Other Dogs Trespasses

[Milopup]

(Yes I am a bit of a hypocrite for writing this so please forgive.)

Any suggestions for dealing with other dogs/their owners who persist on peeing/pooing on our property? We live in a suburb, a crowded one at that, so there isnt much land per house. There is one dog, fairly large, who likes to pee / poo right on our one tree (yes we only have one tree) right smack in front of our house. I wouldn't mind it too much if it was once in a while, but apparently the dog has made our tree his own private/only doggy toilet - and it is a lot of pee and a lot of poo.

They stop everyday in front of our house, and don't even pick up after the dog. When I caught them walking away from a huge mound of mess and told them they needed to clean the mess up, they said "oh we dont carry any bags with us". When I ran into my house to get one for them, they were mumbling "gee, she expects us to pick it up? did she at least give us tissues and napkins?"

Short of setting up a perimeter gate around my tree, any suggestions? My dog likes that tree, and freaks out whenever he sees the other dog using it, and I really don't want to take away my pup's little area so another dog can enjoy it.

(Yes I know dogs need to pee, and yes my dog pees on other people's property, but he only pees a tiny bit, and I always always clean up his poop.)

[Teri9672]

we have a neighbor with a husky that roams free in the neighborhood in the early morning hours. He uses everyones yard for his business. It makes me very mad to have huge mounds of poop in my yard.

It also makes me mad when I'm trying to potty train and my dogs are going crazy because this dog is on the other side of the gate barking at us. I walk my dogs and yes, they have poo'd in people's yards, but I always take a baggie and pick it up.

[Anna_525]

Milopup, what about spraying the area with something like Nature's Miracle to remove the smell that the other dog obviously likes? Short of stalking the tree to catch the dog in action....or a sign that says "please curb your dog".

This happened to us but without any confrontations -- a dog decided our mailbox is its favorite, so my husband zoomed in his videocam from his office window to the mailbox (nothing caught on tape there) then he would occasionally walk out to the mailbox when he sees dogs being walked (he works from home that's why he can do that). One of them is probably the culprit because it eventually stopped.

I'm just wondering what it takes to get the town/city to enforce fines for not picking up after the dog? Then again, not many people follow (do people get caught and fined anyway?).

[Milopup]

Thanks for the advice - short of stalking the tree I don't know what to do. Does anyone know if my pup can catch anything from sniffing an area where another dog has done his/her business? I just dont know how to prevent my pup from putting his nose into stuff, and I have no idea how "clean" this other do is.

Thank you all again.

[kayharley]

Did they clean up the mess when you gave them the bags?

I cannot believe the gaul of some people when it comes to their dogs. It is your property and they have to respect it...plain and simple.

Most towns have ordinances that prevent that and they can be fined for allowing their dog to defecate in your yard. A simple picture would work wonders...maybe if they saw you clicking away, they might just rethink their dog's bathroom activities.

Check on your towns laws and if they have something like this:

Sec. 4-14. Removal of wastes.

The owner of every animal shall be responsible for the removal of any excreta deposited by his animal on public walks, recreation areas, or private property. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any property to allow unsanitary, unsightly, or malodorous conditions to develop on his property due to the keeping, maintaining, owning, or harboring of animals.

You could always get a small piece of wire fencing and put it around the base of that tree. There are repellant products you could sprinkle around the tree also although if your dog likes that tree, it would affect him too.

Another idea would be if you have a water faucet in the area, attatch a hose/sprinkler and put it near the tree. If these inconsiderate people come by on a schedule you can sit back and wait and when the dog approaches your tree.....WHOOSH...even if he likes water a sudden blast should startle him and his owner too.

[bradl]

Hm. I've seen signs like these that could go on or near the tree, as well as even smaller signs that say stuff like "Please Pick Up" that you can just stick in the ground. Another thought is to put one of those bag dispensers on the tree.

The camera idea is delightful. "I'm making a poster for our Neighborhood Watch meeting!"

My wife was telling me that there's a family in her brother's neighborhood that let's its big dog run loose. They've given each neighbor a set of small flags to mark any poop they find and send their kids around the neighborhood each evening to scoop the poop and return the flags. Not ideal (off lead dogs drive me crazy) but at least an effort.

[Maggie15]

not that i would condone such drastic measures (i like the idea of spraying with a repellant or something)...but when i visited a friend of mine, he told me the neighbours dog always poops on his lawn... my friend scooped it up and put it on his front steps! ...the second time it went into the BBQ!! ...not the most subtle, but the neighbour got the point!!

it really infuriates me that some people can't pick up after their dogs! ...one lady i work with says her husband wont pick up their dogs poop when they walk....BUT he carries a bag and FAKES picking it up in the park so no one will see him not picking it up!!! ...sounds like a trip the BBQ grille is in order! : )

a

[mOmOfaBe]

I wonder if you could install one of those boxes like they have at the beaches, with leftover grocery bags in them for "the pet owners convenience" and remind them to "scoop after they poop"??!! lol

[Brody'sMom]

Milopup, I'm so sorry you have such rude neighbors! I'd probably buy some tallish (12 inches or so) flower bed fencing and fence off your length of sidewalk so they have to stay on the sidewalk. And if that didn't work, I would pick up the poo and put it their BBQ! I've also seen some really cute sayings to post on signs, but of course I don't remember any of them, nor do I remember where I saw them!

[Milopup]

Thanks for the suggestions - I feel like if I put the poop bags out, it is encouraging them to continue messing up my tree. Any suggestions for the copious amounts of pee - will it kill my tree?

Also, still wondering if my dog will be harmed by sniffing around pee/poo areas where other dogs have been - I am worried. :(

[Kathryn]

Our loca bird store had suggested we add cayenne pepper to our bird feeder to keep the squirrels away. A local dog also often stopped to "snack" on the feed on the ground, and he didn't come back after we put the cayenne in the food. How about trying that? It would wash away after a rain, of course, but I think the dog would choose another place after encountering it and, though the dog might get a bad case of the sneezes, I don't think it would hurt him.

[beckolette]

The dog is marking territory. Both urine and excrement are marking material. If you allow it to continue you will have a territorial peeing contest as your pup gets older. If you wish to train your pup to use one area it will fail as long as the other dog or dogs are marking the tree.

Make it very inconvenient. Stop them and ask them to not use your yard.

Yes the poo can contain worms which can be licked off your dogs nose.

Start using any kind of Pepper like suggested, sprinkle it up on the bark where the dog will sniff. Pepper has worked for years for me in my flower beds to deter cats, dogs, squirrels, etc.

In my eyes allowing my dog to enter another persons property is a no no. I don't like another dog in my yard. It's trespassing and not having your dog under control. That is what the leash is for.

I'm a real Witch over a dog using my yard. The edge at the sidewalk is ok but coming more than a step in is grounds for getting your bottom chewed on.

Becky

[abe's dad]

you are right, about encouraging, I didn't think of that.

I like Beckolettes ideas.

It seems ashame to me to have to invest $$ dfor a fence, just to keep a dog out.

I know that when some bigger dogs have pee'd on my bushes the leaves die, so I wonder about the health of your tree. You might want to find that out for sure.

[Guest bunni]

Hi all ,

Have been reading up on some ways to get dogs to stop peeing on my grass and trees,

I have 9 trees that have died, all along the fence where I have planted them, my nieghbors are aware that I prefer thier dogs not to pee there but they continue regardless. It cost me money everytime I plant something only to have someone's(everyones) dog pee on it and kill it.

So I say rude inconsiderate dog owners can stick it up thier you know what, I'm putting out chunks of cheese stuffed with exlax...and merry christmas to the dog owner that has to clean up all the diarrhea !.......serves them right !

When I had a dog my dog did her business in one corner of my yard.

[wags]

Bunni, I'm afraid the dog will suffer more than his human. Depending on the health of the dog, diarrhea may prove fatal to him.

[bradl]

Have fun in court.

[Angus'mum]

Our next door neighbor has a large Lab mix who they just let out in the am and pm and let roam free. He never relieves himself in his own yard...it is always our yard or the yard on the other side. Sometimes they have a friend over who has a Jack Russell and the 2 of them are all over the neighborhood. The large dog has definitely killed a new tree that we planted this year and we used to catch him constantly in one of my planters. Not to mention the enormous piles we were cleaning up. My husband finally had enough and said something to the neighbors. They were apologetic, and it has improved a little. We walk our dogs when they need to go, but when we were first housetraining Angus we picked an area to the side of the house (the far side of the neighbors) and the neighbors dog must have come there daily to mark that area b/c we have a huge patch of dead grass. Anyway, I often wondered if there was something to discourage him from coming in the yard...I might try the pepper!

[Eliz222]

http://www.safepetproducts.com/pilot.asp?p...deterrents_main

I have heard that this really works and you don't have to be outside all the time!

I know that I feel upset when I find a large pile of poo on my yard, but I would never do anything to harm another animal. It's not the animals fault that it is using your lawn as a bathroom...so punish the owner, not the animal. Just MOHO.

[Milopup]

Thanks Shoe - unfortunately since my pup walks by that tree (it is literally in front of our house) both those items would trouble him as well. Well this week I caught them twice - once I stood outside my front door and gave them a mean look and they walked by without stopping, and once they moved on and proceeded to let their dog do his thing on my neighbors Front Yard!!! These people are insane and totally dumb.

So is pepper the best deterent that won't harm my dog as well, or is there something else I should use?

[Eliz222]

Milopup, would it be possible to only have it turned on when you are not outside?

[Toto times 2]

Just a quick comment on the use of cayenne. I use to use it too until I read that squirrels (and presumably other animals) can go blind and sometimes scratch their own eyes from the irritation. I think there are more humane products on the market.

[Angus'mum]

Shoe...those look great! BTW, I wasn't interested in the pepper to hurt the dog...I was just looking for a deterrent. Petey actually is a sweet dog ... his owners are just completely irresponsible.

Thanks!

[Milopup]

Me too - I would love deterrant for the trespassing dog - frankly I would love something that could shoo his irresponsible owners!!

[Brody'sMom]

Me too - I would love deterrant for the trespassing dog - frankly I would love something that could shoo his irresponsible owners!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How about you aim that sprinkler thing at the sidewalk!

[caesar22]

I would like to comment on this. Last fall I noticed a woman and her mutt in my front yard. Before I go any further, this is a new house with not much of a yard (grass to be planted this fall) yet. Now back to what I was saying. Looking out my window I noticed here dog was taking a $#%! on my lawn. I was shocked that someone would let there dog do this due to the neighborhood having plenty of open space and a trail to walk your pet on and common sense. She cleaned up the mess but before I could say something to her she left. Due to my children being with me I choose to wait another day to say anything to her. Fast forward to this spring and I am looking out my front window. There she is again. This time I go outside and confront her from my porch. It went something like this.

Note-My kids are listening. I have to watch my language.

Me - What are you doing! Get your dog off my lawn!

Her- Oh for Petes sake!

Me- Get your dog off my lawn!

Her - I clean it up!

Me - I don't care, my kids play on my lawn!

Her - It is not much of a lawn!

Me - Get your dog off my lawn!

It went something like that without me using the choice words I wanted to because of my kids. To this day I have never seen her dog walk on my lawn when they walk by the front of the house.