Neighbor/Dog Poo Issue

[thinkerbell]

Would this bother you? If so, what would you do?
We live in a small townhome community. Many people in here have small dogs and they walk them on leashes. The only places for them to go poo is in people’s yards and the big courtyard. Most are responsible and pick it up. No big deal. If they do let them go in our yard, which is very rarely, it is normally right inside the grass by the road, not somewhere we regularly walk.
We live in the middle unit of three units. Our next door neighbor just had his niece and her daughters to move in with him about 6 months ago. Seem like nice people. About two or three times a week, one of the girls or mom will bring their dog out and let it go poo in our yard. Our yard is approximately 10’ x 12’, very small. He has a favorite place…right beside the passenger side door of the car that sits in the driveway. They always clean it up. They have a much bigger yard because they are an end unit and it is easily accessible from their front door. They could also take him out back which is common ground. I guess technically it is all common ground but the back yards all connect continuously but our front yards are separated by the driveways. They only do it when we are at work. We only know because we have a doorbell camera. It really bothers me because I have to walk right through the area to get in the car if we are driving that car, and the fact that they have their own yard to let him go in. Part of me says to let it go because they clean it up, but part of me says, ”but they have their own yard and I am dragging dog poo germs into my car.” I know that shoes take germs from everywhere but just knowing they are definitely there bothers me. The only one I have seen walking him is the uncle. He never brings it into our yard. If you wouldn‘t like them letting him go in your yard, what would you do? I hate to say anything because I don’t want to alienate them. Is there a nice way to do/say it so it doesn’t sound mean or like I’m just being a fussy neighbor…or maybe I AM just being a fussy neighbor. I may just continue letting it go. I had thought about telling them that we just put weed and feed down and didn’t want it to hurt the dog. The only thing about that is that it would sound like we are okay with him going later. Right now, they don’t even know that we know they are bringing him to our yard. Let it go, or do/say something?

 

[disneyseniors]

Would this bother you? If so, what would you do?
We live in a small townhome community. Many people in here have small dogs and they walk them on leashes. The only places for them to go poo is in people’s yards and the big courtyard. Most are responsible and pick it up. No big deal. If they do let them go in our yard, which is very rarely, it is normally right inside the grass by the road, not somewhere we regularly walk.
We live in the middle unit of three units. Our next door neighbor just had his niece and her daughters to move in with him about 6 months ago. Seem like nice people. About two or three times a week, one of the girls or mom will bring their dog out and let it go poo in our yard. Our yard is approximately 10’ x 12’, very small. He has a favorite place…right beside the passenger side door of the car that sits in the driveway. They always clean it up. They have a much bigger yard because they are an end unit and it is easily accessible from their front door. They could also take him out back which is common ground. I guess technically it is all common ground but the back yards all connect continuously but our front yards are separated by the driveways. They only do it when we are at work. We only know because we have a doorbell camera. It really bothers me because I have to walk right through the area to get in the car if we are driving that car, and the fact that they have their own yard to let him go in. Part of me says to let it go because they clean it up, but part of me says, ”but they have their own yard and I am dragging dog poo germs into my car.” I know that shoes take germs from everywhere but just knowing they are definitely there bothers me. The only one I have seen walking him is the uncle. He never brings it into our yard. If you wouldn‘t like them letting him go in your yard, what would you do? I hate to say anything because I don’t want to alienate them. Is there a nice way to do/say it so it doesn’t sound mean or like I’m just being a fussy neighbor…or maybe I AM just being a fussy neighbor. I may just continue letting it go. I had thought about telling them that we just put weed and feed down and didn’t want it to hurt the dog. The only thing about that is that it would sound like we are okay with him going later. Right now, they don’t even know that we know they are bringing him to our yard. Let it go, or do/say something?

Wow, that is really really inconsiderate of your yard. I wouldn't hesitate to ask them nicely not to let their dog go in your yard. Just tell him you saw iton the camera, if you want to, if he denies it. He probably doesn't even know that the girls are doing that.
One thing I wouldn't do is let it go. Why should you walk in an area where a dog has pooed, even if it was cleaned up. Not all that stuff gets picked up all the time. I guess I would tell the Uncle ASAP.
Look at it this way: If your neices did this and you did not know, to your neighbors yard, what would you think or do?
It is not right and you should not have to put up with it. Good luck.
You might be nicer than me, but I wouldn't put up with that at all.

FYI: We had a pushy neighbor who did stuff all the time. For example, he wanted to let his boys clear a path in our woods out back so they could ride their ATV's to a pond on the other side of our property. What? We said no. They only had to go behind our property to a clear area and ride to the pond. The neighbor decided to burn some brush on Our Yard. I saw a fire out the kitchen window in our backyard one day. I took my phone to call the police/fire department, and went out to look. It was our neighbor burning it!!!! I told him to burn his own woods and not to come into our yard again! People will be pushy and get away with what you let them.

 

[Christine]

I think the first thing I would try is just to simply go out and get one of those dog poo signs like this: https://www.amazon.com/NO-Dog-Poop-Plastic-Coroplast/dp/B07GXY3576 or like this:
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai...2ahUKEwio4rLd4r73AhWAEFkFHbDoDuoQuxd6BQgBEKQE

I'd place it right around the area near the car where the dog is pooping. Maybe it will just make them think. A few of my neighbors have them and I do take notice when walking my own dog.

 

[Disneylover99]

I’m not sure if I’d say anything, but it would bug me too.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

At our previous house, our next door neighbor's brother would frequently visit with his dog. He would hang out in the front yard and shoot hoops while the dog walked around. A few times, the dog ran over to our yard and pooped on the lawn. The guy would come and pick up the solid stuff, but it still left poop residue on the lawn. It was enough that my son once got it on his shoes and tracked it into the house. Luckily we saw it on the tile floor before he got as far as the carpet.

I very politely approached my neighbor and told her about it. I asked if perhaps her brother could take the dog out front on a leash, or walk him and let him poop before he shoots hoops in their driveway. She was very apologetic and said she would immediately talk to her brother. I was very careful not to sound angry or accusatory. After all, he was coming over to pick up the poop, but some was sticking to the grass and getting left behind. It didn't happen again and the brother even apologized when he saw me outside. It was a good resolution to the issue. I would suggest politely approaching the neighbor and asking if they would please redirect the dog to poop in another area.

 

[SteveH]

It's not easy but getting up the nerve to just say something may really be the best way to avoid any major conflicts. If the "yard" is yours then yes I'd say something cleaned up or not, its your yard.

I've had some neighbors let their dogs use my grass and I've had the yellow spots. I tried the signs, and I could see the guy ignoring them and letting his dog do his thing. Once I knew his schedule I made a point to be out there one day and polity pointed out that his dogs urine causing the yellow spots. Of course he denied it was his dog, and that's when I showed him a couple of pics of his dog peeing in that same spot. He still denied it but now that he knew I had it on camera he stopped walking on my side of the street.

The only thing worse than dogs are outside cats who's owners don't seem to take any responsibility that their cats do their thing in the neighbors yard. Don't even get me started with them.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Is there a nice way to do/say it so it doesn’t sound mean or like I’m just being a fussy neighbor

https://www.amazon.com/HEIOKEY-Double-Sided-Pooping-Stake/dp/B07ZBSG7M5?th=1


ETA Just saw Christine’s and I think I like that better letting them know you have cameras.

 

[disykat]

Years before we had a dog, we had a neighbor who used to bring his dog over to my yard to poop under a big shady tree we had. We had to ask him to stop. (and, no, he didn't pick it up.) He liked to smoke a cigarette and let the dog poop in the shade! (Can you imagine the audacity of taking cigarettes AND poop into a neighbor's yard?)

We walk our dog regularly and so obviously, poop happens. Even though we do pick it up, I try really hard to only let my dog poop on my lawn or in "open space" in the neighborhood that doesn't belong to any one person. I try my best to keep her on the road as we pass neighbor's homes and only wander off the pavement in open areas. I agree that residue remains and think it's pretty horrible that they're letting the dog poop right in a main traffic area for you. While on occasion I've been unable to stop my dog from pooping or peeing at the street edge of someone's yard as we walk past and I very embarrassedly clean up the best I can, I can't imagine purposely taking them onto the main areas of a neighbor's yard. There's really no excuse for it. My husband is more oblivious and is always letting the dog wander onto the edge of people's yards and I'm always policing him.

If my dog does an accidental poop somewhere, I clean it up and do my very best to make sure the dog is never near that area again. Since dogs like to "return to the scene of the crime" they're guaranteed to want to poop or pee there again and will become a thing.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

I would put a natural dog deterrent in that area if that has become his preferential place to go.

 

[kdonnel]

If they always cleanup I don't see a problem.

I had poop appearing in my yard. I got a camera. When I saw who's dog was pooping I started returning it, figuring they must have just forgotten and surely wanted it back. I would scoop it up and deposit what they forgot on their front porch.

Rather quickly they started cleaning up after their dog and have done so ever since.

 

[Christine]

If they always cleanup I don't see a problem.

I had poop appearing in my yard. I got a camera. When I saw who's dog was pooping I started returning it, figuring they must have just forgotten and surely wanted it back. I would scoop it up and deposit what they forgot on their front porch.

Rather quickly they started cleaning up after their dog and have done so ever since.

I think they stated that even though the owners are picking it up, there's a sense that it's not fully being picked up. Depending on the consistency of your dog's stool, it can be tough to get it off every blade of grass. I've got two dogs myself and one of them does not have a solid "drop" and it gets kind of hard for me to get it all. I get 98% of it so there's still some left. If the dog does this every day in the same area where they go to ge into their car, the concern is they are somewhat stepping in the residue.

 

[kdonnel]

I think they stated that even though the owners are picking it up, there's a sense that it's not fully being picked up. Depending on the consistency of your dog's stool, it can be tough to get it off every blade of grass. I've got two dogs myself and one of them does not have a solid "drop" and it gets kind of hard for me to get it all. I get 98% of it so there's still some left. If the dog does this every day in the same area where they go to ge into their car, the concern is they are somewhat stepping in the residue.

I understood that, I would not have a problem.

 

[ffindis]

I would not complain as long as they consistently cleaned it up. There are so many irresponsible dog owners that I would just appreciate the ones that are being responsible.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I understood that, I would not have a problem.

It would bother me if the odor got in my house or car from my feet.

 

[Dentam]

I would let it go. There are so many people who don't pick up after their dogs that I would appreciate that they do... also, I think I would feel really awkward letting someone know that I'd been watching them on my security camera.

 

[tvguy]

I'd let the HOA deal with it.

 

[Lilsia]

Yes, this would bother me very much. I hate the smell of dog poop, it makes me sick. I have a heightened sense of smell, it is one of the smells that really gets to me. Plus I would not want to have to step in that area every day and risk bringing it into the house. I think that it is beyond rude that people let their dogs go in other people's yards, especially in areas that they use, like the edge of the driveway. People do that because they themselves don't want to have to step in it. I would definitely ask them to stop letting the dog go in your area. It's not like that is the only place that the dog can go, so it shouldn't be an issue for them to keep the dog in their area.

 

[Timandalicia]

Would this bother you? If so, what would you do?
We live in a small townhome community. Many people in here have small dogs and they walk them on leashes. The only places for them to go poo is in people’s yards and the big courtyard. Most are responsible and pick it up. No big deal. If they do let them go in our yard, which is very rarely, it is normally right inside the grass by the road, not somewhere we regularly walk.
We live in the middle unit of three units. Our next door neighbor just had his niece and her daughters to move in with him about 6 months ago. Seem like nice people. About two or three times a week, one of the girls or mom will bring their dog out and let it go poo in our yard. Our yard is approximately 10’ x 12’, very small. He has a favorite place…right beside the passenger side door of the car that sits in the driveway. They always clean it up. They have a much bigger yard because they are an end unit and it is easily accessible from their front door. They could also take him out back which is common ground. I guess technically it is all common ground but the back yards all connect continuously but our front yards are separated by the driveways. They only do it when we are at work. We only know because we have a doorbell camera. It really bothers me because I have to walk right through the area to get in the car if we are driving that car, and the fact that they have their own yard to let him go in. Part of me says to let it go because they clean it up, but part of me says, ”but they have their own yard and I am dragging dog poo germs into my car.” I know that shoes take germs from everywhere but just knowing they are definitely there bothers me. The only one I have seen walking him is the uncle. He never brings it into our yard. If you wouldn‘t like them letting him go in your yard, what would you do? I hate to say anything because I don’t want to alienate them. Is there a nice way to do/say it so it doesn’t sound mean or like I’m just being a fussy neighbor…or maybe I AM just being a fussy neighbor. I may just continue letting it go. I had thought about telling them that we just put weed and feed down and didn’t want it to hurt the dog. The only thing about that is that it would sound like we are okay with him going later. Right now, they don’t even know that we know they are bringing him to our yard. Let it go, or do/say something?

I only read your first and last sentences, so really I’m just going off of the length of your post- you better say something or it’s going to drive you nuts

 

[anniemae]

It would bother me too. If it happens when you are home, I would go outside when you see them approaching, or open your front door or something. That would probably be enough to make them move along. Since they seem to only do it when you are not home, I think the sign saying something about a camera would work.

 

[Sinder]

You can just say that you notice that their dog is pooping in your yard and that even though they clean it up you would appreciate it if they didn’t let the dog go there.
Approach them in a friendly way, maybe even make a joke about it or something. That way they won’t feel the need to get defensive and compative.