Help - the smell of my dog's urine is overwhelming outside.

[jillan]

I recently moved from a big house with a big backyard to a townhouse with a small backyard.

Me being the good human that I am went and got some sod to add a grassy area for my Tobi dog. She loves laying in the grass, and that is where she was trained to do her business.

Because the grassy area is small, she urinates pretty much in the same place and it stinks. I've tried soaking the area. Pouring dish detergent on the grass and soaking it in (something I read about online) a little better, but it still stinks. Not only am I embarrassed when people are over, but I have a table and chairs out there and want to be able to sit out there on a nice day and read, coffee, etc.

I'm hoping someone has been in this sitch before and knows what to do to neutralize the smell.
What products have you used that has been successful without killing the lawn?

[roguevalley]

1. on amazon there are devices that can be used

to train your dog to do their business there that are easy to keep clean. not the ones with astroturf. this one

http://www.amazon.com/UGODOG-Indoor-Dog-Potty/dp/B00152R5YQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1358013699&sr=1-2&keywords=dog+potty+tray

There are others like it too where you can dump the pee and wash it out. If your dog doesn't know what to do, set them on it and tell them to pee. They will get it. This can go inside the house and I would think if you live in a nice area, outside. We have snow and ice half the year. We would have to have it inside. But this is designed to be cleaned and lift them off the pee.

Go to Amazon and look at all the possibilities. Don't use a pee pad or grass model. they will smell.

Let us know what you do. I am very interested in seeing how this works for others. make sure you really soak and clean the area your baby uses now.

[jillan]

2. I will keep that as an option.... I really don't have the space for that - but -

I can't stand the smell either.

Thanks

[wildeyed]

3. Odo-ban would work, but not sure if it would kill the grass or not.

I had dog pee in my car and it worked for that.

[jillan]

7. I was looking at that, wondering the same thing about the grass.

[sad-cafe]

4. you might have to take her for walks

Not make that the only place she pees.

[jillan]

6. I do :)

[Voice for Peace]

5. you could spread around the kind of cat litter that's made from all good ingredients

and is full of enzymes. I have had a box of such cat litter sit in
a room for weeks and never smell so it might be good for
the purpose, and shouldn't harm anyone or anything.

[jillan]

8. Interesting! Since it is sod and I don't have to mow it, have little pebbles like cat litter

in the grass could work.
Hmmmm.... thanks. I will consider this. It sure would be easier than having to spray the area every day.

[TorchTheWitch]

9. absorbent dirt and water

My backyard has this bizarre silt-like dirt where the particles are so minuscule that it packs into a cement-type substance. Even a thorough soaking wouldn't penetrate down into the dirt more than about 1/4 inch. I finally also figured out that this was keeping grass from growing as well... no matter how much I dug up the dirt to loosen it, it immediately packed again into cement-dirt with the slightest bit of moisture. Boo (the dog I had before Yoshi that passed away about a year and a half ago) always peed in one big puddle in one little spot of that cement-dirt that just would NOT absorb it. It smelled like hell in the summer. I finally bit the bullet and bought dozens and dozens of bags of dirt and spread them around certain parts of the yard putting a really thick layer in his pee spot. That plus drenching rains and hosing the ground made it sink in and spread around distributing the pee and seriously diluting it. No more stink.

Yoshi picked a different spot to pee that was one of the spots (under the tree) that I didn't put any of the store-bought dirt (no grass will grow under that damn tree no matter what I do until I cut the damn thing bald of branches next spring), but just hosing it down in the summer to dilute it and spread it farther afield was all that it took.

Garden hose the hell out of your dog's pee spot to dilute the pee and spread it around so it's not all laying in one small spot on the surface making the stink. It's probably a good idea to get a long strew driver or similar instrument and stab the hell out of the dirt with it in that pee spot to airiate it so the pee will sink down farther into the dirt. Blasting the spot with a garden hose often should do the trick though. I definitely noticed the years we had a lot of wet weather it hardly smelled at all, but that one spring and summer that was really dry - peeeee yooooooooo!!! Lord have mercy, that spring and summer it was positively rank enough to make your eyes water. That was the summer I finally got fed up and bought the dirt and started blasting the spot with the garden hose every day. I think it also really helped that with the new dirt there was a wee bit of a slope that when I blasted it with the garden hose most of the surface pee ran off elsewhere instead of just laying there in a diluted puddle.

Man, I feel for you.... that stale rotting pee stink roasting in the humidity in one little spot is like toxic waste it smells so bad! Go crazy with the garden hose. Seriously flood the spot every day till the stink is gone and keep at it in hot weather especially if you don't get much rain.

[Walk away]

10. I wonder if Baking Soda and water will hurt your grass. I use it on my driveway...

and it works great! Maybe try a little on the lawn and see.

[jillan]

11. I was thinking about that. I just might try some.

Thanks!

[GoPackGo]

12. Dogs urine smells like dead animals

I have the same problem! We have tried drenching the area with water, bleach solution, borax solution, and even spread lime. Nothing seems to be helping. The smell is so bad especially on humid hot days. We dug up the dirt and are planning on putting patio block down, but if the dogs keep urinating there, I suspect that it will smell just as horrible as before.

I thought maybe my dog had a bladder infection or something, but both of the dogs urine smells the same. So, it is probably the food we give them. They are on a grain free high protein food. That might explain the strong odor....

So, I think that our next step is to try a stronger borax to water solution. Its such a pain because we too would like be outside and enjoy our backyard without feeling like we are going to vomit from the stench! damn dogs.

[Scuba]

13. Welcome to DU GoPackGo.

Good luck with your dog odors. Interesting that I never had a whiff of such a problem with my two labs. May be a diet issue like you suggest.

And oh yeah, Go Packers!!!!

[Walk away]

14. Have you thought about neutralizing the odor pre-pee?????

I have no idea how well this works but you might want to check it out....

http://www.bigdogboutique.com/productcart/pc/Dog-Odor-Neutralizing-Chlorophyll-Supplement-p26061.htm

[Stinky The Clown]

15. Along the same lines . . . from NaturVet . . . . .

http://www.naturvet.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&product_id=139&category_id=19&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=12

[KC]

16. I've read

something called Simple Solution works
great.

[Handyman John]

18. Try the pet store

There are very good enzyme based cleaning products sold at pet stores. However, you should consult the store clerk if it'll kill the plants.

[Citrus]

20. Eucalyptus is toxic

Eucalyptus can be toxic to dogs. If your dog walks or lies where you use a eucalyptus product and then licks her feet, it could make her sick. Plus, dogs have an exquisite sense of smell and strong-smelling things like eucalyptus can actually be painful (think of how smelling salts affects humans).

Cat litter might help, especially the unscented ones that consist of small "grains", but not the clumping kind. If you use scented stuff, it will mask the odor and you won't know if it's working. Plus, the scents used are nearly always toxic. Look for odorless, not just "unscented". You may not want to do anything that will just make her move to another spot. (Read on for another idea about moving her "spot".)

Try mixing baking soda with clean potting soil and using that in "her spot". You may need quite a bit of baking soda, and depending on the weather where you live, you might need to add more baking soda with some frequency.

Lots of water will help, too, although that might drown your bit of grass.

Add all grass clippings to her spot. Grass is a natural deodorizer, but for this you need extra. Pine or cedar mulch might help, too, although it might be tricky with a small yard.

Since your yard is small, you may need to teach her to move to a new spot periodically. This will allow the old spot to "heal". You can do this will a few pieces of low, decorative garden fencing or a bit of poultry wire. And if she goes over the "guard", you can always put some wire or fencing over the top. Once she moves to a new spot, you can remove the "guard". There are probably other more creative ways to make a temporary but attractive "fence" around the old spot. (Small potted plants around the perimeter, if your dog is unlikely to hop over them, for example.)

Corn gluten meal can also be effective. (It's also an excellent fertilizer and weed-killer!) Make sure it's the type for lawns, not for cooking. Amazon has it, but your local feed or lawn-garden store might have it, so you can avoid shipping. I'm not sure how much you'd need to use, so you'd have to experiment a bit, starting with a good sprinkle. You can add more and/or mix it with soil to see if that helps.

Cider vinegar can be used, too, but it will probably damage the grass.

Good for you for loving your dog enough to give her a way to lie in the grass!