Question
I just lay sod in my Brooklyn garden and my dog's urine is
creating brown patches.  Any suggestions other than
getting rid of my dog?
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely.
Vicki March

Answer
Well, I am a dog lover, and I would pave over, or lay down Astro Turf before I would get rid of my dog.
I hear so much about dog urine causing brown spots in a lawn, but I have never experienced this in all my years of gardening.I think it must have a little bit to do with the watering habits, and maybe even the soil content in a particular area.
Maybe try this,immediately after your dog urinates, or as soon after as possible, water that place.It is hard to get too much water on grass(I think). I don't know of any variety of lawn grass that will die if it gets a little too much water, excepting during a severe flood.
Water enough to dilute the acids in the urine,and soak it past the root system.
How much do you water your grass?
I water to a soaking depth of at least 6 inches, and water again when the top inch or two is dry.How often you water varies with the rainfall and temperature of an area, and a particular time of year.
You didn't say what kind og grass you have, but if you have St. Augustine or Burmuda, the more you water it, when it is a new lawn, the faster it will thicken and spread.
In my area, we have to water more often in the hot summer months, as we get temps of 100+, and it dries out the top of the soil very fast.
Water deeply, when you water.
Shallow watering encourages root systems to come closer to the surface, to get the water, and it is more suseptible to heat and cold damage.
Watering to a depth of at least 6 inches encourages roots to go deep, and this helps protect them from heat and cold damage.
If your soil tends to have a higher acid content, this could be the problem. the acid in the dog urine, added to the acids in the soil could just be way too high an acid content.
You can have your soil tested, by your County Extension agent. This is worth while, even though it costs a little bit.You will find out the exact content of your soil, and can better judge which lawn foods,etc to put on your lawn.
If you don't know how to contact your County Extension Agent, ask a local nurseryman. They probably have a flyer at their nursery with this information on it. It is possible they even do soil testing, if it is a large nursery chain.
If acid is the problem, adding alkaline to the soil will make a big difference.
Hope this helps you.
Charlotte