Is Zoysia Grass Dog-Friendly?

Few things complement a home better than being surrounded by a lush, healthy, green lawn. However, with the joyful presence of dogs, it’s essential to consider a type of grass that can withstand foot traffic and ruff play.

Enter Zoysia grass—a warm-season variety known for its remarkable wear tolerance. Much like Bermuda grass and other alternatives, it has many qualities that render it not only as a favorable green cover in golf courses, but also as a dog-friendly grass option.

What Makes Zoysia Grass Dog-Friendly?

Zoysia grass, often established from grass plugs, creates a lush, thick, low-maintenance lawn favored for its resilience and durability. It thrives in full sun and is more drought tolerant than other grasses, withstanding prolonged periods without substantial water.

Its dense growth pattern, rapid growth rate, and deep root system contribute to its durability and capacity to endure heavy foot traffic and dog play. It also exhibits self-repair capabilities, quickly recovering from damage and maintaining a healthy, lush appearance.

All these factors distinguish Zoysia grass as an excellent option for a dog-friendly lawn, catering to homeowners seeking a low-maintenance, hard-wearing, and visually appealing turfgrass.

How to Maintain Zoysia Grass with Dogs

Zoysia grass performs well in households with dogs because of its high foot traffic tolerance. It should maintain its health, provided it receives sufficient sunlight, watering, and nutrition to support its continuous growth.

However, remember that even the most dense Zoysia lawns can wear thin when dogs are hard on your warm-season grass. When they do their business and play roughly on the lawn, it will eventually sustain damage. Additionally, it's crucial to highlight that Zoysia grass is sensitive to dog urine, which can burn grass blades, resulting in unsightly yellow or brown spots. This emphasizes the need for extra attention to your lawn in the presence of dogs constantly running around.

READ: Does Zoysia Grass Turn Brown in Winter?

Rinse Dog Urine with Water

Because of its dense nature, Zoysia grass retains urine on the surface instead of allowing it to filter through more easily. Unfortunately, your dog's urine has high concentrations of nitrogen and salts, which can potentially burn the grass, resulting in yellow-to-brown patches on your lawn—a concern heightened on warmer days.

Every time your dog pees on the grass, promptly hose down the soiled area to flush away the urine and prevent damage.

Remove Pet Waste Immediately

Much like dog urine, dog poop contains high nitrogen levels that can lead to grass damage. However, this damage only occurs if you allow the waste to absorb into the soil, resulting in brown spots and potential harm to your grass.

Regular and immediate clean-up is key to preventing these issues. Again, monitor your dog during potty breaks and make sure to pick up and dispose of their poop immediately.

Designate a Potty Area

Instead of constantly worrying about your dog's bathroom activities damaging your lawn, you can minimize the toll on your grass by designating a potty area for your pet.

If your dog tends to use a particular spot, consider making it their assigned toilet area. Alternatively, real grass pee pads for dogs like Gotta Go Grass offer an innovative solution to keep bathroom activities entirely off the lawn. Because it uses natural grass, it recreates a familiar sensory exerpeince, which facilitates a more seamless transition during potty training.

Encouraging your dog to consistently use this designated area during potty breaks not only concentrates potential damage to a specific spot but also protects the overall health of your lawn. More importantly, it establishes positive potty habits in your dog.

Repair Damage with Zoysia Grass Plugs

While Zoysia grass is known for being dog-friendly, exhibiting excellent tolerance to wear and tear as a warm-season grass, it's essential to acknowledge that it may not withstand all the ways your dog can potentially damage your lawn—digging, playing, pooping, and urinating. The extent of these activities can eventually lead to damage.

Fortunately for dog owners, Zoysia grass plugs emerge as a convenient solution for repair. Transplanting plugs is relatively straightforward. Simply dig holes in your lawn to receive the plugs. In each hole, drop a NutriPod, a slow-release fertilizer pod, just before placing the plugs. It gives your grass a consistent and steady flow of nutrients, particularly crucial during the early growth stage to support healthy grass development and encourage a deep root system.

Shop SodPods for Dog-Friendly Grass Plugs

Maintaining a lush, healthy lawn in the company of dogs requires an extra layer of care beyond routine lawn maintenance practices—cleaning up immediately, designating a potty area, and repairing damage with grass plugs.

While frequent mowing, adequate watering, and regular fertilizing are essential, countering pet-related wear and tear starts with choosing grass varieties that are particularly dog-friendly and resilient against pet damage.

SodPods is your go-to source for a diverse range of healthy geass plugs, specializing in warm-season grasses like Zoysia. As your partner in cultivating a vibrant and resilient lawn, we guarantee that our grass plugs can withstand the challenges involved in pet ownership.

Shop for SodPods grass plugs on our website today!