Neighbor's dog ruining our lawn (Fairfax: townhouse, buy, fence)

[peanutrach]

We recently purchased a townhouse and are very friendly with our new neighbors - they are great. The only issue we have noticed recently is that when they let their dog out to do his business (usually off the leash) he runs into our yard and goes to the bathroom. Normally I wouldn't care, however, lately I have noticed three rather large patches of our lawn where our grass is dead. My husband and I are certain this is where our neighbor's dog has been urinating. I discussed this with my husband and he doesn't want to say anything because he doesn't want to ruin our great relationship with our neighbors and generally I agree with this. However, it really bothers me to see these patches b/c we try to take really good care of our yard. Should I say anything or just let it go? Better yet, does anyone know of a good way to bring back the dead grass quickly? Thanks!

[VRE332]

Your neighbor is inconsiderate. I would mention it nicely but don't blame him. There are no native grasses in our area, so in theory grass should not grow here. You can get some grass seed, small bag of top soil and some peat moss. It will take about 3-4 days to start growing again, and keep watering for about 20 days after planting.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Your neighbor is inconsiderate. I would mention it nicely but don't blame him. There are no native grasses in our area, so in theory grass should not grow here. You can get some grass seed, small bag of top soil and some peat moss. It will take about 3-4 days to start growing again, and keep watering for about 20 days after planting.

Agreed--you're neighbor is a jerk. (I'm trying to keep it PG here, but there are other terms in my head right now.) When I walk our dog, I'll let him pee on the grassy strip between the street and sidewalk--but not in people's yards. That's just rude.

I would do as VRE suggested and talk to the neighbor in a nice way and point on the dead grass. There is no reason the dog needs to go into your yard to pee.

They do make instant-grow grass mixes--seed mixed with peat and fertilizer.

[beatlecrazy]

We had the same problem at my parents house - it got to the point that they had to put up a fence to keep the dog out of the yard. It's a nice wooden fence, but the dog doesn't bother coming over in their direction now. I know it's a costly solution, but the type of fence works with their yard (kind of like this one http://patriotfencekc.com/FencePics/patriot9.jpg (broken link)). That is what I would suggest. Best of luck. That really sounds like it would be the pits to deal with. I like our lawn nice and green too

[RUSDC]

Fairfax County? Dog Leash law. A call to Animal control works wonders too....

[jillabean]

Definitely mention it to your neighbors. And when you replant the grass, etc. Is it a girl dog or boy dog... if it's a girl dog (and needs to squat) you might be able to plant those little utility flags in your lawn so she can't "find a spot." I hear mothballs also work. There are also "dog repellents" out there that you can purchase. But talking to the neighbors, especially if they are friendly, would be the best bet.

EDIT: You actually might want to try both (talking to the neighbor and a dog repellent). Dogs like to "go" and mark where other dogs and animals do. So it's possible that it's not just your neighbor's dog doing this. It could be their dog plus another... or a cat... or even some other animal having a territorial spat.

[Carlingtonian]

I think we may need to introduce a sub-forum called "Animal Urine Problems"!

[GCPA]

You can use lime to help the grass.....can buy a bag at Lowes or HD or some nurseries. We had to do this in the past because of our 2 little dogs and small yard space.

"If you have dogs, dog urine has undoubtedly damaged your lawn. Dog urine contains ammonia and salts and these are hard on grass. The salts, especially, pull moisture from the grass roots and cause the grass to die. The ammonia causes the soil to be more acidic, which is also stressful for grass. One easy solution is to add dolomite lime to the urine spot. Dolomite lime helps to neutralize the acid in dog urine and restore the soil to a pH balance more favorable to the growth of new grass."

[TyroneBiggums]

You're guessing that it's your neighbor's dog. Do you know for sure? I would make sure that it is in fact their dog before you have a conversation with them.

If you have a hose bib nearby, you can use a motion activated sprinkler to keep the dog(s) away.

I probably would not bother with the lime--you're going to get better results planting new grass. If you don't have a large area to redo, you can get one of those all-in-one products that have the seed/soil/mulch mixed in. They have them at HD for about $6.

[peanutrach]

Thanks for all of the advice so far!

@TyroneBiggums - No, I haven't been staring out my window 24/7 to confirm that it is my neighbor's dog. However, I have seen him relieve himself on our yard several times. He is a larger dog so it would make sense that these instances would cause our grass to die. However, other dogs could also be going to the bathroom there as well b/c of the scent so who knows.

I will be making a trip to the HD this weekend and see what I can get to restore my grass. Thanks again everyone!!