Reading through this forum as a new comer is pretty overwhelming. You guys are experts! I am a new homeowner as of Dec 2016. We had some other bigger issues to focus on through the winter and summer but I would like to get our lawn on track. We have been maintaining what is there by mowing/trimming/etc. It's not a big yard and we're in zone 7a.

Do you have advice on where to get started with maintaining your own lawn? I'm not looking for an overnight fix but want to get started and tackle it bit by bit. A lot of the articles I see on houzz on the subject are encouraging people to go grass-less which isn't the most helpful! I've read other articles via google but there is conflicting advice sometimes and just wondering if you recommend a good, trusted source.

The other thing to mention, and I'm not sure if this is sacrilege but, we have a dog who we let out on the side lawn. Are we stuck dealing with dead patches/discolored grass?

thanks in advance!