to be pissed off about dog turds/dog owner?

[DiamondDoris]

I'm a leaseholder in a small block of flats. We had a nicely kept communal garden until now... 2 dog turds spotted yesterday and now 2 more today in the same patch of grass. The leasehold rules state quite clearly no pets. The people opposite on my floor have a dog; I've kept quiet about it thinking it was temporary (ie looking after it for someone) but no, it seems to be a permanent fixture. It doesn't bark but I've seen it twice and so have my children - it does look a bit pit-bullish and my kids are scared of dogs. Anyway, that's not the point is it? I'm sure it's them who are allowing their dog to crap everywhere. I've called the management company about the turds but haven't mentioned about the people opposite having a dog - I'm waiting for a meeting of the leaseholders soon to raise it - their landlord probably doesn't know of the dog's existence. I suppose I'm approaching this in a cowardly way but don't want a fight. AIBU to be both annoyed and worried about it?

YANBU-not about the turds or about the fact that they have a dog where you are not supposed to have one.

YAB V R by turning a blind eye to the dog until this happened, it is risky to have a dog where they're not allowed anyway, but if you are going to have one for sakes you clean up the evidence of it!-Disregarding that it is against the law not to.

Regarding the breed, it could be that the dog is totally harmless, and some breeds that look cute as hell can be as harmful as those who look menacing, and vice versa but I wouldn't want to take the risk I would want some reassurance.

If I was you I think I would write them a note express your concerns, stress that you are concerned about the breed, and concerned about the fact that they appear to not be cleaning up after the dog. Make it clear that until the dog mess became an issue you were happy to turn a blind eye, as it were. Keep a copy for yourself if you write a letter-in case you need to escalate the issue to the landlord.

Depending on the response or lack of, I would then go and see them and judge for yourself.

It's healthy for kids to be wary of dogs although being terrified of them isn't-Most dogs will not attack or hurt anybody unless they're given reason to-but nowadays it seems a lot of owners give them reason to or even train them to :(

I would judge a dog on the owner-if these people do not respond to your letter, or respond adversely, I would knock on their door and see how the dog behaves and how the owners behave-is the dog excitable and friendly or is it aggressive, do they discipline it, or frighten it, if It's the latter I would have concerns.

Even if It's the friendliest dog on the planet, though-dog mess can be toxic and they should definitely clean up after it! I have a large dog and I know unless seriously provoked she wouldn't hurt a child or anybody else, but I sure as hell poop scoop!

YANBU to not want them to have a dog when the conditions of the lease prohibit pets.

YABU about the breed, it's very difficult to tell if a dog is a pit-bull and it is likely you are wrong about this. See for example:
stubbydog.org/2011/03/misjudging-mixed-breeds/

YABU to not want your neighbours to have a dog because your children are scared of dogs. The responsible thing for you to do for your children is to help them overcome their fear and be safe around dogs (children who are scared of dogs tend to do all the wrong things, e.g. run, scream, jump, and have trouble understanding dog behaviour).

YANBU to be disgusted by the dog shit, but are you sure it's the neighbours' fault? How long have they had the dog? If it's a while why would they let it go to the toilet in the garden and not pick it up now? Who else has access to the garden?

As for what booboostoo has said I totally agree, put it better than I did regarding being scared of dogs. Being wary (i.e not petting a stranger dog, not hugging and not assuming all dogs want tobe jumped all over, good.Screaming and running away and stuff, not good)! It's not a good thing in life to be scared of dogs.

As for what booboostoo has said I totally agree, put it better than I did regarding being scared of dogs. Being wary (i.e not petting a stranger dog, not hugging and not assuming all dogs want tobe jumped all over, good.Screaming and running away and stuff, not good)! It's not a good thing in life to be scared of dogs.

YANBU.

I wouldn't wait for a meeting, I'd raise it with the ll ASAP. Your responsibility is with your fellow leaseholders, not the tenant that's breaking the rules.

As I've said, I've seen the dog only twice in the space of two weeks or so. My DD saw it about 2 weeks ago when she was in the garden with a woman. The description fits with the woman who lives opposite. According to DD, she (the woman) only spent 5 minutes outside with the dog and then went back up stairs.

It's a pup - I don't know what breed it is, a friend saw it and thought it might be a pitbull - it's a black stocky dog, not quite sure how I'd describe it as I don't know about dog breeds and you may all be right - the dog may be friendly. The dog wasn't on a lead the two times I saw it (it was either going in or out with the owner - may be for just a poo?).

Obviously being scared of a dog is not a reason for not wanting one nearby but I didn't bargain on a dog that may turn out not to be well trained and the owner using the garden as a toilet. And the lease says no pets (that's my biggest gripe).

I'll do a bit more detective work to find out if the dog poo belongs to that dog in question then confront the owner as politely as I can - all residents have access to the garden and the public can enter too - but it's rare I see anyone out there as there are main exits/entrances to the block. The poo area is just outside our back entrance, near a couple of bins - this entrance is my block which has a total of 6 flats - no one else has a dog. The building has 3 blocks in total - hope that makes sense

You're right BrokenSunglasses, I need to raise it with their landlord.

Are you sure that they haven't been granted permission by the management company to have the dog. Its worth checking this.
We bought a flat in February that also had the same rule in the lease - No Pets allowed. We loved the flat but have a dog (labrador so I am not your neighbor OP!!!). There was no way we were rehoming the dog despite loving the flat.
So before we put our offer in we wrote to the management company of the building, said we wanted to buy the flat but that we had a dog (i even asked permission for the hamster to cover myself) so would we be allowed to move in. Management company were fine and really nice about it so we bought the flat and love living here
Naturally as responsible owners and having communal gardens (although we don't let her on these as we back onto fields) we ALWAYS pick up after our dog, even my DS does it.

you should find out who owns the dog who did it , do not assume it was the neighbour if any one can walk past , i dont see what the breed of the dog has got to do with anything, i also would not snitch , apart from the turds which you can find out who is leaving and have a word , its not exactly bothering you in anyway is it.

I am not sure why you would worry the dog won't be well trained. The best time to let dogs off leads is when they are puppies and they are too scared to go too far - great way of teaching them to recall as all you have to do is reward them when they are near you. Do you have any other reason to think the dog will not be socialised and trained?

I haven't seen the woman out and about with the dog, save bringing it in to her flat or coming out with it (two episodes). I haven't seen her out and about with it - we live a minute away from a park and have never seen it there (maybe too young?). As I mentioned earlier, DD saw it in the garden for about 5 minutes while she was playing.

The woman is young about early 20s and lives with her father - I don't see him much, if at all. I just don't get the dog thing, surely their landlord said no pets? They've lived here for about a year, so why a dog now? That's what gives me the impression they won't be reliable dog owners, plus the fact that their dog may be pooing in the garden! There's never been dog poo here before and I've been here for over two years.

Sorry, I sound like a right moany cow and a curtain twitcher, something I'm definitely not

I understand the poo problem. I am a dog owner and I still find it disgusting! I pick up after my own dogs and would ideally like other people to do the same. To find someone else's dog poo in a communal garden where my children play would just be awful - no excuse for it.

However, I think you are running away with some of your ideas. For example, young puppies should not go out a lot until they have had their vaccinations so perhaps that is why you have not seen the puppy a lot. As for the father, I don't know, maybe he doesn't like going out much? Maybe he goes out at times when you are not around?