By Aaron Shehan – Agronomist & Owner, Burleson Lawn Care

If your lawn has random yellow or brown patches, and you’ve ruled out fungus or drought, there’s a good chance the culprit is your pet. Dog urine and repeated paw traffic can do serious damage to Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine lawns here in Burleson.

Let’s break down what’s really happening and how to manage it.

🐕 Why Dog Urine Burns Grass

Dog urine contains high levels of nitrogen and salts. While nitrogen is great in the right dose, it becomes toxic when it hits the lawn in one concentrated spot.

Here’s what it looks like:

• A brown or straw-colored center surrounded by a dark green ring
• Dead spots that don’t bounce back like the rest of the lawn
• Typically worse in female dogs or pets that squat, because their urine goes straight down in one spot

Zoysia and St. Augustine are especially vulnerable because they don’t recover as quickly from isolated damage as Bermuda.

🐾 Traffic Damage from Paws

Your dog doesn’t need to pee to ruin grass. Repeated pacing, running, or scratching in the same areas will:

• Compact the soil so roots can’t breathe
• Leave bare or thinning patches
• Make the grass more vulnerable to drought and disease

You’ll notice this near fence lines, gates, or shaded corners where pets like to patrol.

✅ What You Can Do

 1. Dilute the area quickly

If you see your dog urinate, grab the hose. A quick rinse within 8 hours can help wash nitrogen deeper into the soil and minimize damage.

2. Create a potty zone

Train your dog to use a mulched or gravel spot instead of random parts of the lawn. It’s much easier to repair one area than your whole yard.

3. Move the traffic

Pets are creatures of habit. Redirect their paths by:

• Walking them on a leash
• Rotating fenced-in areas
• Blocking off high-damage zones temporarily

4. Keep your dog hydrated

More water means more diluted urine—and less damage to your turf.

5. Repair the damage properly

Don’t just throw down seed—warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia should be sodded, not seeded. Rake up dead grass, loosen the soil, and replace with matching sod. Water daily until established.

🧠 Important Notes for Burleson Lawns

• St. Augustine has poor wear tolerance and will thin out along fence lines and driveways where pets frequently walk.
• Bermuda recovers better but will still show spotting from urine if it’s not diluted or rotated.
• Zoysia is slow to recover and expensive to replace—dog damage can quickly ruin its appearance and invite Bermuda invasion.
• Automatic irrigation can make the problem worse, because moist soil allows urine to soak deeper and spread.

🚫 What Not to Do 

• Don’t apply “urine neutralizers” to your lawn. Most don’t work and just add more unnecessary inputs.
• Don’t blame your fertilizer. Your dog is delivering too much nitrogen in one spot.
• Don’t reseed warm-season lawns. Sod is your only option in Burleson.

Final Word

We love dogs. But we also love green, healthy lawns. If you’ve got pet damage showing up, we can help you fix it—and figure out how to keep it from coming back.

Let us evaluate the spots in person and give you an honest plan to recover.

📞 Call 1-800-LAWNCARE or visit BurlesonLawnCare.com to schedule a visit.