Question
Our Dogs are destroying our lawn. Our two older dogs have learned to go to the backside of our acreage over the years however, we now have a 8 month old and cannot seem to discourage him. Help!

Answer
I have Dogs, too.  We tried adopting a third one recently to make it an even bigger happy family.  Unlike my other dogs, this new dog loved to dig up a lawn, chew up Dahlia tubers, run around the neighborhood with Orchids in its jaws, and roll in mud before coming into the house.  At which point the REAL fun began which is why I am sad to say we don't have Scooby anymore.  But I digress...

Puppies take their cues from older Dogs.  For whatever reason, yours did not 'get it' yet.   7 months is way too long to be living with this problem.

First thing in the morning, scoopy up Puppy and race to the space you want your Dogs to go in.  Place down Puppy and wait, treat in hand.  When Nature calls (something that happens 'first thing in the morning'), you'll be ready to make a joyful noise and dish out treats to everyone for a job well done.

Repeat daily.  This is a habit and you have to break it.

As a backup, try the repellent of choice around the world, Renardine:

http://www.cat-repellant.info/html/renardine.htm

Use it wherever Puppy has pee'd so far to keep Puppy away from that spot.  Note the application methods.  It stinks, so it's guaranteed to work, but remember it's only temporary.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Your Grass should be tough enough to take those paws and the poundings that go with them.  After all, what's a Dog without a Lawn to play in?

Have you seen the book "Dog Friendly Gardens: Garden Friendly Dogs" (Dogwise Publishing, $12.97 from Amazon.com)? This book has real answers to all kinds of doggone problems.  

Since you have Dogs, you want them to be able to rock and roll out there without worrying about pesticide-laced blades of grass.  So stick religiously to an organic program, whatever you do.  Just wanted to mention that.  Say No to Chemicals.

For your reading pleasure, Purdue University did some research on dog urine and grass types, posted at its website:

aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/turf/dog_lawn_problems.html

Tested strains of Ryegrass and Fescue were proved more resilient when it comes to dog urine.  Dr. Steve Thompson, a veterinarian who ran the study, posted the results.  He noted: 'Female dogs, being less likely to urine mark and more likely to squat, are the primary culprits of lawn damage since they will urinate anywhere on a lawn and usually all at once. This results in a single Nitrogen dump confined to a small patch of grass.'  If you are concerned therefore about a FEMALE Dog doing more damage than a MALE Dog, then, you can relax.  They are both capable of destroying your entire Lawn.

The good vet noted that when a Dog marks a place in the grass, 'The Brown spot that results will often have a Green ring around the outside. The Nitrogen overload at the center causes the burn, but as the urine is diluted toward the periphery, it has a fertilizer effect.'  (The Brown spot with a green ring is sometimes called 'female Dog spot disease.)

Recently fertilized lawns are most easily damaged by dog urine; they are already maxed-out on Nitrogen.

Scientists are planning to do more work on this subject.  'Speculation on the actual cause of the Lawn burn has resulted in numerous theories on what else in the urine may be contributing to the damage.'

In another study, a vet in Colorado compared samples of Dog urine and the effects on 4 kinds of Grass. As expected, it was the quantity of urine plus the concentration of Nitrogen that were found lead to Lawn damage.

Urine acidity (measured by pH) and use of additives to Fido's food (presumably things like baking soda and other ideas people have tried to solve this problem) were found to make NO difference whatsoever.  In case you decide to re-seed the entire Lawn to accommodate the new puppy, Kentucky 31 Fescue Grass stood up best to Doggie Damage.  Perennial Ryegrass took second place. 'Urine routinely produced a fertilizer effect on these Grasses at diluted concentrations,' the study noted.

Last Place Weaklings: Kentucky Bluegrass and Bermudagrass.  Researchers observed that 'concentrated urine with volumes as little as 30cc (one ounce) caused lawn burn even on Fescue Grasses.'

Some people would tell you to just forget growing a Lawn while you have Dogs.  Of course, you can consider some less traditional approaches to your yard design.  The Grass Family may not be in the cards right now at your house.  But to me, banishing Grass is NOT the answer -- what's more fun than a game of catch or Frisbee on the front Lawn?

The 'Drs Foster and Smith' website (www.drsfostersmith.com) has some products you might consider in your plans, including an in-ground Dog waste disposal system and a Lawn repair kit.  The website posts a short article that is short and sensible, 'Solutions for Urine Burns on Lawns', repeating some of the findings of the Purdue study.  They have a line of several products that they are claiming will alter chemical properties in the Urine and render it at least slightly less caustic to your grass.  I have not tried this so for me, the jury is out on this method.  But I admit, I have my doubts.

While we're on the subject, I'd like to recommend another book, 'Barkitecture' by Fred Albert (Fido-friendly dog houses by Architects) and 'Dogs in their Gardens' by garden writer Page Dickey (world class gardens that any Dog would love to call home).

These are absolutely darling ideas that are fun to read even if you don't seize on one of the projects.  They are all available discounted at Amazon.  

Personally, I think there's a Reality TV producer out there just waiting to hear all about your backyard.

Please keep me posted and let me know how it works out.  Any questions, I'm here.  Thanks for writing.