Causes

• The nitrogen in dog urine creates a high-acid environment in the soil. The high acidity causes the grass in the urination areas to brown out and die, while the grass around the periphery of the spot becomes a deeper green from the nitrogen boost. Urine from female dogs seems more damaging because they urinate all at once in a single area. Male dogs frequently lift their leg and urinate with a marking technique that doesn't concentrate the urine in a single location, causing less damage.
  
  

Irrigation

• Watering the area immediately after urination dilutes the nitrogen in the area so it doesn't burn the roots. Lawns that don't experience watering within 12 hours usually experience the full extent of the damage, even if you water heavily the following day. If your dog urinates in the same area daily, setting the sprinkler timer to soak the area regularly helps prevent nitrogen buildup and prevent further damage. Watering may not eliminate all damage, however.
  
  

Reseeding

• Brown areas often green back up within a few months if no further urination occurs on the spot. Reseeding the area helps speed up the greening process and ensures the area returns with lush grass growth. The brown spot requires thorough flushing with clear water before seeding so any nitrogen buildup leeches away. While severe spots recover more quickly with re-sodding, you'll need to remove the damaged sod first for the new sod to root properly.
  
  

Minimize Fertilization

• Limiting or eliminating nitrogen fertilizer application in affected areas helps prevent burning and hastens the recovery of areas already affected by urine damage. Reducing supplemental fertilization prevents nitrogen buildup in the location. If your dog uses the same areas to relieve itself, stop all fertilization in that location. Front lawns affected by neighborhood dogs benefit from light fertilizer applications to help offset the nitrogen in the urine, especially if the dogs are frequent visitors to your yard.