A healthy and attractive lawn around your home improves your yard's appearance and keeps the area cooler on hot days. But when your pet dog's urine begins to leave dead spots on your lawn, you will want to repair the problem without getting rid of your pet. Here are some tips to help you keep your lawn looking its best by repairing urine damage and preventing it in the future so you can keep your furry best friend.

Repair Damage

A lawn that has dead spots from urine stains is due to the high amounts of nitrogen in the urine. The nitrogen in your dog's urine affects your lawn just as if you had applied too much fertilizer and the lawn has become burned from it.

In the spring when your lawn begins to grow in and the dead spots emerge, use a rake to pull up as much of the dead lawn as you can to reveal the soil beneath. Then, apply an extra fine layer of ground limestone to the patches, which you can find in a bag at a local home improvement store. Water it thoroughly to let it saturate deeply. This limestone neutralizes the soil to reverse the effects of the high level of nitrogen, and will need several days to treat the soil.

After several days to a week, lay down some top soil and apply your new layer of seeds. Keep the seeds and the soil moist continually until the seeds germinate, then continue watering appropriately.

Replant a Hardier Grass

When you plant your lawn and you have a dog, or you are repairing dead spots from your dog, you may want to consider planting a grass seed of a hardier type of lawn that will withstand the high nitrogen levels in the dog urine. This type of lawn includes such types as ryegrasses and fescues, which have thicker lawn blades and will take longer to show any signs of urine damage -- you can consult with your local lawn maintenance services if you have questions about which type of grass will grow better in your area. As you water your lawn throughout the week or the lawn receives rain, the moisture will help dilute the urine to keep your new lawn looking healthy.

Treat Your Dog's Urine

You can also use a treatment plan to help protect your lawn from your dog's urine by watering your lawn immediately after your dog pees on it. Keep your garden hose handy and when your dog has finished their business, use the hose to spray down the area. Also take some time to pick up any feces from your dog, which can also cause damage to your lawn when it is left there for an extended period of time.

As another option, give your dog access to more water, which can dilute their urine more, or treat your dog to a dietary supplement, which will bind with the nitrogen in your dog's urine and reduce its harmful effects on your lawn.