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Post by andy on Nov 23, 2008 9:42:16 GMT
Im afraid the downside to owning a dog and having a nice garden is the big brown patches on the lawn. There's nothing you can do about, it's all down to the protiens in the dogs urine.
So how come you never see vast amounts of brown patches on local parks ? with the amount of dogs that are walked, it would certainly be very noticable. I appreciate that most dogs need to wee on things such as trees and lamposts but not all.
Just something to get you lovely people pondering on this grim sunday morning !!!
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Post by Dr Bill on Nov 23, 2008 10:17:16 GMT
I always understood that is was only bitches' urine that caused it but I may be wrong. Anyway dogs do tend to "cock up" to trees etc rather than directly onto the grass. Our bitch tends to urinate in the same place all the time which does indeed produce a brown patch over time. Perhaps it is more widely spread in a park.
Or, put more concisely, I don't know.
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Post by andy on Nov 23, 2008 11:03:42 GMT
Both male and female dogs will produce the brown patches....as i found out when i laid my lovely new lawn this spring and our male springer spaniel wee'd all over it.
Mt dog only has to wee once and it will kill the grass and the patches are pretty noticable.....but ive never seen a brown patch on a public park !!!
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Post by Ruthie on Nov 23, 2008 11:56:59 GMT
Perhaps they sow wee proof grass seed ;D
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2008 20:51:40 GMT
The funny thing is, this mystery has also crossed my mind. Whenever Fickle pees on our garden, we get a brown patch but more often than not she pees across the road on the grass or on the local park just round the corner but there are never any brown patches on the park or across the way.
I have no idea why that might be though so if anyone knows, I'd be interested to see the answer !!
FA x
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Post by madonplants on Nov 24, 2008 0:03:55 GMT
Good question Andy. Could the park grass be harder wearing so withstands it better. If you have a well nitrogen fed lawn, think it makes the matter worse, as I have never fed my lawn (  ) and my bitch does only minimal damage. |
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Post by andy on Nov 24, 2008 5:43:42 GMT
The park grass is exactly the same i i had in my garden ;D so nothing to do with the grass types. Never fed my lawn either and i know the parks don't....just think this is going to be one of those unsolved mysteries.
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Post by Amo on Nov 24, 2008 8:08:17 GMT
Probably Mr Murphy engaging the Law of Sod again.  We have a large lawn that only seems to have brown patches now and then and they're only minimal. We have a bitch and a dog. Our dogs dry complete food has vegetables in it and they have a very high fresh vegetable diet too. I always make lots and lots of extra veg at meals and they have them with gravey for dinner. The dry is there at all other times. Maybe this has a part to play? |
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Post by andy on Nov 24, 2008 10:34:15 GMT
I spoke to a vet about it Amo and he said that it was absolutely nothing to do with the dogs diet but more to do with the make up of urine. The only way to stop it was to follow your dog round with a watering can and drown the area.
Strange how some dogs do and some don't leave brown marks.
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Post by snowowl on Nov 24, 2008 11:16:19 GMT
I have never had the problem with my dog Andy he may not be producing the protiens in vast amounts to do the damage. I give you an example.  Mind you i wouldnt mind how many brown patches he made right now as i dont know how much longer i have him. |
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Post by Tig on Nov 24, 2008 11:41:54 GMT
Your lawn looks very healthy and weed-free Snowowl  When we had dogs we had a gravelled area for them to use as a toilet - it didn't take long to train them to use it and made clearing up after them much easier. But that was at our old house and the garden wasn't very big so it was easier to control their movements (so to speak  ) x Tig |
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Post by Rosefriend on Nov 24, 2008 11:42:34 GMT
Interesting to hear that it hasn't got anything to do with diet. I trained both my dogs (German Shepherd cross and dwarf teckel ) to run beside my bike on a lead and we went kilometers (dwarf teckel got put in a basket on the front when her little legs wouldn't go any further) and both those dogs came back and peed in the garden.
The German Shepherd (dog) finished plants off and the teckel (bitch) made the lawn look terrible. I had tubs everywhere trying to cover things up. OH went barmy when he wanted to mow and had to move 15 to 20 tubs all the time.
Now we just have the neighbourhood cats "doing their thing" in the garden.
RF
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2008 12:07:57 GMT
The grass is always greener on the other side Andy ;DWe have a german shepherd and i only ever see brown patches in the spring so im convinced it must be leatherjackets or something The funny thing is, this mystery has also crossed my mind. Whenever Fickle pees on our garden, we get a brown patch but more often than not she pees across the road on the grass or on the local park just round the corner but there are never any brown patches on the park or across the way. I have no idea why that might be though so if anyone knows, I'd be interested to see the answer !! FA x |
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Post by madonplants on Nov 24, 2008 12:48:07 GMT
I spoke to a vet about it Amo and he said that it was absolutely nothing to do with the dogs diet but more to do with the make up of urine. The only way to stop it was to follow your dog round with a watering can and drown the area. Strange how some dogs do and some don't leave brown marks. Just been Googling and found this interesting article, Andy. Might help if I remember to put the link on!! parents.berkeley.edu/advice/pets/dogurine.html |
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Post by Amo on Nov 24, 2008 15:25:32 GMT
You eat asparagus, your pee smells. You eat beetroot, it get's a red tinge. I think that what you put in could have a slight bearing on what comes out but I wouldn't want to argue with a vet. I do think it can be seasonal too and perhaps the grass growing alters it as well.
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Post by JennyWrenn on Nov 26, 2008 7:30:37 GMT
Not sure I have ever looked closely at the park grass areas  But I dont think the grass verges along the road I take my dogs has any brown patches I will - if not too ask my Vet today cos have to call in to get some food |
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) and my bitch does only minimal damage.
)
