Pets Still Damage Lawns In Winter

It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, pets can and will damage your lawn. In some cases, it can be worse in winter than at any other time of the year. If it’s fairly cold in your region, then there is a good chance your pet, especially a dog, is inside most of the time. When you do let it out, it’s for a quick wee and run around before heading back inside.

The problem with this practice is that your dog will most likely use the same patch every time. Straight out to the first convenient patch, do their business, then straight back inside out of the cold. That poor little patch of grass is getting a good winter watering, it’s just a pity it’s so full of urea. That urea will burn your grass both at the surface level and around the roots. Over time, and it’s often only a short time, that grass will start to turn yellow and eventually die.

There are a number of things you can do. You can leave your dog (or any other pet) to continue to use that patch. Come spring, it will need a good flush with water and most likely reseeding. This can be achieved using a grass seeding tool that will penetrate through the thatch. This is often the easiest option.

Other options include forcing the pet to move to different spots all the time; flushing the affected area with water every day to dilute the urea;  or providing a special area for your pet to use. Pet damage can be severe on lawns if not kept in check – even in the middle of winter.