Please explain the "rules" of dogs/walking/peeing and neighbors' property

[Anonymous]

I didn't put this in the "Pets" subsection b/c it's really more of a neighborhood/community question.

I am not a dog owner, so I don't know what the standards are. We have an older man in the neighborhood whom we have always been pleasant with when we see him. I don't know his name, but he frequently walks his dog (seems like it is a younger black lab maybe -- not full grown) on the sidewalks. He tends to let his dog roam on the various owners' property. I don't really have a problem with this b/c dogs want to explore, right? As long as the dog is on a leash, he can sniff around my flowers or grass.

My problem is that he lets his dog pee on our lawn. My handyman saw it and commented on it yesterday. So, when I saw the man and his dog today, I watched, and sure enough, the dog came to the middle of our lawn and peed. I went outside and said "sir, could I ask that you not let your dog pee on our lawn." And he immediately resisted saying, "oh, so I should keep him off of your lawn, but he can pee on everyone else's lawn?" (or something close to that -- suggesting that I was increasing the burden on other lawns by restricting his access to my lawn. And I said that the pee is acidic and can kill the grass, and again he argued with me about asking if he was supposed to remember that JUST MY LAWN was the one his dog couldn't pee on... etc. I said, well, we recently found dog poop on our lawn as well. He said it wasn't his, etc. (maybe it wasn't). Ultimately, he was miffed that I asked for him to keep his dog off our property. (FWIW, there is a little strip of grass b/t the sidewalk and the street and I presume most people let their dogs pee there on all the mailboxes -- b/c the paint at the bottom of all the mailboxes gets stripped off from it.)

Anyway -- what is the usual practice for dog owners in regards to neighbors' lawns?

[Anonymous]

Dog poops, you clean it up. Dog pees - the grass is a little greener in a few days.

[Anonymous]

Yes, dogs can pee on anybody's lawn. FFS this is what you worry about all day long.

[Anonymous]

There is no standard practice.

As an owner I try to ensure my dogs finish their business before the walk, but they love to mark places.

- I always pick up #2.
- I keep the leash tight enough to pull them away from actual yards, using the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street when possible for #1.
- It's near impossible to stop a dog from marking favorite trees, mailboxes, and poles. Once one dog marks it, all the other join in.

[Anonymous]

Just put a sign up on your lawn that says it was recently sprayed with bug killer which can be toxic to dogs. That’ll keep the old bastard and his annoying dog away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dog poops, you clean it up. Dog pees - the grass is a little greener in a few days.

Dog pee = yellow spots in yard

Dog poop left long enough = yard may become greener

[Anonymous]

I am a dog owner, and I do try to keep my dog off of people's lawns, and of course pick up poop. I will say though that my dog is a boy, and he lifts his leg about 100 times per walk, and after the first couple times, nothing is really coming out. I still don't let him run into the middle of someone's yard to do it because anyone watching doesn't know what, but just saying.

Also, I have a question about this - I was once yelled at by a woman because my dog pooped on the patch of grass between the sidewalk and the curb (so not really her yard, but I'm not really sure if that's technically private property or not.) I picked it up but it was a whole ordeal because I was actually wearing headphones, and she apparently called to me from her car and thought I was ignoring her. I just apologized and said I wouldn't let him but curious to get other's opinions.

[Anonymous]

Our dogs have “aged out” (ie. passed on), but we taught them to urinate/defecate in our yard BEFORE we went on walks. I found/find it rude when people don’t want to mess up their own yard, but take their dogs out to someone else’s yard.

As our one dog got older (over 10), he used to need to “go” during walks. He was trained to go on the sidewalk or on the boulevard. We always brought extra water and if he did pee, at least put a bottle of water over it.

Dogs should also be on leash and not roaming yards. This is as much for their own safety as kindness and concern to neighbours.

Unfortunately, some dog owners, like some parents, and ultimately, like some humans, can only see life through what is best and easiest for them.

[Anonymous]

I have two dogs, OP. I would never allow them to pee on someone else’s lawn. It kills the grass. They pee in our back yard. Or on walks, on the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the road. Your neighbor is an inconsiderate dog owner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no standard practice.

As an owner I try to ensure my dogs finish their business before the walk, but they love to mark places.

- I always pick up #2.
- I keep the leash tight enough to pull them away from actual yards, using the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street when possible for #1.
- It's near impossible to stop a dog from marking favorite trees, mailboxes, and poles. Once one dog marks it, all the other join in.

This is exactly why people don't want dogs peeing on their lawn. Because then EVERY other dog that comes by needs to pee on it too.

I think it's well within a property owners rights to say "please keep your dog's piss off my property". If you own a dog, this is just part of the deal. If you don't like it, don't get a dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a dog owner, and I do try to keep my dog off of people's lawns, and of course pick up poop. I will say though that my dog is a boy, and he lifts his leg about 100 times per walk, and after the first couple times, nothing is really coming out. I still don't let him run into the middle of someone's yard to do it because anyone watching doesn't know what, but just saying.

Also, I have a question about this - I was once yelled at by a woman because my dog pooped on the patch of grass between the sidewalk and the curb (so not really her yard, but I'm not really sure if that's technically private property or not.) I picked it up but it was a whole ordeal because I was actually wearing headphones, and she apparently called to me from her car and thought I was ignoring her. I just apologized and said I wouldn't let him but curious to get other's opinions.

OP here. I think it depends on the type of ownership. In our community (subdivision/HOA), that strip is actually owned by the community. So, I wouldn't have a right to tell him not to pee on it. But, if you are in an area that is not an HOA, it might be owned by the home-owner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no standard practice.

As an owner I try to ensure my dogs finish their business before the walk, but they love to mark places.

- I always pick up #2.
- I keep the leash tight enough to pull them away from actual yards, using the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street when possible for #1.
- It's near impossible to stop a dog from marking favorite trees, mailboxes, and poles. Once one dog marks it, all the other join in.

This is exactly why people don't want dogs peeing on their lawn. Because then EVERY other dog that comes by needs to pee on it too.

I think it's well within a property owners rights to say "please keep your dog's piss off my property". If you own a dog, this is just part of the deal. If you don't like it, don't get a dog.

Says a non dog owner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a dog owner, and I do try to keep my dog off of people's lawns, and of course pick up poop. I will say though that my dog is a boy, and he lifts his leg about 100 times per walk, and after the first couple times, nothing is really coming out. I still don't let him run into the middle of someone's yard to do it because anyone watching doesn't know what, but just saying.

Also, I have a question about this - I was once yelled at by a woman because my dog pooped on the patch of grass between the sidewalk and the curb (so not really her yard, but I'm not really sure if that's technically private property or not.) I picked it up but it was a whole ordeal because I was actually wearing headphones, and she apparently called to me from her car and thought I was ignoring her. I just apologized and said I wouldn't let him but curious to get other's opinions.

In Rockville, that patch of grass is still the property owners. Even so, you cannot always control where your dog poos. I just do my best, and try to be a good neighbor.

[Anonymous]

8:43 and 8:44, thank you! As someone who doesn't really like dogs in my space, I appreciate you being considerate dog owners. It actually makes me enjoy dogs more when owners are super conscientious like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no standard practice.

As an owner I try to ensure my dogs finish their business before the walk, but they love to mark places.

- I always pick up #2.
- I keep the leash tight enough to pull them away from actual yards, using the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street when possible for #1.
- It's near impossible to stop a dog from marking favorite trees, mailboxes, and poles. Once one dog marks it, all the other join in.

This is exactly why people don't want dogs peeing on their lawn. Because then EVERY other dog that comes by needs to pee on it too.

I think it's well within a property owners rights to say "please keep your dog's piss off my property". If you own a dog, this is just part of the deal. If you don't like it, don't get a dog.

Just gate your yard and don't let people in unless you know they don't have a dog.

If you can't afford that live with it.