During the warm weather season, most of us like to spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors, including our pets. If you’re a dog owner that loves spending time in your yard grilling, splashing around in the pool, or just kicking back on the patio, your dog will want to be right there with you. However, if you smell dog urine in your yard every time you step outside, it can put a big damper in all that backyard fun.
Your dog has to relieve himself every few hours at least. If you’re like most people, you let your dog do his business in your yard. But when the temperatures rise during the summer, the hot sun heats all those urine spots while it’s heating the soil, grass, and cement. The awful smell of dog urine can become so overpowering that you and your guests won’t want to spend any time in your yard at all!
So, what can you do about that annoying dog pee odor you smell? We’ve got some helpful tips to help you get rid of dog urine smell outside once and for all. But before we get into the specifics, it’s important to know why your yard smells like a big doggie urinal.
Why Your Yard Smells Like Dog Pee
You probably already know that dogs tend to pee in the same spots over and over again. When your dog smells a spot in the yard that he’s peed on before, he takes it as a cue to urinate there again. As time goes by, this behavior results in the odor building up in those areas of your yard to the point the urine smell is intolerable. Plus, the acidity of dog urine can kill the grass and leave stain marks on cement.
Getting Rid of Dog Urine Smells
You have a few options when it comes to getting rid of dog urine smell outside. We’ll list the options here, starting with the easiest. If you don’t have luck getting rid of the urine smell using the first option, move to the next option in the list, and so forth. Hopefully, you’ll find success early on so you don’t have to spend too much of your time banishing that awful smell of dog pee!
1. Use Your Garden Hose
The easiest way to eliminate the smell of dog urine in your yard is to use plain water. Pull out your garden hose and spray the spots where your dog pees. If he pees in the grass, you’ll see the lighter spots where the urine has damaged the grass. If your dog pees on cement, look for stained areas so you can give those spots on the cement a good soaking. Remember that cement is porous which means the urine has soaked in so be liberal with the water!
Spend quite a bit of time spraying down the areas where your dog normally pees. Once you’re all done, give the grass and/or cement time to dry before letting your dog back in the yard. Going forward, make a mental note of the exact areas in your yard where your dog is relieving himself to make the process easier the next time.
2. Use a Dog Urine Smell Eliminator Product
There are solutions for sale that are designed to remove dog urine smells from your home or yard. In this case, you’ll need to buy a product that’s formulated for outdoor use. A good dog urine eliminator for outdoor use will come in a big plastic jug that attaches directly to your garden hose.
To use this type of product, you simply connect the plastic jug to your hose’s spray attachment. Then you turn the water hose on and spray your lawn with the water and urine eliminator solution.
Before buying an outdoor dog urine eliminator, be sure to check that it’s free of chemicals and toxins and safe to use around pets. It should also be safe to use on grass, shrubbery, plants, cement, rocks, and even outdoor furniture.
3. Sprinkle Baking Soda on The Spots
Good old-fashioned baking soda is another option to try. As you may know, baking soda does an excellent job of absorbing odors, including the smell of urine. This method involves putting some baking soda in a big container with a lid with holes. Then you simply sprinkle the baking soda onto the spots your dog pees. Be liberal when sprinkling the baking soda to ensure it can absorb all the urine odors.
Baking soda won’t harm the grass or damage cement. The key to this method is to let the baking soda sit for a while so it has time to absorb the urine odor.
Another method using baking soda is what some dog shelters use to eliminate the smell of urine. For this method, you need a handheld disinfectant sprayer. Once you have a sprayer, add a mixture of a little baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and water. Then it’s just a matter of following the directions on the sprayer and spraying the areas of dog pee with the solution.
If you’re worried about the cost of a disinfectant sprayer, you should know that you can find them online for less than $50, which isn’t much at all. Just remember that it will be worth every cent you pay if the sprayer helps you get rid of that unpleasant urine smell that’s bothering you and your guests every time you step outside.
4. Get an Artificial Dog Lawn Mat
If you didn’t have any luck with the water, outdoor dog urine eliminator, or baking soda, try this option. This method involves buying a special mat called an artificial dog lawn and teaching your dog to use it. This type of product typically consists of a base that holds a piece of absorbent artificial grass.
By training your dog to urinate on one of these dog lawn mats, you’ll be able to eliminate the smell of dog pee in your yard. While many dog owners use these doggie toilets indoors, they can be used outdoors as well.
This option works best for smaller dogs because the mats aren’t very big. If you have a bigger dog, you could buy several of these artificial dog lawns and place them together in your yard or in the spots your dog uses to pee. If you use one of these products, you’ll have to keep it clean which involves spraying it down with lots of soapy hot water.
Many of these products come with replacement fake grass mats to make the cleaning process even easier. While this isn’t the most convenient or cheapest option for eliminating dog pee smells outdoors, these mats work! Of course, you’ll have to train your dog to use the artificial dog lawn. The best way to do that is to put your dog on a leash and walk him to the mat when he needs to pee.
Conclusion: How to Eliminate Dog Urine Odor Outside
On top of these four proven methods for getting rid of dog urine smell outside, the internet is full of other options to try. Be sure to do some research before trying other methods to ensure they don’t do any harm to your outdoor space, pets, or family members. Once you find the best solution, you can start enjoying your yard again without having to smell stinky dog urine.
Related Reads:
- Do German Shepherds Shed? A Shepherd Shedding Guide
- Do German Shepherds Make Good Service and Therapy Dogs?
Featured Image Credit: Sukpaiboonwat, Shutterstock
