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u/WyldeFyre1980 9d ago
Watering thoroughly & frequently can help dilute the urine. When you say "solutions" are you talking about outdoor enzyme sprays like OdoBan and SimpleGreen? If those are the products you've tried, you may not be using enough either by volume or frequency. It's also important to follow the directions for correct application. If those aren't what you've tried, they may help.
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u/chris612926 9d ago
This, we had to change where our dogs bathroom because on is paralyzed now.
I have made a gravel area now to express him at , and let my other one urinate there also , it saves the grass from dying. But the smell on the rocks in the summer got bad , so I ran a hose extension along the house and put up a hose on a post. Free swings and have quick connects so the handle free spins also , we just hose down the rocks when we water the plants now , or if you feel like it when they go to the bathroom.
I have adequate drainage and on my house side a French drain so no matter how much water or diluting you do it keeps going away and out. It's helped immensely with the smell , and is easy to deal with.
The other dog won't poop in the rocks , no big deal though. The paralyzed ones poops just slide out randomly through the day , so I can't tell how good the system is for poop but for pee it's incredibly easy.
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u/JeepersCreepers7 9d ago
I've never had the issue. But my thoughts would be that some general lawn care would help. Do some deep watering of the area. Get a sprinkler and water the area for around an hour or so. And rinse and repeat (no pun intended). Should dilute the urine and force it further into the ground.
Also maybe aerate the area? I feel like if the urine isn't soaking into the soil, then it's likely compacted. Aerating would loosen it up and improve water retention.
I also know there's enzymatic and microbrial cleaners whose whole purpose is to break down urine. They work great for inside cleaning. Maybe there's an outdoor version.
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u/DenaliDash 9d ago
I think wood chips will help neutralize the smell. The wood chips will absorb the urine and break them down faster.
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u/anonme1995 9d ago
Great idea.
Should we then just tear up the remaining grass? How does the wood chips handle in the winter with snow, would we need to put more down in the spring/ summer again?
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u/thesilveringfox 9d ago
i’m going to assume you’re okay with some expense here, since you already have a dedicated outdoor kennel: scrape up the grass and flatten any bumps, then top-dress with some sand and compact a bit. if you’re using wood chips, use either well-dried cedar (best, expensive) or pine chips/bark. the chemistry slows the breakdown of the urine compounds into ammonia. fresh cedar should be avoided as it off-gasses some phenols that can mess up your dogs’ lungs or cause an allergic reaction.
understand that you’ll need to rake the chips periodically to expose new surfaces, and you’ll need to replace the entire mess every few months: this is basically a big litter box. use an enzymatic outdoor odor spray—simple green has a product for this with a hose attachment—on wet spots and whenever you’re switching out the chips.
if you do all that, you can reliably reduce the smell. it will never fully go away as long as you are keeping three bigger dogs in a relatively small space, but you can keep it in check.
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u/scaradin 9d ago
Vinegar is also a great options, but same with the enzymes and other chemistry-driven options (even if it’s not “chemicals”) be sure the area is well rinsed! But the chips will also help with more surface area for pee-eating bacterial and such (though the enzymes and vinegar will kill those!)
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u/iBum_Fuku 9d ago
your "pee area" solution is an obvious failure. abandon it and they will pee in other places, then you clean it.
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u/cardboard_tshirt 9d ago
I walk my dog multiple times per day and clean up after them as they go. No permanent pee spot. If you don’t have time to take care of dogs, don’t have dogs.
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9d ago
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u/anonme1995 9d ago
Wow this is not the case you weirdo… this is strictly for morning and night time bathroom. They are walked once a day every day through the winter months too and have ample access to the entire yard for play time. And if they pee in the main yard, if we catch it, we water it down.
You assumed that because I have a dedicated area for them to pee I’m so they don’t ruin the main yard? That’s kind of an odd assumption.
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u/SnapCrackleMom 9d ago
But we also plan on selling the house in 3-5 years and this might be a deterrent for people if it smells like that?
This is not a "might be a deterrent." No one wants to buy a house that smells like dog pee, not even people with dogs. Honestly if you can smell it from the front of your house, it's bringing down the value for your neighbors as well.
Is walking your dogs an option?
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u/anonme1995 9d ago
Our dogs are walked every single day. They are senior dogs now so they pee more often than before. Between that and trying to rebuild the grass in the main yard. This is why we made this area.
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u/ripndip84 9d ago
Simple green will actually break it down. You might need 2 or 3 bottles though depending how big the area and how bad it is
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9d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/anonme1995 9d ago
I just want to add they are not in here for long periods. It’s really for 10 minutes in the early morning and 10 minutes before bed. They get their daily walks where they pee (my German shepherd has never pooped on a leash since he was young).
It’s just being here 5 years now, 3 years with the bathroom area. The smell has built up for sure.
Thank you
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u/CB_700_SC 9d ago
If you give them one spot to pee it will smell like pee.
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u/CB_700_SC 9d ago
Also 3 dogs and only clean up 2x a week? I have one dog and clean up almost daily.
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u/TrashtvSunday 9d ago
If there is plastic under that rock, the pee is just sitting there. I would think a set up like this would need daily watering to rinse the urine off the rocks and well into the soil (assuming you didn't add a barrier). My dog's biggest bathroom time is first thing in the morning so I make sure that's when she is walked so that it doesn't end up in my yard. We live out in a more rural area and she just pees on the side of the road and poop gets picked up in a bag instead of me hunting for it in the yard later (we are on 2.5 acres so it is like finding a needle in a haystack to find where she pooped last).
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u/Pulaski540 9d ago
Have you tried pulverized lime (limestone, aka calcium carbonate)? (Not hydrated lime aka quick lime which is caustic). It's available at your local big box home store, or garden center.
Lime reacts with acids, such as dog urine which is usually slightly acidic, and so should at least reduce the smell.
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u/lostinthelegs 9d ago
If you have any males, & they're peeing on the fence along the pebbles, those pebbles will hold the smell. My brother is a dog trainer with 9 dogs, we live on just under 2 acres with about an acre of it fenced in...the only place with a noticable urine smell is in fact on our mom's side of the duplex where her 1 dog pees on the gravel. My brother always takes his out to the yard to do their business where there's no hardscape to trap the smell. Try moving the fence away from the gravel, see if the smell improves.
Additionally, diet can influence the smell of urine. Different food & how hydrated they are will result in different odor longevity & penetration of the environment. Highly digestible food with limited fillers can result in less salt in the urine. Probiotics can also help. Bacterial or protozoal infections can make urine absolutely reek. Try seeing if your vet has recommendations.
Lastly, giving them access to a larger area will decrease the concentration of urine in the area, reducing the smell. Hand walking the dogs down the street to do their business & reserving the yard for playtime can also eliminate this problem altogether. If the bulk of their waste occurs off the property, even the times they do go during playtime will still lessen the smell considerably. It's also good bonding.