Dog Etiquette question/poll

[Icarus]

Nice dog, Brian. I also have a rescue dog.

My neighbor keeps outside cats, and they roam, piss, poop, climb all over my car (I can see paw prints all over my car every day), go into my garage, and basically treat my property as their own. I can tell you I really don't appreciate that, but short of getting humane traps and catching them and turning them over to the humane society, there isn't much I can do about it without starting world war 3. The woman that lives in that house is basically a judgmental "B" already towards me. The rest of the family is fine.

If that guy doesn't want your dog on or near his property, you just have to respect it. Not much else to do in that situation.

-David

 

[geekette]

Very interesting that some urine kills grass and some doesn't. We've had this house and this dog for going on 9 years and her urine does not kill grass. Our back yard is fenced and is her main Potty Area. It would be obvious by now, as she certainly has preferred piddle places. I'm the one that goes out with her and her routine doesn't vary much.

Sure, I could look up some scientific info, but in your experience, whether or not a specific dog has grass-killing urine, is this a factor of their diet, breed, gender, age ...? Does it matter what kind of grass? Has someone had the exact same breed/sex and fed them the same diet and one has the grass killer and the other pees fertilizer?

Sorry to veer into the weeds, so to speak, but it seems that we have a mixed bag of experience here as to whether or not our personally-owned dogs possess the grass killing variety. Just got me curious.

Congrats on your handsome boy, Brian! Our girl came from the shelter and is a joy. May you have many happy years together!

 

[Icarus]

For the most part, if they pee in the same spot over a period of time, it can harm the grass.

-David

 

[DaveNV]

Brian, it may not have been your dog at all. Yours may have been just one in a long string of dogs who have visited the guy's lawn, and he may have been tired of it. You may have heard the rant, but only because he SAW you.

The ammonia smell in dog urine is what attracts a dog to a certain spot. It lasts long after the water portion has evaporated. That's why fire hydrants are so popular - it's like a canine bulletin board. That ammonia smell then attracts other dogs, perhaps even stray dogs, who may also leave the homeowner other kinds of gifts for him to clean up. Other dog walkers may not be as considerate as you, who may NOT clean up after their animals.

I live on a street that forms a circular loop, where the street entrance and exit are the same piece of roadway. We have MANY neighbors from adjacent streets who walk their dogs on our loop, because it's safe and convenient for them. I can't begin to tell you how many enormous piles I've had to clean up in the grass, (usually AFTER I've stepped in them!), and how many of my landscape plants have been killed by these dogs, virtually all of whom are walked on leashes. On the rare occasions when I've caught someone with their dog "in the act" and I've said, "Please don't let your dog go in my yard!" the dog owner looks at me like I've got two heads, and how I must be some sort of animal hater for objecting. They can't imagine how their precious pooch could be harming my lawn. It may not be that one animal, but it could easily be the two dozen who follow him.

I love animals, and I own a dog I've had since his birth (I whelped his litter over thirteen years ago.) But I wouldn't dream of allowing my dog to go in someone else's yard, for all the reasons I object to other's dogs going in mine.

Dave

 

[Icarus]

Yeah, so why is it an issue to curb your dog? Maybe I don't understand the issue, but that's the right thing to do anyway, isn't it? Just because your little poochie wants to go on somebody else's lawn, that doesn't make it correct or even legal.

A lot of people think it's ok to let your dog go on somebody else's property, but why is that right? (look at the poll results, 54% of people say it's ok.) Would it be ok for me to take a piss or a dump in your front yards if I brought a plastic bag with me? Then why is it ok for you to let your dog go in somebody else's yard, even if you clean it up?

Maybe the guy overreacted, but I don't think he's wrong either.

-David

 

[TUGBrian]

oh i concur...id be madder than hell if someone didnt clean up the poop (im pretty vigilant about cleaning it up even if its close to my neighbors property (we share a maybe 30' strip of grass between our houses thats a favorite for him to wander around and do his business).

but man...when we go for a walk around the "big loop" he must stop to mark spots maybe 50 to 60 times easily.

its never more than a squirt...and I just cant see that doing any sort of damage at all to any plant life...but again...Im certainly not one to tell someone what they should or shouldnt do with their own lawn...I was more annoyed at how he handled it.

that said yall are probably right...im sure that wasnt the first time a dog has done the deed there on his property...but if thats the case...wouldnt the grass be dead? =)

 

[Icarus]

Bosco

A typical Maui Lab/Pit mix.

 

[Passepartout]

Good for you, Brian!

If you have your pooch do 'it' on the curb or gutter and pick up the solid waste, you can wave at your neighbor using all the fingers you want. I can hardly wait to hear how he behaves with the unaccompanied (wild) critters who drop their little gifts on his lawn.

With a male, there's no way to keep him from announcing his presence to all the other scent-oriented critters that pass by. Scent is to them what e-mail or a handshake is to us.

Our girl dog has the run of the yard and there's no killed spots anywhere. Urine, schmurine!

I load cheese product at a customer who has signs (do this, don't do that) surrounding the window where truck drivers are served. A new sign appeared that said that any driver who lets their pet 'soil' the parking lot or surrounding area, would be fined $250 'hazardous material clean-up'. Jerks aren't just in your area.

Jim Ricks

 

[Steve]

This is an interesting thread! In Sept we also adopted a dog, an Australian Shepherd/ Border Collie cross. Being a male it is really hard to stop him from peeing on every post or fire hydrant but we do try to keep him out of peoples yards. With all the snow we have now it's on every snow bank that another dog has peed on! We have a lot of dogs in our neighborhood and always see 1 or 2 others when we are out walking. Of course we always carry bags and it seems everyone else does too. We also have an off leash area close by where we go when it's not so cold. We had an experience on Sun that makes me so happy that we took him. The couple that owned him had to go into assisted living as she had a stroke and he was not well either. Their DD and SIL took him for 6 weeks but that have 2 dogs of their own and found it too much. There other DD called us from Toronto a week before Christmas to say she was visiting her parents and wanted to now if she could bring her mother to visit Homer. They came on Sun and he was so excited to see them. They took a lot of pictures and I could tell how hard it was for her to have given him up. She is recovering pretty well from her stroke and they thanked us for taking him and were so happy he looked so well taken care of. Of course she and her DD were both crying when they left but know that they can come and visit him anytime. He is a very special dog

Lynn

What an awesome story, Lynn. Thank you for sharing that. It's wonderful that you adopted this dog...and also that you'll let his previous "pet parents" come and visit him. That's a wonderful Christmas story indeed.

Steve

 

[Elan]

It's just a matter of respect. I personally wouldn't be offended if your dog urinated on my driveway, but I'd prefer they not do it on my lawn. I have little areas of dead grass conspicuously close to the sidewalk that are obviously the result of dogs doing their thing. Additionally, my family occasionally likes to go out and play in our front yard. I don't really care to have my kids cartwheeling into your dog piss. I wouldn't necessarily be as ass like your neighbor if I saw you dog pee in my yard once, but if it happened repeatedly I'd probably let you know it shouldn't happen again.

 

[BevL]

... With a male, there's no way to keep him from announcing his presence to all the other scent-oriented critters that pass by. Scent is to them what e-mail or a handshake is to us. ...

We always say that we're taking Moe out to check his pee-mail.

 

[wackymother]

Here's a little piece about the whys/hows/whens of dog urine burning grass. (They're also selling a product to prevent it, but it still seems like a sensibly written article.) I was wrong about female dogs having more acidic urine; this article says it's partly because females squat and deposit all the urine in one spot, unlike male dogs doing a squirt here and a squirt there.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=88

 

[DebBrown]

I have two dogs, both male, that I walk every day. They pee/mark everywhere! It never occurred to me that someone would actually care if a dog peed in their yard. They also poop alot and that always gets picked up. Now they are on a 4' leash so they generally only can reach the public parkway or the edge of someone's yard. Still, I find it hard to believe that this small amount is harmful to anyone's grass. My backyard still has grass and is subject to alot more urine then any small spot on our walk.

I'm surprised by the poll results! Maybe its a regional thing? We live in a Chicago suburb with a high concentration of dogs and I'm pretty sure our behavior is well accepted.

Deb

 

[DeniseM]

We live in a city with leash laws, and you never see a dog running loose, but despite that, we find poop in our yard several times a week - often when we step in it. I have to assume that dogs on leashes with owners at the other end, are pooping in our yard. So if I see you letting your dog pee in my yard, I may assume that you are also one of the people that lets their dog poop in my yard. Either way, I'd prefer that they didn't. BTW, we have an elderly cat and it scares him to death when a dog comes in the yard. He is an inside-outside cat, but only in our yard (can't get over the fence.)

 

[debraxh]

A typical Maui Lab/Pit mix.

Bosco looks exactly like our dog, Pepper. In fact I showed your pic to my DH and he wondered why Pepper had on a blue collar! I guess Lab/Pit mix are the same in Maui or California and even the tile in the pic looks the same as ours

I didn't vote because I didn't completely agree with the choices. I wouldn't come out and yell at you if your dog peed on our yard, but I wouldn't be happy about it either. I walk our dog just about every day and she's not allowed to pee on anyone's yard, but we do have sidewalks--sometimes she pees on them because she can't hold it until we get to the park, but that's ok since it evaporates quickly. The "off" command is your friend

Great looking dog, BTW Brian.

 

[caribbeansun]

It's not necessarily anti-dog. I have a 16 year old golden and I make her go on our property before walking her and always have. It does kill the grass and if people have children that play on the lawn...

interesting poll results...I truly had no idea that so many were antidog under any circumstances!

 

[swift]

First of all let me say I love dogs. I have always had a dog or two and couldn't image life with out one. That being said except for the fact that the guy way over reacted I can understand why people get upset when animals come and mark their spot. It is just a couple ounces from one dog that then calls to the next dog that comes by to mark with a couple of more ounces and so on. It is canine nature. Once you know that the dog has gone and done his business in a controlled area you can teach him to "Leave" other areas alone. Your walk will actually become more pleasant because he won't be constantly pulling you to mark. You will be leading him instead of him leading you.



My spoiled baby that follows me around like my shadow.

 

[dougp26364]

I suppose that if a person could find a way to keep every animal, wild animals and birds included, off their lawn, the neighbor might have a gripe. I suppose that if someone was constantly allowing their animal to use his lawn as a toilet to the point it was killing his grass, he'd have a point. As it is it seems to me that he was over reacting in a big way.

We own pets but there's a few things I don't care for myself.

1. Someone that doesn't clean up after their pet. Nothing like stepping in a pile while mowing my yard.

2. People who let cats roam and those cats are destructive. Now I know that fluffy might be the perfect pet but, when fluffy damages my flowers by lying in them, kills rabbits and leaves the remains for me to pick up or stalks birds around any bird feeder I might put up, then that's destroying a little piece of my world and I take offense to it.

I don't mind anyone owning the pet of their choice so long as it remains THEIR pet. I don't necessarily wish to share their pet or their pet's byproducts. But if you pet wants to whiz on my lawn, just try not to let them hit the same spot over and over again. It will kill the grass. I have the burn spots in my back yard from our dog to prove it. Sometimes it's tough to get her to find a new spot by I give it a try every time we take her out.

 

[ondeadlin]

I've owned dogs all my life and generally keep them in my own yard, behind an invisible fence. Our neighborhood has sidewalks and, when we walk, I allow him to mark the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. I do not allow him on people's lawns, although some of my fellow neighbors and dog owners do. I would be offended if someone allowed their dog to mark on my lawn when the strip of grass near the street is available.

If one of my neighbors asked me to avoid their strip, I'd be a little amused, but would respect their wishes.

I don't think it's anti-dog, incidentally, to express the opinion you don't want dogs on any part of your property. When we buy or adopt dogs, they do not come with a right to walk them on other's property, even the strip by the street.

 

[jlr10]

My husband takes great pains to keep our lawn looking nice. So it is not appreciated that people think that the lawn is there for the use of others. That includes not only pets but children. We don't hate animals or children. We just don't want them on our lawn playing, pooping, or peeing. So rather than yelling at others, definately not cool, DH just planted a nice small hedge around the edge of the yard. The yard looked nicer, no poop or pee on the lawn, and no irritated neighbors.

 

[TUGBrian]

that brings up another interesting item Jlr10...do you mind if dogs mark the small hedge? or would you get offended at that as well?

 

[jlr10]

that brings up another interesting item Jlr10...do you mind if dogs mark the small hedge? or would you get offended at that as well?

Nope. They can mark the hedge since there is not really any ground cover, nor am I walking on it. But this applies to animals only, I don't want kids marking my fence or hedge at all. I would prefer animals didn't, but really am more concerned that they stay off the lawn portion period. DH spent too much time and money to get the grass just the way he wants it and we want it to remain that way, and with the hedge it does. But I would never yell at a neighbor of either strayed onto the lawn.

Also, I should note I am not offended by other's pets. But I don't understand why some pet owners seem to think that other people's lawns are public land for their pet's use. I always had dogs growing up and never let them go on anyone's lawn, for play or to potty, unless they were invited. Not that it really matters, they are much bigger issues in life to worry about, it is just a curiosity to me.

 

[TUGBrian]

understand completely...was just curious as to the insight into "shrubbery" and such at the edges of lawns where there is no grass...and if the same rules applied!

 

[SpikeMauler]

I think the home owner might have been worried this would turn into an everyday thing,and was maybe concerned that you would take more liberties with his property. He probably wanted to put an end to it before it potentially evolved into something more. That being said,there's no reason for the home owner to be rude or confrontational . A "please don't" and a "thanks for understanding" would have done the trick. My dog (< see picture) uses my backyard most of the time. I have three or four dead grass patches where he goes. When I walk him,I never let him go on any part of my neighbors property(fence,driveway,yard etc..)out of respect. So, did the home owner over react? Probably,but I think he was somewhat justified. BTW I'm a dog lover.

 

[Icarus]

Bosco looks exactly like our dog, Pepper. In fact I showed your pic to my DH and he wondered why Pepper had on a blue collar! I guess Lab/Pit mix are the same in Maui or California and even the tile in the pic looks the same as ours

Cool. Post a pic of Pepper.

I've seen other dogs here that look just like Bosco.

-David