AIBU to not clear up after my dog?

[NormalityBites]

There's a sign on a gate on the next street to me which tells dog owners they have to clean up their dogs URINE on the hedge next to the gate (apparently the dogs have a liking for the hedge specifically) because the owner has children who play in the garden and it's extremely unhygenic and dangerous. (That's what it says)

Granted I have a particularly dense old dog who tends to stop DEAD and do his business the INSTANT he feels the need (including when you're in the middle of the road ) and there's no stopping him....you can pull him on and he'll waddle along still doing it until he has finished which makes even more of a mess....!

But I don't see how I can clean up dog urine? Or stop him from urinating on the hedge? I can drag him away from the hedge but he will wee all the way. I can't really avoid walking past the hedge. I live in fear of him weeing on it and the home owner coming out.

I'm not advocating for dog urine as an attractive or beautifully scented liquid, I know it's pretty yuck. But surely a large amount of gardens, parks....wherever up and down the country are regularly doused in the amber nectar. Including my own garden. Where children play!

AIBU not to hover under my dog with a plastic bottle and rubber glove every time we go out? Or perhaps a mop and bucket?

Frankly it sounds ridiculous! Do they also have signs telling the birds not to shit in their trees?

(am not a dog owner)

I find dogs fouling public places utterly disgusting and horrible and it makes me want to scream incoherently at the people who don't clear it up.

In this situation, however, I think the people who put the sign up are fighting a losing battle ... you could walk your dog on the other side but I can't imagine that squirting water over it all will do much good, frankly. It's one of those 'beyond your control' situations.

but unlike with dogs there's no law stating that birds must be under your control at all times when in public spaces

So what is the point of the sign-writer not 'allowing' dog urine on the outside of their hedge when their entire garden is likely to be 'contaminated' with urine/faeces from birds and/or cats, foxes, squirrels, hedgehogs, rats, mice, you name it? It's ridiculous.

Can't you cross the road to avoid walking by the hedge?

can't you get your dog to wee in your garden before you start its walk? I wouldnt want a dog weeing/crapping on my garden, thats why I dont own one.

midori - I don't accept cats crapping in my garden (not insinuating you accept it, btw)

Don't cats use litter trays? I hate finding cat shit in my garden, usually lightly buried by the border plants.

I really don't want my children getting it on them. I like cats but why can't they crap at home?

midori "you'll have to suck it up"
that was unfortunately worded.

Well it depends really. Ordinarily I'd say that they were being precious, but I can imagine it's not very nice if you've got a hedge that's regularly used as a pee-mail drop for all the local dogs. It DOES smell.

Would it kill you to avoid that particular hedge?

YABU you shouldn't let your dog wee on other peoples gardens

I have no idea how you'd clean dog wee off leaves! But maybe just give the hedge a wide berth. I can understand how it would be a bit irritating!

Brian - Yes of course the dog can wee first. However, it's an almost never ending supply for marking as they go.

If we didn't have a culture to own and regulate dogs they'd be wild and pissing everywhere anyway. It's a stupid argument.

And it's the OUTSIDE of other people's gardens, on the public highway.

People do allow their dogs to use my garden hedge, which is ornamental and mixed.
If it bothered me, I'd use a spray, or pepper etc, but nothing's died yet.
Drink cans, crisp packets etc are much worse than dog wee, imo.

Yes, at my old house I used to get a can of Special Brew shoved in my box hedge weekly!

Dog wee, hell, its part of suburban life. People should get over it they really should.

I dont have a dog so no axe to grind, but I wouldn't bat an eyelid.

As for the "please clean wee off children play" thing, if that is the real reason they want people to clean the wee off, that's crazy, does this mean they actually trust it will be cleaned off and will let their children play hide and seek in the bush? Naive.

I reckon they are dog haters and get twitchy and territorial when they see people allowing their dogs to wee and think a sign will deter it altogether because, like the OP says, how do you clean dog wee? Its token efforts to show willing, that's about all you can do really.

They must be short of worries.

I can kind of understand the thought process behind the sign and i do try to prevent my dog from marking peoples property ,but the unhygenic bit is a tiny bit precious ,outside is unhygenic for goodness sake ,there is tetanus in siol ,legionella spores in compost , poo and wee from all many of beasties in everyones gardens .If i were the hedge owner i would just go out on non rainy days and sluice the hedge bottem with dettol if i felt so strongly about it .

I have a hedge all around my garden that's a popular stopping-point for dogs marking territory. I've never noticed it smelling of piss. And I don't think you could clean it up effectively unless you had a bloody great hose trailing along behind you.

OFGS seriously?

If people have enough spare time to put up signs about things like this...get a life etc.

Also, disinfectant will kill a hedge faster than dog wee.

Dogs whose pee is a force of pure evil have somehow managed to kill the lower branches of a box hedge I have close to the path. They all have to pee in the same spot too, so the same sorry branches (now all brown and dead) get it every single time. When I plant annuals nearby in the spring I am overwhelmed by the stench of dog pee.

I like dogs and some things an owner has no control over, but you could bring a bottle of water and try to rinse it off a bit. Would hardly be very effective though really.

I'm far more annoyed at people who leave dog poo behind. That is unforgivable.

Be a responsible dog owner. This means you should stop thinking it's appropriate behaviour for a pet to piss on someone else's property. The fact that you're asking this even after they've put up a note is frankly astonishing.

The hedge isn't on her property it's overlapping onto the pathway which is a public pathway. Am I the only person who read that post? Had the dog owner let the dog go into the garden, it would be a different story however they are on the path. I've had dog crap on my door step which the dog walker would have had to open the gate and let the dog in, just a little perspective.

I'm really surprised by some people who think dog owners have intimate control over their dogs movements as in when and where they urinate. I'd be like me being annoyed at the fact someones child soiled their nappy while at my house and telling them they should control their child. As far as I'm aware the only person I can control is me.

What? Dogs can't wee on hedges which are on the pavement? Most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

Those people can put up all the signs they want, but since you're on a footpath and not on her property, there's no good reason why you shold pay the slightest bit of attention!

I'm frankly amazed by all the posters on here thinking dogs shouldn't wee anywhere. Dog wee doesn't smell, it gets washed away by the inevitable rain and there are wild critters peeing everywhere all the time anyway!

FFS......

I can understand people trying to stop dogs weeing on a plant or hedge where it will kill it. A bush died in my garden because the foxes regularly weed on it - couldn't stop them. But from a hygiene point of view this is crazy. There will be far more unhygienic germs in the soil.

Of course you can stop a dog weeing somewhere by walking a different route. But getting your dog to wee before a walk will only reduce the amount of wee, not prevent it. All dogs keep some urine back in their bladder for scenting and marking.

I had an old dog who recently died, and I sympathise with the OP who said if she tried to pull her dog away he just carries on weeing or pooing. My dog, as he got old did this and it makes a far worse mess than just letting them finish.