Curbing Pets - What is the best policy?

Hi Everyone!

I've been browsing this website for a month or so and enjoying everyone's wonderful advice.

Last night something happened to me while walking my dog that has prompted me to want to post and get your opinions...This is kind of long, so I apologize, but appreciate any thoughts you might have.

I live in a residential area, a fairly nice, new neighborhood with sidewalks and front porches, etc. I have an 8 year old Husky mix that I rescued about 7 years ago from the shelter. We go on regular walks, morning & night and sometimes in between. I always pick up after her when she poops, unless it's in a natural area and AWAY from someone's yard (which I know I should still pick up there too...but that's not the point here!).

I do not "curb" her with regards to peeing. She is used to peeing on the grass or in mulch, etc. and so yes, she does pee in other peoples' yards. However, as much as possible, I will walk her in the "common" open spaces in the neighborhood to avoid her peeing in peoples' yards. But she is one of those Alpha dogs who likes to spread her scent all over, so she pees several times each walk.

OK, so there is this large grassy, undeveloped area of the neighborhood that I typically walk her to a couple times a day. But on the way there & on the way home, we pass by peoples' houses.

One of the houses we pass by is a corner lot (with sidewalk). These people have had a "no tresspassing/private property" sign posted in their yard for a while now. I didn't really understand why, because it's not like it's a crime-ridden area or there are lots of kids trampling bushes or anything.

Well, last night, I walked from the common open space across the street, along my NORMAL route, and crossed over onto the sidewalk by this "No Tresspassing" house. It was at that moment, my dog decided she had to poop in their yard, in the grass between the sidewalk & street. So she pooped & I picked it up and started on my way....

That's when trouble started...

A guy was outside mowing his lawn, across the street from this "No Tresspassing" house. This guy has an old black lab that, from what I can tell, spends most of its time confined to the garage.

The guy came across the street to me and said, "Have you seen that sign?" I stopped and looked, thinking he was referring to the "NO Tress." sign. Instead it was the "NT" sign, but with a printed paper over it saying something about how it is rude to let your dog "go" in peoples' yards and you need to curb your pet...blah, blah, blah.

Anyways, the guy started asking me if I thought it was OK to let my dog "go" in peoples' yards as long as I picked it up. I said yes, that was within the law in our area and as long as you pickup, it's OK.

He started getting all upset with me and pretty much harrassing me about the people with the "NT" sign and they were going find out where I live and I was going to get a summons. (not sure to what!) He was a real jerk and was pretty much scaring me by yelling at me & such. I should've just walked away, but I was so stunned I didn't know what to do.

I finally asked him if this was a problem he was having too or if it was just these neighbors (which I guess now, they are in it together). He said people work hard to keep their lawns looking nice and we shouldn't let our dogs go on the lawns.

He then asked me if I "clean up the sod" if my dog pees on someone's grass. I said no, that was kind of hard to control.

He said "if you ever let your dog in my yard, you'll see what happens" or something like that...which I took as a threat.

So anyways...I was just wondering what other people do? Am I wrong in letting my dog pee on people's yards? And if so, what is the best way to train my dog to pee on the sidewalk or curb? Keep in mind she is 8 & pretty set in her "husky" ways.

THANKS FOR READING. I look forward to hearing your words of wisdom!

Your not wrong but I would stay away from this guy he sounds like a nut.

I dont think your in the wrong by any means, your dogs goes where they want basically! Like coco for example, she hates walking on the sidewalk, it hurts her feet, so she walks on the grass while i walk on the sidewalk! She goes where she wants, there is no yelling at her to stop pee'ing, because then she'll get confused "first i say dont go in the house, then i say dont go outside, well where are they supposed to go" sorta thing! Is there maybe another route you can walk instead of going by crazy people's houses!
Oh and another thing, if this guy has a dog, is this dog allowed to even poop or whats the deal? If it's such a big deal for your dog to poop, is his even allowed too? As long as you clean it up when needed then there is no problem whats so ever and they are just a**holes!

Gosh, I don't know what the solution is on this! :confused: Obviously, your dog is going to have to relieve herself at some point. I guess you will just have to pull her back as quickly as possible any time she starts to "go" in someone's yard. I know that some bushes (evergreens for one) will get burnt and die from dog urine, so I suppose some special grasses ... maybe sod ... will too. So, I can understand why someone wouldn't want to have dead spots along the front of their yards. However, this person didn't have to be such a hot-head about it! :rolleyes: I think you have been extremely nice and responsible by picking up the poop along the way .... I had a neighbor recently *hint* to me that it was distasteful for people to let their dogs poop in their own front yard. Like it was offensive for him to *watch*! :rolleyes:

Good luck, oh and welcome to PT!
Kim

My dogs aren't allowed to go to the bathroom in other peoples yards, they don't even get to walk on the edge of their grass. I figure that it is there right to not have dogs go potty in their yards, which I totally understand, there are things that dogs can pass on to other dogs through their poop and it stays in the soil for years. I try to get my dogs to go potty before we leave and I don't let them stiff other peoples yards. We have done this since they were puppies so I am not sure how to get a adult dog to stop and I have no experience with a husky. I would try and stay away from those two house, can you just walk in the road pass those two houses to advoid anymore issues with them? Good luck and I hope you don't have anymore problem while on your walks. :)

Well, yes, I am definitely taking a new route from now on. It's a huge neighborhood so I can avoid this area easily. It was just a really good "route" for us...

The other GOOOOOOOOD thing about this is, I am moving in 3 weeks anyways. This is actually my dad's neighborhood & I've been staying with him over the summer while my new house is being built.

So, part of my issue here is not wanting to make my new neighbors mad. It's a new community, so everyone will have new sod they are trying to grow in their yards. I want to come up with a way to train my dog to pee somewhere other than the grass.

I guess in a way, this is a good thing this happened, because now I will try harder in the new house to be a good dog-walking neighbor.

But to answer your question...I've seen this crazy guy walking his dog in the common open space, but I've NEVER ONCE seen him carrying a bag to pick up! So I could just as easily report him!

Thanks all for your responses....and if anyone else has any tips or tricks for teaching an "old", stubborn, independent Husky (HA!) new ticks, let me know!

:)

Thankfully there are many dog owners along my route with Kia so if she goes, they are just thankful that I pick it up.

I try to get her to go at home prior to the walk, but when you gotta go, you gotta go.

I do not think you were in the wrong at all. You can't control where your dog goes but you can be curteous and clean up after them, which you do.

When I lived in Okemos, there was a guy that had, a "No Pooping or Peeing" sign in his yard. I always made sure that Kia went elsewhere before we passed that house and we'd jog by real fast to avoid a "sniff and mark". From what I heard, the owner of the house was a real crochety old coot.

And since the owner of the house didn't chew you out, I think the neighbor should mind his own buisness.

I did have a scare once. Kia just had to go in this Karate School's yard. The teacher, a black belt, came running out as I was cleaning up her poop. I thought he was going to yell at me. Instead he asked where I got the cool poop bags and dispenser. LOL!! :o :D

It's just grass! My goodness, this guy sounds like a nut. I'm glad that you are able to stay away from the area, but I just think it's kind of sad that people are that crazy about their lawns. I could understand if you didn't pick it up, but you did, so really what damage was done? Roscoe does pee sometimes on the edges of other peoples' yards (especially if they have a dog, he has to leave his scent) but we have never had a problem with it. I guess I'd just avoid that area and not worry about it anymore...hopefully other people in the neighborhood aren't so crazy about a little grass. :)

Welcome to PT by the way!

Thank God you are moving! What a Butthead! For future references, I do believe the the city or state own's the sidewalk to the curb and maybe a little more. In the meantime I'd walk somewhere else. Good luck!

Actually, they don't own that area where your dog pooped. That's the city's/town's property. If your dog pooped in their yard, then that would be a problem. But your dog pooped in the grass between the sidewalk and the road, correct? Then that's fine. I wouldn't worry about it. If that were a crime, I think 90% of PT people would be in jail - myself included.

Just my .02 cents. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ramanth

I did have a scare once. Kia just had to go in this Karate School's yard. The teacher, a black belt, came running out as I was cleaning up her poop. I thought he was going to yell at me. Instead he asked where I got the cool poop bags and dispenser. LOL!! :o :D

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LMAO!!!! :D :D


Hero715- Hi and welcome to PT! Glad you joined us!
When I walk my pups Sierra marks every 10 feet I SWEAR!! Theeen Buddy marks on top of her mark... so just to walk 1 mile takes us an hour sometimes! :o
But If I keep Sierra on the road (I don't have sidewalks) then she'll just pee on the road! So maybe if you just don't give her the choice to pee on the grass she won't! Because she can't! ;) If you're walking on a sidewalk, just keep a short leash on her and don't let her go on the grass. (I know... easier said than done! :p )
Good Luck and Stay CLEAR of the crazy old man!

Well I do think the guy way overreatced, but I also think it's inappropriate to let your pets go to the bathroom on other people's yards. Yes I have two dogs, and no I don't let them potty in other people's yards. Dog urine can often kill the grass in the spot they go and make large yellow spots. Seeing as it is their yard, it's just not the right thing to do to let your dog do that. You should prevent her from doing so or pick another way to go, where she isn't going in people's yards. If you are walking in a neighborhood you can walk her on the edge of the street if you have to but it's not appropriate to let them urinate or defecate in other's yards. Sometimes dogs have diarrhea, and there is no way to pick it all up, and while YOU might pick it up, other people don't always. I always find other people's animal waste in my yard, and it really pisses me off. I don't let mine go out front, they have the entire back, so I don't appreciate other people just letting their dog go in my yard. I also walk in my yard barefoot, I don't want to walk in dog waste. That being said, that guy was rediculous, if it was me I'd have simly asked them nicely not to let their dog go in my yard.