I don't own a dog but.....

[tzolkin]

Wrong. The dogs are peeing into the flower bed on property we own. There is even a devil strip between the sidewalk and the curb and we have to maintain that too. In our neighborhood we are expected to irrigate that area to keep the grass green and we have to mow that area. That area may be no man's land but we have to maintain it according to the neighborhood covenants.

I can understand being irritated if people are allowing their dogs into your yard/flowerbeds. I have seen a few people who use retractable leashes who do that and it makes me angry even when it's not my yard.

But, expecting that dogs will walk for an hour or more without peeing in the strip between the sidewalk and road is unrealistic. In most neighborhoods, people don't plant anything there because it's understood that's where dogs will relieve themselves, it's where people step out of their vehicles onto the curb, etc.

You also keep mentioning people purposely taking their dogs out to damage others' property in order to preserve their own yard. Do you really believe that's why people walk their dogs? We walk 6+ miles per day. It's certainly not so I don't wind up with dog urine and feces in my own yard. I'd actually rather if they only went in my yard because then I wouldn't have to carry bags of poop all over town.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I can understand being irritated if people are allowing their dogs into your yard/flowerbeds. I have seen a few people who use retractable leashes who do that and it makes me angry even when it's not my yard.

But, expecting that dogs will walk for an hour or more without peeing in the strip between the sidewalk and road is unrealistic. In most neighborhoods, people don't plant anything there because it's understood that's where dogs will relieve themselves, it's where people step out of their vehicles onto the curb, etc.

You also keep mentioning people purposely taking their dogs out to damage others' property in order to preserve their own yard. Do you really believe that's why people walk their dogs? We walk 6+ miles per day. It's certainly not so I don't wind up with dog urine and feces in my own yard. I'd actually rather if they only went in my yard because then I wouldn't have to carry bags of poop all over town.

Right?! I try not to let my dog go in people's flower beds but even if there's a sign in the devil strip saying not to let the dog go there, I'm not going to stop the dog from using that. It isn't private property just like the road and sidewalk aren't private property. And the people who get upset about the dog using that strip would also be upset if I let the dog relieve themselves on the sidewalk in front of the house because they just don't want the dog to pee or poop in public. No logic. And standing in the road where we could be hit isn't a solution.

I'm with you on the carrying poop bags. And then there's waiting while the dog marks all the usual spots on the route. If I could convince my dog to use a toilet, I would. But they think the outdoors is the toilet, and scent marking is more than just relieving themselves.

I'm wondering what the people who say a dog should only potty in his own yard say about road trips. Where do they go when they're hundreds of miles away from home Or parks. Do they believe that dogs should banned from all public green spaces?

I totally get the poop issue but the whole urine/plants thing is just unreasonable. Put a fence around your lawn. That'll keep everyone off it. Of course you can't do that with the devil strip because it's NOT YOUR PROPERTY.

 

[tzolkin]

It isn't private property just like the road and sidewalk aren't private property. And the people who get upset about the dog using that strip would also be upset if I let the dog relieve themselves on the sidewalk in front of the house ... Of course you can't do that with the devil strip because it's NOT YOUR PROPERTY.

The only person I know who has an issue with dogs going on that strip is my neighbor. But she also comes outside (she has cameras set up all over) to yell at anyone who parks in front of her house.

Our neighborhood is designed with on street parking in the front (driveways are in the back). People have argued that she does not own the street parking in front of her house (one person even called the police to come tell her so), but she still insists on yelling at everyone's guests anyway.

 

[Westcoastwild]

The only person I know who has an issue with dogs going on that strip is my neighbor. But she also comes outside (she has cameras set up all over) to yell at anyone who parks in front of her house.

Our neighborhood is designed with on street parking in the front (driveways are in the back). People have argued that she does not own the street parking in front of her house (one person even called the police to come tell her so), but she still insists on yelling at everyone's guests anyway.

Lol. Yes. I have a neighbor like that too. She thought my new car belonged to a guest and left a nasty note. I walked over and pointed out that I lived in the neighborhood and I'd love to know how to contact this "neighborhood association" who apparently has the money to pay for the towing of legally parking of cars. (There is no neighborhood association of any kind). Her reaction was not, shall we say, pleasant.

 

[mjkacmom]

What boggles the mind is that dog owners think it is OK to damage the property of others. I can't think of any other circumstance where people think it is OK to go on someone's property and cause damage. I don't think dog owners are given special exemptions to this rule. Maybe you should not be walking your dog so close to areas belonging to others where you can not control what they are doing.

Where should you be walking them?! Seriously, I leave my house, and there are nothing but homes in any direction.

 

[Domo]

There are electronic devices that go off if a perimeter is breached. Basically, they emit a high-frequency noise that humans can't hear but makes dogs go crazy!

 

[maxiesmom]

Where should you be walking them?! Seriously, I leave my house, and there are nothing but homes in any direction.

Ditto. Maybe they think we should drive half an hour to walk our dogs???

 

[soccerdad72]

I really just assumed that this was going to be another thread about dog owners not picking up poop (for the record - we always do), but I have to admit to being one of those dog owners who honestly has not thought about where their dog is peeing. Never really thought that was an issue - it's not like I'm walking our dog across the middle of people's lawns, but yeah, that couple feet off the sidewalk that the leash reaches, our dog does pee.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

R
I'm wondering what the people who say a dog should only potty in his own yard say about road trips. Where do they go when they're hundreds of miles away from home Or parks. Do they believe that dogs should banned from all public green spaces?

I am addressing the people that think they are "entitled".

I have neighbors that will let their dogs PISS on my lawn but would ANGRY with us if we let our dogs pee on their yard.

You think I am joking? I am not.

 

[SC Minnie]

My next door neighbor is my coworker as well. Several years ago they had a dog that they would just let out to do whatever. The dog would constantly poop in our yard. DH would pick it up in a shovel and toss it over into their yard when he would find it. One day I walk around the corner at work and neighbor/coworker is talking to another coworker about her dog and how clean she is. She tell the other person that her dog is so clean that she doesn't poop in her own yard she goes into mine! She was proud of that! And I was standing right there!!! I told her I was tired of her dog using my yard has a toilet. They did start watching her better after that.

Last year name neighbor got a new puppy (first dog had died). Again they let the dog out without supervision. DH found more piles. One day he was flipping them over into their yard and it the pile ended up on their roof by accident. It stayed up there for a couple of weeks until we got a good rain. They now take the dog out on a leash.

 

[asta]

I am addressing the people that think they are "entitled".

I have neighbors that will let their dogs PISS on my lawn but would ANGRY with us if we let our dogs pee on their yard.

You think I am joking? I am not.

Entitled is the word. People who think that just because they have a dog they are entitled to use any part of my yard. And to be clear I am not talking about the dog peeing in the devil strip between the sidewalk and curb.

 

[luvsJack]

Threads like this one make me soooooo glad I live in the woods. My dogs don't have to worry about where they go. All 3 go in the edge of the woods.

No other dogs come in my yard. My driveway is 1/10th of a mile long so they may go on my driveway but I wouldn't know. But now I have lots of raccoons, rabbits, deer, and other wildlife that will use my yard for the bathroom. They know just where the dog can go and they stay right outside that boundary.

I did notice a neighbor who lives up on the main road has a greyhound that she walks every morning and from what I saw this morning, she had him in the middle of her next door neighbor's yard. So, maybe these discussions go on between them all the time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You probably missed my first post but I gave up on expecting my neighbors to be decent and kind and keep their dogs out of my flower beds. I gave up and the area by the steps leaving the front sidewalk have been brown dirt for the past several years. Not very attractive but it keeps someone else's dog happy so that matters more to selfish dog owners. Not that it matters to someone looking for a place for the dog to relieve itself other than their own yard, but prior to building our home the developer hired landscape architects to design planting plans for each home. It was their idea to have decorative plantings where each house's sidewalk met the street sidewalk. We were one of the first families and the beautiful beds of dianthus thrived until the neighborhood grew and people came with their dogs.

So I'm getting the feeling you've got some resentment towards those families that moved in with those pesky dogs..how dare they move in your neighborhood.

It's interesting that you said the developer hired landscape architects to design planting plans for each home. In my neighborhood there was a certain dollar amount (I forget what it was) that they wanted you to spend on landscape including trees and flowers and your plan had to be approved by the HOA (which at this time is still controlled by the Developer). If you do extensive landscaping you would need to get approval too.

I can count on one hand the number of people in over 500 homes that have currently been built that have flowers near the required tree by the street or right by the public sidewalk as far as landscape goes. The extreme vast majority keep landscape either to islands in their yard or right up by their front door area.

Almost sounds like there was some lack of overall planning involved in your neighborhood then if they planned to have flowers by the street/public sidewalk area without the consideration of cons to that. And by con I'm not necessarily thinking they were actually thinking "oh some dog will come pee on it and ruin the flowers" it's more or less thinking about risks involved to having those so close to public areas.

 

[maxiesmom]

Entitled is the word. People who think that just because they have a dog they are entitled to use any part of my yard. And to be clear I am not talking about the dog peeing in the devil strip between the sidewalk and curb.

I'm sorry people are going into your actual yard and killing your flowers. Not ok. But even so, this makes me very glad that we have many dog loving neighbors. We don't care if their dogs walk on our yard and do their business, as long as they clean it up. And they feel the same.