Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Common Lawn Problems and other Lawn topics.
Dog urine damages grass because of excess Nitrogen, not excess salt or high (or low) pH. The urine goes on the grass as a concentrated dump of liquid fertilizer. The same thing would happen if you poured a cup of 33-0-0 fertilizer on the spot--the grass suffers classic fertilizer burn. A frequently used home remedy is to give the dog some tomato sauce with his/her food. People swear that this works, but it works for a different reason than you may have been led to believe. It works because the tomato sauce increases the dog's salt intake, which in turn causes him/her to drink more water, which dilutes the Nitrogen in the urine and reduces the effects. Before you start adding tomato sauce to your dog's diet, consult your veterinarian. If your dog is predisposed to health problems caused by too much salt, you could be harming the pooch more than you're helping the lawn. DO NOT add baking soda to your dogs' water. It does not work and it can have serious health consequences for your dog.