Dogs and lawns are a natural pair. Here's how to keep them safe, happy and healthy together

Keep Your Dog Happy and Your Lawn Looking Great

Our dogs appreciate our lawns as much as we do, though for different reasons. While we mostly love our lawns for their looks, our canine pals enjoy them as a place to run, play, roll on their backs, and do their business. Here are a few simple tips that will help you keep your grass looking good and your dog safe and happy.

Prevent and Repair Dog Damage

Salts in your dog's urine cause those familiar brown spots ringed by dark green, fast-growing grass. Mowing high will help lessen the effect, as will flushing affected areas with water as soon as possible. Badly damaged spots will need to be repaired, however, by reseeding or patching with sod. Scotts® EZ Seed® Dog Spot Repair is a good solution for repairing bare spots. It contains a special salt-neutralizing ingredient to help repair those areas in your lawn burned by dog urine. A more permanent and effective solution is to create a mulched area at the back of your yard and train your dog to go there.

Feed Your Lawn at Recommended Amounts

Feed your lawn on a regular schedule (4 times a year is best for most grasses) for thick, strong turf that will stand up to heavy use. Over-applying won't help the lawn. Be sure to follow the directions and spreader settings listed on the package when applying fertilizer and other lawn products.

Wait as Directed

After applying any lawn product, keep your dog off the lawn according to the label directions. Areas treated with Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Fertilizer can be entered immediately after application, although we recommend watering the lawn and waiting until it dries before anyone walks on it. That helps activate the fertilizer and prevents it from being tracked into the house. Check the package for directions when applying any weed or insect control; most recommend keeping pets off the lawn after application for a certain period.

Keep Pavement Clean

Any product spilled or spread on the driveway or sidewalk should be swept up. This will also keep the product from being washed into storm sewers or waterways by rain.

Store Product Properly

All lawn products should be stored properly, where kids and pets can't get into them

Don't Panic if Your Dog Eats Grass

You shouldn't be surprised if your dog sometimes eats grass and vomits. Most do that occasionally as a way to treat an upset stomach, and it would take more than a few mouthfuls of grass clippings to cause harm.