Dear Brenna,

Thanks for submitting your question to Infoline regarding your pets' outdoor relief area. They are beautiful girls so thanks for sharing the photo! My name is Deborah Hoover and I am a participant in the NH Master Gardener Program.

The challenge you describe is a common one for dog owners and the solutions are imperfect, but I will provide some suggestions. Female dogs are more likely to damage turf since they release urine in a concentrated flow in one main spot. Turf growth in a low moisture soil will be more prone to urine damage. Some experts suggest using a watering can to water the areas where the dog has voided, although this seems impractical given that you have three active pups.

Another suggestion is to mow the lawn to a height of 2-3 inches making it more resilient and better able to recover from damage. Deep and infrequent watering promoting root growth can also help with resilience. Applications of nitrogen according to product instructions during the growing season (spring and fall) may help to even out the condition of the turf.

Here is a helpful resource from Purdue University you can consult on this challenge:

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ay/ay-327-w.pdf

Another thought might be to abandon grass in this one area of your yard and substitute another material such as pea gravel or pet-safe wood chips.

I hope this information is helpful and I hope you and your pets enjoy a happy spring and summer!