So annoyed. Just seen someone walking his dog over my front garden for the second time

[LemonGingerCakes]

And it turns out to be a near neighbour

I thought last time it might have been a mistake (following his dog and getting it back, for example. But no. He walked onto the garden, stood by a window, letting his dog wee!!

It’s a small front garden with no fence, but very little space to put a fence as the path is narrow. I am so angry and not sure how to tackle it. I don’t want to annoy neighbours, but walking over the garden and letting it wee is so disrespectful!

Not even letting it wee on the edge of the grass (I could grudgingly accept that). He walked down my path then across the front of the garden. Now I know where the bald patches have been coming from!

Put a 'private property, no trespassing' sign up. People honestly are that thick.

Put large plant pots with bushes in them at the bottom of the front garden as a sort of barrier it may put him off

Motion sensor loud alarm
Motion activated sprinkler system
Loud hailer, lean out of your upstairs window yelling GET OF MY LAND, PEASANT

Spiky plants in pits where the bald patches are. And stand at the door with your arms crossed once you know hes approaching.

Pee in a bucket, empty it on his garden.

Motion sensor spray, camera and a sign saying CCTV in operation.

Someone near me had someone emptying his dog at the end of her drive so she put a sign up asking them not to do it. Man was caught on camera sticking dog turds on the sign while walking his dog. It made the press.

It’s so disrespectful. We’re on the edge of a development and have a triangular bit of land - it was main house, then garage, but this was converted to a downstairs bedroom/ study. I don’t know how long he's been doing it for, but he was in no rush. The triangular bit is definitely part of our garden. All the houses have no fence because it’s just a public footpath between the gardens and farmland. I’m so angry!!

I live in a council house, not allowed to put up a fence/wall. Often found dog poo in my garden. Installed CCTV recently, it's stopped.....

I went out and asked the guy to stop. He said he could hardly control where his dog defecated. I replied, with a touch of asperity, that it was on a lead so he actually could, by not letting it on my lawn to start with.

He huffed off. I banged the door. Nothing since.

"OI! GET THE FUCK OFF MY GARDEN"

Short but effective.

You need to speak to him and be crystal clear you are not happy.

We have a small front garden that is fully covered in large gravel, no fence as HA.

Next doors cat often sits on the window sill and dogs would lurch across the garden to try and get to her, we'd hear them skitter across the gravel, see cat dart off to behind the water butt and see massive dog paw prints left behind in the gravel.

Sometimes someone would come round the corner with their dog and the dog would go for the cat just as we were leaving the house. A dirty look at the dog walker and going to pick up the cat, give it a hug and tell it 'it's ok, it's just a dog' generally sufficed to make the dog owners keep tighter rein on their dog next time they went past.

Similar tactics seem to be working on the chap who stares through our living room window every time he walks past. Staring back at him with a 'stop looking into our house, nosy' look seems to help. But standing up and walking towards the window from inside while staring back at him seems to have had a bigger effect.

If you see neighbour and dog using your garden you could try going out and giving them a hard stare, works for Paddington bear, and maybe telling them it is your garden and not a public toilet so it is not to be used as one as it is damaging your grass. If he has any conscience the guilt he should feel might stop him letting the dog using it, also if people know someone knows what they are doing they might stop.

If that doesn't work you might need to throw some money at the problem with CCTV, signs warning them off etc.

I agree that you should talk to him directly and tell him to stop. I know a lot of people don’t like confrontation though.

Sprinkler system

(Or a carefully timed bucket from the upstairs window)

I was going to try the line of being shocked and incredulous that he could possibly think to do it. I will tell him outright that he’s not ok do it again, but want to avoid aggression. (I'll easily lose my temper, but am worried about retaliation).

Try and be there when it happens again. Go out, say 'excuse me can you keep off my lawn with your dog please' - no need to lose your temper

Small, unobtrusive white picket fencing?

I was going to try the line of being shocked and incredulous that he could possibly think to do it.

Just tell him. You don't need to be aggressive and the faux shock and awe is just passive-aggressiveness and the message will be lost because of the delivery method. Just tell him not to let his dog urinate on your lawn.

Just say "please stop letting your dog wee on my garden".

Good point . Yes, I should just say that. Haven’t seen him so far today.

We get this all the time OP, the other day a woman had let go of the dog's lead and it was roaming free all over my front garden, she was making no attempt to call it back, just letting it have free rein.
I just opening the front door and and politely but plainly asked if she would NOT let her dog wander all over my garden, incase (as often happens) it decides to do it's business. She just looked at me like I was asking something strange. WTF?