here.
 It is also possible that it is not the dog urine, but alack of nutrients, such as chelated iron.
Adding some chelated iron will add nutrients that will temporarily add alkalinity to the soil.
The signs of a defiecency of iron is the grass turning a yellowish green, then looking dead.Unfortunately there are also other nutrients that when the soil is lacking in them, it does the same thing.
I always add some chelated iron, because that is the most often the culprit.
Do you live in an area where your grass stays green all year? If so, water it deeply and try to wash the urine down past the root system. You should see a result in a week, I would think.
If not veru good results, try adding the chelated iron.
When my grass starts to yellow and i add iron, I see results within a couple of days.
If the grass is not completely dead, you should see results within a week. If you don't, then the problem is more nutrients needed in the soil, and you need it tested to evaluate which they are.
There are some test kits you can get at some nurseries, that you can use yourself to test it.
an ideal PH is 6.05
a good PH for growing should range between 6.0 and 7.05.
Hope this has helped.
Charlotte  

Answer
Hi again;
I have only one female now, but I have in the past had more females than males. For the past 35 years, I have not had only one dog at a time. i also foster for rescues here, so at times, I may have 5 or 6 dogs here. a good many of them are female.
I would think male urine would have more acid. It seems stronger, and sure smel stronger, same with male cats.
For a number of years, I had 3 females and one male, untill I lost them to old age. They were smaller dogs. I had female German shepherds and female Irish setters.
I have a female English Setter now, a male Australian Shepherd, male Lhasa and male Sheltie.
I think the female urine damaging a lawn worse is an old wives tale.
Too may people use one example to make a sacred fact. Like someone has a male dog, and waters often, no dead grass. He gets a female dog, but now is too busy to water much, and the grass turns brown, therefore it is female dog urine that is stronger.He never considers it is too little watering.LOL
Like poeple who think dogs can't reason. I have SEEN them reason out a situation and take steps to make something work, and it could in no way be considered part of their instinct.
My German Shepherd liked to watch television. We had a Raytheon that had a dial to change channels. She knew when Rin Tin Tin came on, and she would turn on the TV, and dial up the right channel, and plop on the couch to watch it, every day.LOl
Honest to God, that is the truth. I didn't teach her to do it, either.
When my children were very small, and their cartoon show came on, and I was busy. I would say "Lady please turn on the Tv for the kids". she would turn it on and get the right program gor them. sure was easy to take care of the kids when she was alive.
Charlotte