It’s cold outside, so your dog is likely not roaming or walking as much as other time of year, which means he’s marking the same spots on your lawn over and over again. The lack of “variety” dogs get during coldest months means that your lawn and the areas closest to your home are getting the brunt of exposure to urine. Here are some tips to help you deal with the damage done by the acidity of pet urine.

Gypsum – This may be a good option to help those areas of the lawn that have been exposed repeatedly to urine over the winter. Gypsum can help lessen the acidity of the area, balancing the Ph in that area so grass can begin to grow again.

Reseed – If you apply gypsum and rake an area that has suffered doggie damage, but don’t see growth, it’s okay to reseed the area but make sure you’re watering it, and don’t allow the dog to urinate in that spot repeatedly, rinsing it often.

Water Regularly – If you suspect a particular area of your lawn is the victim of doggie damage, begin watering that area as soon as possible. While normally nitrogen is good for growth, the concentration of nitrogen in pet urine is too strong, and so if the root systems absorb all that nitrogen at once, it will cause damage.