# Dogs, Lawns, Brown Spots

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-lawns-brown-spots/307778>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 10, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-lawns-brown-spots/307778 "2005-06-10T19:12:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-lawns-brown-spots/307778/1 "2005-06-10T19:12:04Z")

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What causes dog urine to make grass brown? Is it the acids? Would pouring water mixed with a little baking soda over the newly christened portion of lawn negate the effect of the urine?

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**Author:** ![gaucho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@gaucho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaucho)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-lawns-brown-spots/307778/2 "2005-06-10T19:29:13Z")

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I think it’s the salt in the urine, and I think yes, water would help dilute it. The grass should eventuallt be greener in those spots because of the nitrogen.

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**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-lawns-brown-spots/307778/3 "2005-06-10T19:45:13Z")

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Do you have fairly new sod?

When Bubba was a pup (not me, I just use my dog’s name online) he was turning or new sod lawn into a polkadot pattern. I don’t know if he grew out of it our the lawn’s roots eventually grew deeper but his doesn’t spot the lawn any more.

During that first stage though we found out that not watering the spot he peed on pretty much killed the grass, so I suggest you try to soak it down a little if you see the dog peeing in a certain spot.

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**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-lawns-brown-spots/307778/4 "2005-06-10T19:47:48Z")

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> [@shelbo](#):
>
> What causes dog urine to make grass brown? Is it the acids? Would pouring water mixed with a little baking soda over the newly christened portion of lawn negate the effect of the urine?

[The Master speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_072.html)

Also, [my follow up thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=280731).

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-lawns-brown-spots/307778/5 "2005-06-10T19:48:47Z")

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There are after-the fact sprays available at pet shops that will color the spot green while enzymes go to work on breaking down the urine. Even more amazing, there are dietary supplements that you can feed to your dog that alter the urine so it’s not so harmful to grass.

By the way, when I say “amazing” I mean it’s amazing that people are so concerned over having a green lawn that they will medicate their dog in an attempt to prevent the otherwise normal appearance of brown spots.