Brown Spots In Your Green Lawn

Ammonia in your dog's urine is the reason the grass dies where he or she relieves themselves. There is nothing you can feed your dog or apply to your grass to change this. The best thing you can do is train your dog to urinate in one spot and then over-seed your lawn with rye grass. Most lawns in Colorado are Kentucky Blue Grass. Kentucky Blue Grass does not handle salt (urine) well. Over seeding with rye grass is a great option for dog owners. Rye grass grows in harmony with Kentucky Blue Grass and is not affected by urine. Although it is not recommended to over-seed your entire Kentucky Blue Grass lawn with rye grass, combining these two grasses in a doggie dedicated area offers greener results.

To train your dog to urinate in one area, go outside with them and direct them to the chosen area. Reward your dog after they've complied. It may take a season or two of over seeding with rye grass in the specified area in order to see a lessening of dead grass. Buying new grass seed each season and over seed in the spring for best results.

Litter Boxes Are Not Just For Cats

Dogs can use a litter box filled with cat litter, newspaper, or other absorbent materials. Although dogs are not as particular as cats about what is in their litter box, for best results, after choosing a material, be consistent with it. For training purposes, you may need to leave some urine or feces in the clean litter box. Dogs and cats tend to go back to an area where they've eliminated before. (This is why it is so important to clean up accidents on your carpeting right away.)

Just like going outside to relieve themselves, your dog appreciates a consistent schedule for the little box too, especially puppies. A dog may sniff the floor sometimes in a small area. Puppies may need to be offered the litter box every 30 minutes or so. Dogs, like humans, may need to relieve themselves after sleeping, eating, drinking, or playing. When your dog or puppy show signs of needing to go outside, place them in the litter box and praise them after they've used it.

You should still allow your dog to go outside for exercise. Taking them on a walk is not only good for him, but can improve your health and well being as well.

Dealing with puppy puddles -- my puppy urinates when she gets excited

Puppies are known for their 'accidents' and as time goes by they learn to relieve themselves in designated places. Some dogs take longer figure out the potty routine. Submissive urination is a physical and behavioral condition, especially occurring in female puppies. Female dogs have a shorter urethra than males. When dogs are young they lack the physical tone in their sphincter muscle, just like with human babies.

Dogs are sensitive to the 'pecking order' and often puppies feel like they are in a submissive situation to their owners. As the dog matures its meek behavior will lessen and its sphincter muscles will grow stronger. Notice what situations cause this loss in bladder control and try to minimize these situations. For example, if the puppy losses control of its bladder when you enter the house, try playing down this reunion. You might want to immediately move the puppy to the yard and ignore it initially. (I know, this is hard to do.) You can use treats as a distraction for your puppy in situations that normally will cause a loss in bladder control. Diverting her attention from the neighborhood kids with a 'Snausages' snack can be very effective.

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