Why Do Dogs Kick Up Your Lawn After They Pee?

Every family has a routine with the furry member of the family. Whatever your dog’s particular potty time routine is, there is one common move many dog owners have witnessed— after the deed is done, the legs start to churn, and the grass starts to fly! But why exactly do dogs kick the ground with their back legs after they pee?

When dogs kick grass, sand, and dirt behind them, they aren’t cleaning up. It’s a form of communication known as “scrape behavior.” It’s your dog’s natural instinct, and their bodies produce a chemical reaction that allows them to communicate with other canines.

But as natural as this behavior is, it’s not ideal for your lawn. Your dog needs a place to take care of business in the yard, but you still want to keep the grass green. With a few simple steps, you can have a happy dog and a lush yard of grass.

Why Do Dogs Kick Up Grass?

It is a natural sequence of events for dogs to relieve themselves in a designated area in the yard and then turn to start kicking up the grass with their hind legs. Kicking the ground is also a visual message or a social display and a way of hiding or burying waste.

These moves are natural instincts for your dog that date back thousands of years to when dogs lived in the wild and were responsible for fending off prey. Your four-legged family member isn’t attempting to ruin the lawn but simply letting other dogs know he is in charge.

Dogs use the ability to smell the waste of other dogs and animals as a complex message of communication in the neighborhood. Your dog’s paws excrete a scent that will help to identify them to other dogs.

How to Stop a Dog From Kicking Up Grass?

Albeit a natural behavior, this grass kicking can cause unwanted damage. It can also be harmful to your dog if it becomes a repetitive behavior on rough surfaces. How can you keep a dog from causing damage to your lawn and grassy areas of the yard?

Choose a designated area for a potty place.

Use an area that is not located near a focal point of lawn space in the yard. According to Kathy Santo, a certified canine athlete specialist and owner of Kathy Santo Dog Training, you need to direct the pup’s focus and energy when it comes to establishing a routine and area to be used.

“To help your dog distinguish where the area is, consider using a round dog exercise pen or wooden stakes in the ground with surveyor tape wrapped around them (leave an opening for the door!). The height of the wooden stakes can be minimal,” says Santo. “The idea is to have a visual barrier that the dog can see. If possible, change the surface of the potty area to something other than grass. My puppies are trained to go on wood pellets, which is what’s in my outdoor potty area.”

Dogs can learn to take care of business on a surface other than your grass with a bit of guidance. Give them a place with some pellets, sand, or a patch of dirt that is out of sight from the rest of the grass.

Use a practice of “distract and redirect”

A simple vocal distraction from you and a toss of an object will refocus energy and help to eliminate the kicking of grass.

Try replacing the kicking with another behavior. After the dog is finished with a potty break, toss a ball or another object and let your dog run after it. Keep repeating the pattern to help the dog associate the idea of “being finished” with immediately moving away from the spot before any kicking starts to happen. This should help your dog make the association between the two behaviors, and hopefully, they will forget all about kicking any grass.

How to Fix Patchy Grass From Dogs?

So, your dog has created an unsightly patch of grass, and now you want to fix the problem. What can you do to restore the grass to a healthy green appearance?

“When your dog urinates or defecates on your lawn, it may result in a discolored, brown patch of grass that can be difficult to remove. This is called “dog spot,” says Jason McCausland, National Technical Coordinator at Weed Man. “It’s caused by the high levels of nitrogen in a dog’s urine and feces, which can cause the grass in the affected area to die. Lawn damage from dog spots is often confused with damage from other sources of salt, such as road salt or fertilizer spills. However, you can identify a dog spot by the margin of dark green, rapidly growing grass surrounding a bright yellow patch of dying grass.”

To encourage new grass growth in areas damaged by dog spots, remove dead grass and use a grass blend suitable for your lawn in combination with a little soil to fill in areas where needed. Allow new growth to reach a few inches before mowing.

FAQs

Is Dog Waste Bad for Grass?

Yes. Dog poop and the urine is bad for the grass. That doesn’t mean you and your dog can’t find a way to keep the pup happy and the lawn looking good.

“My dog does potty in the yard, but I’m really particular about picking it up to avoid problems,” says Dominique Charles, owner of My Plots and Plans. “And who wants to step in poop in your backyard? The urine can kill grass. I try to run water over the spot where he pees to help dilute it and help grass continue to grow in those areas.”

Make a regular practice of cleaning up dog waste in the yard to avoid problems with the health and appearance of the lawn. “It’s a common myth that dog poop is a quality fertilizer. In reality, an excess of dog poop can cause damage and discoloration to your lawn,” says McCausland. “Plus, it’s a potential health hazard. When a mower runs over an excess of pet waste, all that bacteria spread across the rest of your lawn, where you and your kids want to relax and play. It’s best to establish a routine to regularly collect the pet waste in your yard and dispose of it responsibly.”

How Long Will Patchy Grass Take to Grow Back In After Dog Kicks It Up?

“It can take time and patience to repair lawns damaged with dog spots. You may need to use a combination of methods to achieve your desired results,” says McCausland. “Regularly clean up after your dog so that the feces does not sit long enough to cause a buildup of nitrogen in the soil, which can cause brown spots. Water the areas where your dog urinates and defecates to dilute the nitrogen and prevent further damage.”

About the Experts

• Kathy Santo (IACP CDT, CDTA, PDTI, CCAS) is owner, CEO, and Head Trainer of Kathy Santo Dog Training, Inc. in Waldwick, New Jersey. Kathy is a published author and an accomplished AKC Obedience Competitor as well as a guest on major media outlets including the Today Show, Fox and Friends, CNN, CBS Early Show, Diane Rehm’s NPR Show and was featured as a regular guest on the Martha Stewart Show, TBS Move and a Makeover and many other national tv outlets. and other publications.
• Jason McCausland, National Technical Coordinator at Weed Man. For more than 25 years, Jason has been an integral member of the Weed Man family and the green industry. Following his college graduation, he embarked on his professional journey starting as a lawn technician, accumulating a rich reservoir of expertise in all facets of the Weed Man franchise system.
• Dominique Charles, owner of My Pots and Plans, a business for working with clients to learn skills for cooking and growing food.