How to Keep My Dogs From Wearing Down My Lawn

Use household repellents to keep your dogs away from the grassed areas where they concentrate their activity. Sprinkle cayenne pepper or used, dried coffee grounds lightly on the grass. This will discourage them from lying in the area, as they will not like the scent.

Grow plants along the edge of the lawn that naturally repel dogs, such as Calendula "Pot Marigold," Plectranthus caninus "Coleus Canina," Ruta graveolens L "Common Rue," or lemon grass, citrus trees or shrubs. Dogs do not like the scent of these plants, and growing them close to the lawn may help to keep the dogs away from the area.

Create new pathways for the dogs by using portable fence panels. You can buy these at your local hardware store or builders' yard or order them online. Position the panels to block access to the dogs' favorite routes, and force them to use a new path regularly by shifting the fencing a few inches each day.

Reseed the lawn in the areas that sustain the most damage. Use grasses such as couch or kikuyu, which are good basic lawn grasses that are fast-growing, have deep roots and can withstand rough treatment. Mix the seeds with about 50 percent Kentucky bluegrass, which is the most widely grown grass in the United States.

Install a water sprinkler system with motion sensors. Set it to activate each time your dogs run over the lawn. The dogs will quickly find a new route or place to lie down, and your lawn will get plenty of water in the process.