Dogs, particularly males often find “bathroom” spots in low bushes, plants, and shrubs. Therefore, garden owners often question will dog pee kill plants? We will explore this subject deeper in this article.
Harmful substances in dog’s urine
Dog urine is acidic and is high in a chemical element called nitrogen. Nitrogen is a major component in chlorophyll, which takes part in the plant’s photosynthesis.
As a result, plants cannot live without nitrogen. Plants grow better if there is enough nitrogen in their soil.
Will dog pee kill plants?
In high dosages, nitrogen can completely burn the plant itself, as well as anything that lays around it. This includes grass, weeds growing from the soil, and plant roots as well.
To make things worse, dogs usually pick one spot to pee. If you are unlucky enough that dog has chosen your plant as its bathroom, I am very sorry for you.
In conclusion, the plant may survive from single dog-peeing, but most likely won’t if it becomes a dog’s daily routine.
Male and female dogs peeing
After walking male dogs, you may notice that they love peeing in multiple spots. However, female dogs do not pee that common, but when they do it may be more harmful to the plants.
This is because male dogs pee lower amounts of urine onto different spots, while female dogs do it on a single spot. Therefore, female dogs are more likely to harm the soil and plant’s roots because of a higher amount of urine and nitrogen in a single spot.
How to prevent it?
The best thing you can do is to train your dog to pee outside the yard or in a particular spot. Such a spot should be stone, rocks, or just ground without any plants.
Another alternative is walking your dog outside where he can pee. Dogs commonly pee or car tires, poles, and bushes as well. Therefore, make sure it does not harm anyone’s property – including plants.
However if you do not have time to walk your dog outside today, walk it on a leash in your backyard. By doing this you can control where your dog walks and pees as well. If the dog pees in the wrong place, just gently pull it and walk it to a place where it can pee. This is how you make it learn where it’s supposed to mark its “bathroom”.
If your dog prefers to pee on plants anyway, increasing its water intake may lower the concentration of harmful substances in its urine. This results in a smaller chance of dog withering the plant and harming its soil after peeing on it.
Dog waste bags
Usually used for pooping, such bags may help prevent the withering of some plants.
If you decide to walk your dog, make sure it wears a waste bag (preferably attachable), so it does not poop where it shouldn’t. You should be a responsive dog owner. Therefore, if your dog poops where it shouldn’t, you may consider cleaning it right away.
Usually, the price of such bags is under 1 USD per piece. You may even get a pack for a cheaper price or create your own. You’d just need to find a way to attach a waste bag onto the dog’s tail, where poop should go in.
Conclusion
Will dog pee kill plants? The answer is yes, especially if they pee repeatedly on a single spot.
Most importantly, this can be prevented by training your dog and changing its habits.
The main author of Vivo Tail, Stefan is .NET desktop application developer since 2016, content writer and above all – passionate animal lover. He decided to start a website to help animals in need after the dog he loved has passed away.
