Question
Las Vegas, not a big lawn, but the three dogs are killing it.  My wife and kids won't give up the dogs.  Is there anything I can do, on a regular basis to get those brown spots to grow again and keep the rest of the lawn alive?

Like on the golf course, the sand bottle to replace divot holes.  A mixture of something to neutralize the urine and fertilize and seed at the same time?  I have seen some things like this at the plant store but they are quite expensive and I need it on an on going basis

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tim Ganey


Answer
Hi Tim;
Don't know what happened to my answer to you. I answered this yesterday, and it showed that it posted. Oh well.
I have 4 dogs and 1 cat, and I don't have brown damage to my lawn.
I have always had several dogs, and usually they are all sizes, some really big ones.
I think it depends on what the chemical makeup of your soil is. Urine adds acid, and too much acid kills grass.
Maybe you should get your soil tested, to make sure it is alkalyne enough.
Don't add lime or peat moss. they both add acid to the soil.
Also water deeply.
I always water to a depth of at least 6 inches. This encourages the roots to grow deep, and they are less susceptible to heat and cold damage.
If you water like most people do, and just wet the top 3 or 3 inches, the roots have to come to the surface to get water, and that increases the thatch buildup, and the roots are too close to the surface, heat and cold will kill the grass.
Watering deeply would allow the urine to leech out under the root system.
All that water would at least dilute the urine.
I water with soaker hoses, and let it run till it starts to run off, turn it off for about 1 hour, to let it soak down into the soil, then turn it on again, until it is wet at least 6 inches down. Then I water again, when the top 2 inches of soil is dry.
Hope that fixes the problem, cause I understand how they feel about their dogs.
I love a pretty lawn and garden, but if I had to choose between the grass or my dogs the grass would have to go.
Write again, any time I can help.
Charlotte