Dogs and Your Lawn

Published : 01/08/2021

Pets are a beloved part of Australian family life, there are few things more rewarding than raising and taking care of an animal. Unfortunately for many Aussie homeowners, pets and lawns don’t always mix well!

Some lawn varieties look great but just can’t handle the constant wear and tear that comes with owning a pet. Digging, compaction, urine burn and faeces can all damage lawns, and it is important to stay on top of this to avoid having to completely replace your turf.  Here are some tips to help you out:

1 Choose Pet Friendly Grass

The best way to prevent your lawn from becoming damaged is to choose a durable, pet friendly lawn. The best grasses to withstand pets have fibrous root systems and low evaporation rates: such as Kikuyu and Couch.

 

2 Monitor Grass Traffic

If your pet seems to be continually taking the same route across your lawn they could be beginning to compact your turf. Compaction is a common problem that prevents oxygen, water and nutrients from entering the soil, which will lead to poor lawn health and dead patches.

If you catch it early on, a good fix is to put an obstacle in the way of your dogs route. A pot plant or lawn chair would be perfect for this. By placing an obstacle in the way your dog is forced to take a different route, allowing the soil time to repair itself.

This method only works if you catch it early and compaction can be hard to spot and extra aeration might be necessary. With a comprehensive maintenance program such as our Lawn Care Program, regular fertilizing and wetting agents will help aid compaction and wear and tear.

 

3 Watch for Boredom

Being trapped inside the backyard all day while your owners go to work and school can be pretty boring. Dogs need lots of entertainment, and when they can’t find it they make it.

Often times when a dog is bored, it digs. Digging tears at your grass’s roots and created bald patches of soil. These can be repaired by seeding the bald patches or replacing your turf but newly laid lawns need time to establish themselves, and constant digging will slow this down.

Training your dog to not dig is ideal, but this can be a long process. In the mean time we recommend getting them some toys to play with while you’re away during the day.

 

4 Practice Good Lawn Maintenance

Over time the chemicals found in dog urine and faces can impede grass growth. If your dogs toilet habits are damaging your yard you will first notice round dead spots where your dog frequents.

Our Lawn Care Program offers industry leading liquid treatments that can assist in repairing and preventing this kind of damage. It will keep your lawn healthy and green and is safe for pets and native wildlife. Regardless of the level of damage our trained lawn technicians can give you the best advice to help bring your lawn back to life and keep it happy.

 

 

 

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