Plan B » Dog Walking Etiquette Question

Ultrablue · 8/13/2015 4:56 pm

I am an animal lover and former dog owner. I live in a quiet subdivision where many of the residents own dogs. Most if not all appear to be responsible pet owners. When they walk their dogs (or should I say when their dogs walk them), most of them pick up anything their dogs leave behind. I say their dogs walk them because they all use those long retractable leads and let their dogs walk several feet ahead of them resulting in the dogs dragging them down the street. This also allows the dogs to walk on the property of every house they pass. When I owned my first Afghan Hound I took her to obedience training and was taughtrto train her how to walk on a lead and follow simple commands. I was taught to walk her on my left side with the lead in my right hand going across my body. I determined where we would walk, not the dog. Because of that training, it always bothers me when I see owners being dragged down the street by their dog. But I digress.

My question is this: Is it acceptable that one neighbor, who has four dogs, allows her dogs to poop on her next door neighbor's lawn at least twice a day when she walks them? She always picks up after them but doesn't regular toileting on one's lawn cause brown spots? What puzzles me is why she does this given that her house sits on 3.5 acres, a portion of which looks like a small park (just across the driveway from her neighbors front yard. Her house sits quite a ways back from the street and is completely hidden by trees. She could give her dogs a nice long walk without ever leaving her property. For some reason, even though this is entirely none of my business, it bothers me that she allows her 4 dogs to poop in the neighbor's yard (a corner lot) every day several times a day. She could just as easily allow them to poop on the grassy area between the sidewalk and the street or in that parklike area on her property I previously mentioned. By the way, her neighbor has two dogs as well so I am sure they smell the scent of those dogs.

retiredfa · 8/13/2015 5:25 pm

Oh what a hoot!! Those of us who get walked with a leash pretty much know how long it is going to take on the walk before Rover, or in my case Houdini, is ready to poop. So of course your neighbor could time it to happen on her own property. So I would say she either does not care, or she believes it is perfectly fine to poop there as long as she picks it up. I don't think the poop will hurt the grass as long as it is picked up, but I would be concerned if the dogs used the same spot to sprinkle on several times a day.

Ultrablue · 8/13/2015 5:37 pm

Thanks for your response RFA! These dogs pretty much use the same area everytime. With 4 different dogs it is a safe bet they are using the same area each time. Even if the poop is picked up, the urine would kill the grass. Just seems rude to me to use your neighbor's yard for a toilet when you have your own yard almost the size of a football field. It is as simple as her walking to the end of her driveway and turning right onto her own property as opposed to turning left and letting her dogs poop on her neighbor's lawn. But again, it is absolutley none of my business. LOL!

AdminShiny · 8/14/2015 10:01 am

I don't really understand her thinking if she has all that property. That does seem rude.

However, I live in a neighbourhood where I walk my dog daily. We have a big backyard and he goes out there first thing in the morning before our walk, but he doesn't always "go". He always goes when I walk him, and I never really know when or where. If I found myself on the same neighbour's boulevard every day I'd change my route.

I don't think the poop hurts the lawn but sometimes you can't pick all of it up if they aren't feeling well....nuff said. If I had all that property I'd definitely be letting him roam all over it and staying away from my neighbours' lawns.

Have you spoken to the neighbour at all? Are they annoyed by where the dogs poop?

Ultrablue · 8/14/2015 10:29 am

AdminShiny wrote:
I don't really understand her thinking if she has all that property. That does seem rude.

However, I live in a neighbourhood where I walk my dog daily. We have a big backyard and he goes out there first thing in the morning before our walk, but he doesn't always "go". He always goes when I walk him, and I never really know when or where. If I found myself on the same neighbour's boulevard every day I'd change my route.

I don't think the poop hurts the lawn but sometimes you can't pick all of it up if they aren't feeling well....nuff said. If I had all that property I'd definitely be letting him roam all over it and staying away from my neighbours' lawns.

Have you spoken to the neighbour at all? Are they annoyed by where the dogs poop?

Good morning, Shiny! No, I have not spoken to the neighbor. The neighbors involved have lived in this subdivision longer than I. I just moved in last year in September so I am sure the pooping thing has been going on for quite awhile. I figured if I say something to the neighbor whose yard is being pooped in, I might start a conflict between neighbors about a situation that has absolutely no impact on my life. Just a few minutes ago the lady with the four dogs allowed the two she was walking poop in the neighbors yard. As you mentioned, even when picking up after a dog, there could be something left behind if the dog is not feeling well. I would hate to walk on residue of that type in my yard. The boulevard would seem to be a neutral place for the dog to go but for some reason this lady never uses it. She and her dogs prefer the neighbors front lawn. I wonder if she would have a problem if other dog owners used her property for a toilet several times a day.

AdminShiny · 8/14/2015 10:51 am

Honestly, if there's a boulevard I'd never even think of letting my dog on someone's lawn. I think you're wise for not bringing it up but I can see how that would be a daily irritant. I'd be wondering what she's thinking too! But if the other neighbour isn't saying anything then it's just one of those head scratchers.

Vantro · 8/14/2015 8:40 pm

don't get me started. I will just say that I find it rude, but most ppl have no idea that what they are doing is poor doggy etiquette. It's not even a thought for most. The urine will burn the lawn. Feces only damages lawn if it is not picked up. I have issue when ppl allow their dogs in yards where there are children & other pets. Dogs are especially prone to picking up parasites this way, even if the owner picks up, the resident dog is at risk. Kids too, but dogs have a tendency to seek it out. Kids just accidentally slip in it & cry as a mortified look sweeps over mom's face lol

Ultrablue · 8/14/2015 9:27 pm

Vantro wrote:
don't get me started. I will just say that I find it rude, but most ppl have no idea that what they are doing is poor doggy etiquette. It's not even a thought for most. The urine will burn the lawn. Feces only damages lawn if it is not picked up. I have issue when ppl allow their dogs in yards where there are children & other pets. Dogs are especially prone to picking up parasites this way, even if the owner picks up, the resident dog is at risk. Kids too, but dogs have a tendency to seek it out. Kids just accidentally slip in it & cry as a mortified look sweeps over mom's face lol

I so agree with you, Vantro! I do not have any pets now but am seriously considering it again. If all pet owners learned how to be in control when walking their dogs, the issue of soiling someone's lawn would be moot. And you bring up a great point about parasites. In my subdivision there is a boulevard in front of every single house without exception so there is no excuse for allowing one's dog to poop or pee on someone's lawn.

SaraG · 8/17/2015 7:10 pm

Hey Ultra,
Glad to be posting with you again. I can relate to your feeling about the woman letting her dogs go on someone else's property. I go through this every day when I see people walking their dogs and letting them go on the lawn of my neighbor across the street. They have a beautiful lawn and the same dog walking neighbors have a habit of letting their pets go on this particular lawn. I've watched people do this, stared them down, and they just seem to think it is perfectly acceptable as long as they pick it up. I don't want to say anything to them because it isn't my property but if they don't pick it up, I speak up. I spoke to the owner about several walkers and he said there's nothing he can do to stop it because it is too costly to fence in such a large area. Still it bothers me because I don't understand why they don't let their dogs poop in their own yards and then go for a walk for exercise. A few years ago, there was a man who visited one of my neighbors every Sunday and would bring his dog. One day he let his dog poop on my sidewalk and didn't know I saw him. I knocked on his door and told him I had enough of my own two dogs' stuff to clean up, in addition to a deer herd that loves my yard and he had five minutes to get his butt to my house and clean up after his pet.

In answer to your questions, YES the poop residue does damage the grass because (depending on the diet of the pet) all of it cannot be removed, and over time the urine leaves a brown spot. It could also spread bacteria to other pets who will be drawn to that area. To me, it sounds like the woman you mentioned is being disrespectful and it is intentional. Would you feel safe in asking the property owner if she is aware of it, without identifying the perpetrator? Good luck with this and please let me know the outcome.

Ultrablue · 8/18/2015 4:29 pm

SaraG wrote:
Hey Ultra,
Glad to be posting with you again. I can relate to your feeling about the woman letting her dogs go on someone else's property. I go through this every day when I see people walking their dogs and letting them go on the lawn of my neighbor across the street. They have a beautiful lawn and the same dog walking neighbors have a habit of letting their pets go on this particular lawn. I've watched people do this, stared them down, and they just seem to think it is perfectly acceptable as long as they pick it up. I don't want to say anything to them because it isn't my property but if they don't pick it up, I speak up. I spoke to the owner about several walkers and he said there's nothing he can do to stop it because it is too costly to fence in such a large area. Still it bothers me because I don't understand why they don't let their dogs poop in their own yards and then go for a walk for exercise. A few years ago, there was a man who visited one of my neighbors every Sunday and would bring his dog. One day he let his dog poop on my sidewalk and didn't know I saw him. I knocked on his door and told him I had enough of my own two dogs' stuff to clean up, in addition to a deer herd that loves my yard and he had five minutes to get his butt to my house and clean up after his pet.

In answer to your questions, YES the poop residue does damage the grass because (depending on the diet of the pet) all of it cannot be removed, and over time the urine leaves a brown spot. It could also spread bacteria to other pets who will be drawn to that area. To me, it sounds like the woman you mentioned is being disrespectful and it is intentional. Would you feel safe in asking the property owner if she is aware of it, without identifying the perpetrator? Good luck with this and please let me know the outcome.

Hello, Sara! Good to see you here! Looks like your neighbor is a clone of the one across the street from me. Yes, I would feel okay about asking the property owner if she is aware w/o outing the offending neighbor. If I get a chance to casually mention it to her, I might just do that. If you could see the offending neighbor's huge property lot, you would wonder why she does this. Maybe she just feels entitled for whatever reason. The second garage on her property, which is not attached, is as big as most of the other houses in the neighborhood. According to the HOA directory, she is an appraiser and her husband is a lawyer which does not mean anything. I assume they are nice people. I have not met them yet. If I decide to talk to my neighbor about this, I will let you know.

Sunny@Midnight2 · 8/18/2015 4:57 pm

We have had dogs for forty years. Big ones who poop mountains and pee oceans. I have NEVER let my dogs poop or pee on anyones lawn. What this woman is doing in not good dog etiquette and is outrageous behaviour. It is probably against local bylaws as well. It is a difficult situation for you because it is not your yard that is being used as a puppy potty.

I wonder that the neighbour does not put a stop to it - perhaps they are being intimidated? I don't see what you can do except talk to the neighbour and see why they seem to be letting this continue.

Dog urine and feces will ruin your lawn. If this were my lawn I would talk to the offending dog owner first and tell them categorically to stop allowing their dogs to poop and pee on my lawn. If that did not solve the problem a simple solution would be to reciprocate by decorating her lawn with similar white/dead grass areas. A quarter cup of bleach should do it. I of course have never done this. Maybe.

Last edited by Sunny@Midnight2 (8/18/2015 4:59 pm)

SaraG · 8/18/2015 10:04 pm

Sunny@Midnight2 wrote:
We have had dogs for forty years. Big ones who poop mountains and pee oceans. I have NEVER let my dogs poop or pee on anyones lawn. What this woman is doing in not good dog etiquette and is outrageous behaviour. It is probably against local bylaws as well. It is a difficult situation for you because it is not your yard that is being used as a puppy potty.

I wonder that the neighbour does not put a stop to it - perhaps they are being intimidated? I don't see what you can do except talk to the neighbour and see why they seem to be letting this continue.

Dog urine and feces will ruin your lawn. If this were my lawn I would talk to the offending dog owner first and tell them categorically to stop allowing their dogs to poop and pee on my lawn. If that did not solve the problem a simple solution would be to reciprocate by decorating her lawn with similar white/dead grass areas. A quarter cup of bleach should do it. I of course have never done this. Maybe.

The bleach idea reminds me of what my cousin's husband did a few years ago. They had a neighbor who would let his dog go on their grass fairly often. One day the husband scooped up the mess, took it to the neighbor's house and smeared in on their front steps. It never happened again. I don't recommend that but it got the message across.

Ultrablue · 8/18/2015 11:44 pm

SaraG wrote:
Sunny@Midnight2 wrote:
We have had dogs for forty years. Big ones who poop mountains and pee oceans. I have NEVER let my dogs poop or pee on anyones lawn. What this woman is doing in not good dog etiquette and is outrageous behaviour. It is probably against local bylaws as well. It is a difficult situation for you because it is not your yard that is being used as a puppy potty.

I wonder that the neighbour does not put a stop to it - perhaps they are being intimidated? I don't see what you can do except talk to the neighbour and see why they seem to be letting this continue.

Dog urine and feces will ruin your lawn. If this were my lawn I would talk to the offending dog owner first and tell them categorically to stop allowing their dogs to poop and pee on my lawn. If that did not solve the problem a simple solution would be to reciprocate by decorating her lawn with similar white/dead grass areas. A quarter cup of bleach should do it. I of course have never done this. Maybe.
The bleach idea reminds me of what my cousin's husband did a few years ago. They had a neighbor who would let his dog go on their grass fairly often. One day the husband scooped up the mess, took it to the neighbor's house and smeared in on their front steps. It never happened again. I don't recommend that but it got the message across.

Thanks for your comments, Sunny and Sara! Seeing the responses of other dog owners is reasurring because now I feel as if my concern about this breach in etiquette is justified. I wonder if my neighbor has ever witnessed the offending neighbor's dogs in her yard. She is on a corner lot across the street from my house. On the side of her property facing my house there are no windows because the side of her attached garage faces my house which also is on a corner. So it would be impossible for her to see the neigbors dogs in the yard on that side of her house. She would, however, be able to see the dogs if they poop on her front lawn which they often do. I might speak with the HOA President and ask him to put something general about dog etiquette in the HOA newsletter. In the last issue, he did mention in very general terms that pet owners need to pick up after their pets,

Sunny@Midnight2 · 8/20/2015 12:04 pm

Sara - a friend of ours did a similar thing after months of trying to get his neighbour to stop allowing their dogs to poop on his front and back lawns. The final straw was when his daughter - all dressed up for her birthday party - ran across the front lawn to greet her grandparents and slid right through several piles. His response was to gather the poop for a week and then on Sunday morning he launched it all over the fence when his neighbours were having a brunch party on their patio. The dogs were never allowed to poop on his lawn again. With some people talking just does not work.

Ultrablue - your concern is justified. I have never understood the negligence of some dog owners. And not just with the poop and pee issue. Off leash and out of control is another huge problem. We have a 140 lb dog and every time we walk him some idiot is out with an off leash dog. Who of course is aggressive and comes charging up to us. We tell our boy to sit and because he is of a very gentle nature he just lets the other dog run around playing the fool. The owners of course do nothing even when we yell at them. One day a dog will attack and then I dread to think what will happen as our dogs breed is considered one of the top protective dogs. Negligent owners and off leash out of control dogs have already caused the death of one dog in our neighbourhood.

Ultrablue · 8/20/2015 1:12 pm

Sunny@Midnight2 wrote:
Sara - a friend of ours did a similar thing after months of trying to get his neighbour to stop allowing their dogs to poop on his front and back lawns. The final straw was when his daughter - all dressed up for her birthday party - ran across the front lawn to greet her grandparents and slid right through several piles. His response was to gather the poop for a week and then on Sunday morning he launched it all over the fence when his neighbours were having a brunch party on their patio. The dogs were never allowed to poop on his lawn again. With some people talking just does not work.

Ultrablue - your concern is justified. I have never understood the negligence of some dog owners. And not just with the poop and pee issue. Off leash and out of control is another huge problem. We have a 140 lb dog and every time we walk him some idiot is out with an off leash dog. Who of course is aggressive and comes charging up to us. We tell our boy to sit and because he is of a very gentle nature he just lets the other dog run around playing the fool. The owners of course do nothing even when we yell at them. One day a dog will attack and then I dread to think what will happen as our dogs breed is considered one of the top protective dogs. Negligent owners and off leash out of control dogs have already caused the death of one dog in our neighbourhood.

Sunny, I hope that you and your dog are never have to deal with an attack by an unleashed dog and its irresponsible owner. That is terrible what happened to your friend's daughter. It is hard to understand the arrogance and rudeness of people who let their dogs poop anywhere they please.

cossysmom · 8/20/2015 9:36 pm

what a topic--there is so much to say!
I hate dogs on those retractable leashes. The owner has no control over a dog that is 15 feet in front of them. When I walk my dog I just dread running into those dog owners. Without fail, they allow their dogs to approach mine. My dog is a very easy going dog, but he's a little nervous around other dogs. We got him as a rescue when he was a puppy. He has a kink in his tail and apparently had a broken tail before we got him. There is no telling what caused it, but this is probably why he is the way he is around other dogs.

Next, I have a large yard and an invisible fence so my dog is free to enjoy the yard and pee and poop to his heart's content. BUT, he could have pooped 5 min before a walk and without fail, he manages to squeeze out another one when we get to our destination. So, I'm not sure there is a way to keep a dog from pooping.

That being said, I don't walk him in our neighborhood. We go to walking trails. I'm sure if I would walk him in the neighborhood he would manage to poop somewhere along the way--and of course I always clean it up. But I would certainly try to keep him off someones lawn. (I'm not sure what you mean by a boulevard. In my neck of the woods, a boulevard is a street. Are you talking about the grass between the sidewalk and the street? or maybe a strip of grass in the middle of the street? Either would be better than on a lawn.) There is a reason it's called "curbing your dog." The term is not "yarding your dog."

I have a neighbor who used to take his two little dogs for walks--one on leash and one off. The off leash dog would wander into our yard every time. Once I told him he should really keep his dog out of our yard because the dog I had at that time was territorial. His response? "It would serve him right." I would have felt awful if anything happened, but I considered him warned. Why are people so irresponsible??

cossysmom · 8/20/2015 9:41 pm

oh, one more thing:
CATS in my yard. I love my neighbors, but I hate that they all have three cats each that think my yard is an annex to theirs. They lounge on my patio and poop in my flowerbeds. I've had cats, but I keep them inside. The neighbors cats would tourment my cat, who then would stake his territory by spraying on the wall and peeing on my carpet. GRRRRR...

Ultrablue · 8/21/2015 11:48 am

cossysmom wrote:
oh, one more thing:
CATS in my yard. I love my neighbors, but I hate that they all have three cats each that think my yard is an annex to theirs. They lounge on my patio and poop in my flowerbeds. I've had cats, but I keep them inside. The neighbors cats would tourment my cat, who then would stake his territory by spraying on the wall and peeing on my carpet. GRRRRR...

Hi cossysmom! I, too, hate those retractable leashes. They go against everything I learned in dog obedience training class. Also, my neighbors' cats use my flowerbeds for a litter box. Ugggh!

By boulevard, I do mean the grassy area between the sidewalk and the street. In my subdivision every street has a boulevard so it is an available option over someone's lawn. Getting back to those retractable leashes,yesterday I saw a neighbor walking two dogs, each on a retractable leash about 10 feet ahead of her. They both were trying to walk in different directions as they drug their owner down the street. Why would anyone subject themselves to that on a daily basis? And why are those retractable leashes so popular? If a dog is walked properly using an appropriate lead and collar, one can control where their dog poops.

Sunny@Midnight2 · 8/21/2015 11:51 am

Retractable leashes are wonderful if you are in a large empty area and the dog can run "free" on the extended leash but on a road or path they are dangerous.

A few months ago we witnessed a bad crash caused by this type of leash. We were on a multi-use path and coming towards us was a woman with two small dogs on fully extended leashes putting them at least 12 feet ahead of her. We stepped to the side of the path and sat our dog so that they could pass. They of course were jumping and leaping at our dog and she did nothing to rein them in.

My husband told her to rein in her dogs which she started to do (with attitude of course) but just then a bicyclist started to pass on our left and both dogs ended up tangled in the bicycle - and worse yet the baby carrier being pulled along behind. The dogs were fine, The cyclist banged up his bike and his leg but the toddler got a good bump on the head when it came in contact with the side frame of the carrier when it tilted over. I thought the Daddy was going to kill the woman. We got them untangled and calmed down and to her credit (little bit) the woman was very apologetic and upset.

Last edited by Sunny@Midnight2 (8/21/2015 11:52 am)

Sunny@Midnight2 · 8/21/2015 12:00 pm

I just read that all cats in Australia will have to be indoor cats or confined. An effort by the government to try to protect the natural wildlife. Cats have killed off thousands of species of birds and rodents all over the world.

I love cats and we have had them for 40 years but ours have always been indoor cats with an enclosed outdoor area. This was to protect them and local wildlife. We have always lived in areas where there were a lot of predators so letting your cat go outside was tantamount to offering them up as the special of the day. Still not over seeing our neighbour's cat dead and dangling from the mouth of a coyote that was trotting down our road or hearing how our neighbour's Yorkie was lifted right out of their back yard by a Bald Eagle. The dog was saved as the owner was chopping wood and threw a piece of log towards the eagle which startled it enouigh so that it dropped the dog. But the poor thing fell a long way and never walked the same afterwards.