HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-05-09, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2019.
Home and Garden 2019
Tips to prevent dog damage to grass, landscaping
MS –Dogs love spending time
outdoors. Dog owners with yards
know that dogs benefit greatly from
some exercise in the backyard.
While that time might be great for
dogs, it can take its toll on lawns.
Dog urine and feces can adversely
affect the look and health of a lush
green lawn. Nitrogen is essential to
healthy soil, but only at certain
levels. When those levels are
exceeded, the result can be lawn
damage.
According to The Spruce Pets, an
advisory site that offers practical tips
and training advices to pet owners,
this is what happens when pets
frequently urinate on grass. Urine is
naturally high in nitrogen, so when
pets urinate on lawns, the grass
might turn yellow or brown due to
the excess nitrogen content.
Nitrogen also is present in lawn
fertilizers, further exacerbating the
problem for pet owners who fertilize
their lawns.
In addition to urine damage, dogs
can trample frosted grass,
contributing to problems that may
not become evident until spring, and
get into areas like gardens where
they wreak additional havoc.
Pet owners who want to let their
dogs run free in the yard but don’t
want damaged grass may be tempted
to put their pooches in diapers or
confine them to crates when letting
them outside. But such an approach
isn’t necessary. In fact, some simple
strategies can be highly effective at
preventing dog-related lawn
damage.
• Speak with a landscaper about
planting new grass.Certain types
of grass, such as Bermuda grass, can
withstand dog damage better than
others. Local climate will dictate
which types of grass are likely to
thrive in a given area, so speak with
a professional landscaper about the
viability of planting new grass.
• Install fencing. Pet owners with
expansive yards can install fencing
that allows dogs to spend time
exercising outdoors without granting
them access to the entire property.
Large dogs will need more room
than small ones, but try to build
fenced-in areas that allow dogs to
run freely and get the exercise they
need to stay healthy.
• Work with a dog trainer.Dog
trainers might be able to work with
dogs so they only urinate in certain
areas of the yard, greatly reducing
the damage they can cause to a lawn.
Trainers also might help curb
digging and clawing behaviours that
can damage lawns as well as
gardens.
• Consider hardscaping.
Hardscaping might be most effective
for pet owners with small properties.
Hardscaping does not include grass
and can add visual appeal to a
property while saving pet owners the
headaches of dealing with dog-
related lawn damage.
Dogs need time outdoors, and
homeowners can take various steps
to protect their lawns from dog-
related damage.
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Four-legged f(r)iends
From active destruction of green spaces like burying favourite toys to more passive forms of
damage like that caused by urine and feces, dogs can take a toll on landscaped properties.
Avoiding that damage can be as easy as fencing in a space for dogs or as complicated as
enlisting a dog trainer or hardscaping, which involves limiting the amount of grass in a yard.
Regardless of the path taken, consideration to the lawn needs to be given when bringing a
four-legged friend into the family. (MS photo)
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