Here's my late dog Hans in his outdoor "bathroom."

For lawn lovers who also love dogs, the battle against brown and yellow “burn spots” can be just as daunting as the battle against crab grass.

The burn spots on your grass are caused by nitrogen in your dog’s urine (unless it’s the neighbor’s dog doing the damage, which is a different story altogether). Nitrogen is something your grass needs, and it’s a main component of any lawn fertilizer. But too much isn’t a good thing.

Feces may also do some damage but it should be minimal if you pick up every day or water your lawn frequently.

You have a few choices.

You could forget that you had a nice lawn (or dreamed of one), once upon a time.

You could try various remedies. Lime or gypsum spread around the lawn or just on spots is one popular option. That might work, but skeptics argue that it’s just making the lawn healthier and allowing for a quicker come-back.

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