The Science Behind Doggie-Damaged Spots

Curious about your pup’s pee spots? Then, this one’s for you!


You’re walking around your backyard and, BAM, you stumble across a cluster of yellow or white spots. While it could be another furry creature’s doing, odds are you’ve just found your pup’s go-to pee area!

If this sounds like a familiar tale, we’ve got you covered. These spots are easy to get rid of, but first let’s get into why they’re even happening in the first place.


Understanding what’s going on with your grass involves a basic understanding of chemistry. (Don’t worry, we won’t lecture you on the importance of wearing safety goggles and there will be no pop quiz on the periodic table of elements.)

Speaking of elements...nitrogen is one the most important nutrients plants need, which is why you’ll often see nitrogen as an ingredient listed on many fertilizers at the garden center. Essentially, this nutrient is what gives plants their green color and helps them grow. However, where this nitrogen comes from and how it’s distributed to your lawn can make a really big difference!

You’ve probably heard the saying “you can’t have too much of a good thing,” well, turns out you actually can when it comes to nitrogen. Really high concentrations of nitrogen can actually kill the grass and turn it yellow or brown in the process..and guess whose pee can have high nitrogen concentrations? Yep, that furry friend of yours.

Those yellow spots are caused by Fido’s kidneys removing excess nitrogen from the body and passing it on as a waste product in his pee. The nitrogen in the urine then reacts with the soil and dehydrates the grass, causing it to turn yellow. Oddly enough, you might even notice that the dead grass is surrounded by a very green ring. This is due to the fertilizing effects that lower concentrations of nitrogen have and the green ring is a dead giveaway that Fido’s the culprit behind the spot vs. a lawn fungus.

Another easy way to “spot” (yep, we went there) the difference between a lawn fungus and pee spot is to simply pull up the grass in the middle of the circle. If it comes up easily, then it’s a fungus. However, if it stays firm, then you have Fido to thank for that one.

Preventing your lawn from becoming Spotsville, USA, is fairly easy! One simple way is to spray your pup’s pee spot with water right after the deed is done. By diluting the pee daily with this method, you’ll help reduce the doggie damage. Want more tips? Check out more prevention techniques here.


While we’re on the topic of pee spots, let’s debunk a common myth around our good boys and good girls.

Many people believe that female dog pee causes more pee spots than their male canine counterparts...but this just simply isn’t the case. In fact, both male and female dogs’ urine have very similar chemical compositions. This misconception actually stems from the difference in the way that these two pee. As you’ve probably noticed, females tend to squat in one place—which means they’re able to cover a larger surface area when they’re going about their business.

Males, on the other hand, lift their leg on a number of upright objects such as a tree or fire hydrant. This is just their way of marking their territory and they’ll often try to aim as high as they can. As you can guess, this means that their urine drips down slowly and doesn’t cover as big of an area as female dogs. Simply put? Female dogs sometimes get a bad rap with their pee puddles because a male dog’s pee damage is less noticeable.

No matter your dog’s gender, pee spots are pretty much inevitable. However, eliminating them is as easy and quick as spraying UnMark™ onto the spot and waiting an hour before resuming fetch.

Looking for a long-term solution? Simply remove the dead growth, lightly water the area with a hose and reseed with Bad Spot!™. For more step-by-step instructions, take a peek at some pointers here.

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