What Is The Best Grass For Dogs In Northern Florida?

Maintaining a lush lawn shouldn’t take a hit because your dog uses it as his personal bathroom.

Many of our clients have pets and they ask us about keeping their lawns healthy when the dog runs around in it, in addition to using it for other, less sanitary, purposes.

So, what is the best grass for dogs in Northern Florida? A common question we field from our dog-loving clients every year.

Fortunately this is an area that’s widely studied, and we have some pet safe lawn care tips for you to keep your lawn lush, while also keeping your dog happy!

Dog Owners: Quick Tips To Keep Your Lawn Looking Great

It all starts with a healthy lawn. Dog owners find that mowing the grass to a higher height makes a big difference. It allows the grass roots to grow deeply, making the grass more tolerant to stressors like dog urine.

Regular lawn fertilization is important too; be sure to use the right fertilizer for your landscape needs, applied at the right times and amounts. Landscaping specialists like the experts at GreenEarth can help you with that, as there are a lot of choices and choosing the right fertilizer makes a big difference.

What’s The Problem With Dog Urine — And Your Grass?

Nitrogen and salts in dog urine can cause grass to brown in patches, with faster growing dark green grass rings around it.  

While small amounts of dog urine may be okay, larger amounts can kill the grass and make unsightly blemishes in an otherwise healthy, green lawn.

The brown patch is a result of too much concentrated nitrogen in one area, whereas smaller amounts seeping outside that area can actually help the grass grow, since it’s acting as a fertilizer.

To repair lawn areas badly damaged by the dog urine, you can reseed that area or lay new sod. Of course if the dog continues to eliminate in the lawn, this could be an ongoing job. It’s better to solve the problem!

How To Prevent Lawn Burn From Dog Urine

Whether the dog urine in question is from your pooch or a neighbor’s, here are three widely-used lawn-saving methods:

Up Your Pup’s Water Intake

Some dog owners have success diluting their dog’s urine by getting them to drink more water. You can accomplish this by moistening dry dog food before serving it, or using canned food instead. The result might help dilute the urine, thereby releasing a less concentrated mix of nitrogen and salts, possibly saving the grass from sudden death where the dog urinates.

Find A New Spot For Spot

The best prevention technique is to train your dog to go in a different area of your yard, preferably one covered with gravel or mulch.

Rinse And Repeat

If training your dog to go elsewhere doesn’t work, and your dog insists on using the grass, take a hose and rinse off the area soon after to disburse the urine so it won’t concentrate in one area.

What Is The Best Grass For Dogs?

Some grass withstands the assault of dog urine chemicals better than others. According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, bermudagrass and St. Augustine grass will recover more quickly from dog urine than most other grasses.

Zoysiagrass and seashore paspalum are also good bets. If you’ve planted a different grass type from the ones mentioned here and it’s having problems because of your dog, consider replacing it with one of these.

GreenEarth Can Save Your Lawn From Dog Urine Damage

The experts at GreenEarth can’t train your dog where to eliminate, but we can help keep your grass in the best possible shape. If you’re having dog wear and tear or brown spots from Fido, we can inspect your landscaping and give you some recommendations on how to move forward to keep your lawn looking its best.

If you’d like a consultation or want to know what we can do to help you, give us a call at our Panama City Beach office at (850) 236-1959, or call our Santa Rosa Beach office at (850) 267-0010 to set up an appointment. You can also fill out the online form on our website to schedule a consultation.

Images: Dog peeing on tree, Puppy in grass, Pet waste sign