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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask dog walkers to be considerate

209 replies

hestialou · 15/04/2015 08:33

I have a garden to the side of house and people seem to think it is fine to allow their dogs to do their business in it, i asked one dog owner to not allow his dog on garden his response -but I'll clean it up, fine but why cant they clean it up off their own gardens or even clean up off pavement....why allow dog to go in someone elses garden in first place?

OP posts:
SisterJulienne · 15/04/2015 14:42

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Reginafalangie · 15/04/2015 14:42

No I was comparing what lowers quality of life

SisterJulienne · 15/04/2015 14:44

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Reginafalangie · 15/04/2015 14:45

Fox shit is awful. Stinks worse than any dog or cat crap. My old jack russell used to love rolling in it.
I hate any kind of excrement but I just can't get that upset about animal crap and I cannot blame every pet owner in the world ever just because some of them don't clean up after their pets.

Owllady · 15/04/2015 14:46

Where we used to live there was a back alleyway that kept getting covered in poo. My neighbour blamed me (God knows why as I rarely used it) as we had two dogs. It went on for ages, notices, environmental health involved etc.
In the end it was sent off for sampling and yep, it was not from a dog at all
We never did find out which neighbour it actually was but I felt sorry for the terrace that was overlooking the alleyway if someone was doing so much business up there

Sorry I've gone off topic Blush

Op, I have a dog and would be annoyed if this happened to me fwiw. It's not difficult to keep your dog off someone's garden

Reginafalangie · 15/04/2015 14:46

Why did you have to spend 2 hours cleaning up poo? And why didn't you wear gloves?

nickersinaknot · 15/04/2015 14:48

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SirChenjin · 15/04/2015 14:52

Why are you asking sister specifically to come up with a solution?

MehsMum · 15/04/2015 14:59

To go back a page:
Dog ownership is a lifestyle choice which lowers quality of living for those who have to use pavements or choose to use public parks and other community areas
How about irresponsible dog ownership being the problem? Because well-behaved dogs with sensible owners are not usually an issue.

Besides, NOT having a dog would lower my quality of life. I deal with the shit my dogs produce, I call them in when a bike approaches, I don't let them bound up to strangers. And I deal with the 'lifestyle choices' that lower my quality of life - loud motorbikes tearing past at midnight, litter strewn in the hedgerows, football matches cluttering up the playing fields when I want to run my dogs across them (How very dare they! Taking up all that public open space!) But... well, you know, live and let live.

The owners letting their dogs crap in someone else's garden are totally out of order, but to proceed from that to dog-owning being a lifestyle choice which ruins things for everyone else is a bit of a leap.

SisterJulienne · 15/04/2015 15:03

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SirChenjin · 15/04/2015 15:09

Totally agree meh. Responsible dog owners with well trained, well behaved dogs make everyone's lives so much nicer (like all kinds of considerate behaviour). It's great when you're out and about and you're not having to watch your step for dog poo, when your kids can play in the swingpark without having to worry about dog owners ignoring the 'no dogs' signs as their dog runs madly around the place, or when a dog simply ignores you and walks past - or the owner calls it to heel, puts it on the lead or makes it sit as you go by (I always say thank you).

nickersinaknot · 15/04/2015 15:13

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MehsMum · 15/04/2015 15:13

Julienne, I agree, that's gross, and I hated having to do the same when my Dc were little and walked the stuff into the house.

But your earlier post did sound as if it blamed all dog owners, since dog owning in general was what you said lowered your quality of life. Given the number of times I have kicked somebody else's dog's shit into the bushes, or even bagged and binned it, I was a little narked to be tarred with that brush.

Plenty of dog-owners get thoroughly pissed off with the irresponsible minority who don't pick up or bury what their dogs produce: they get the rest of us a bad name and convince plenty of otherwise reasonable people that dogs are a Bad Thing.

Reginafalangie · 15/04/2015 15:16

Victim blame!! Shock

Really you think this is what we are doing?

I am sorry you suffer from a skin condition which was aggravated by A dog owner not cleaning up after their pet. However you are holding all dog owners responsible for that. I mean it must have been a pretty

You are vilifying all dog owners and frankly you are very over dramatic which is making it difficult for me to carry on this discussion with you.

Reginafalangie · 15/04/2015 15:18
  • pretty big mess for you child to spread it in so many places without you noticing.........was the end of that sentance.
nickersinaknot · 15/04/2015 15:18

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SisterJulienne · 15/04/2015 15:18

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SirChenjin · 15/04/2015 15:22

It is hard Sister - the way I try and think of it is that there will be a very small number of local dog owners who don't pick up. If they are walking their dog twice a day along the same route then that turd carpet will very quickly cover the ground - thanks to a few inconsiderate a-holes.

MehsMum · 15/04/2015 15:24

Well, Julienne, you don't live where I live, where I reckon 90% clear up. No an especially naice area: just normal.

Interestingly, forensic turdology over the years indicates that the ones most likely to pick up are those who walk their dogs all year round, come rain, shine or horizontal sleet. In the spring, suddenly, the path from the car park at the woods is strewn with a whole selection of little parcels, when dogs who are never seen from Oct-March inclusive are suddenly taken out again.

Anyway, have to walk dogs.

SirChenjin · 15/04/2015 15:24

Oh - and frankly, you are not coming across as very over dramatic, just pissed off. Which is understandable, if there are a significant number of said inconsiderate a-holes living near you.

PeeNoMore · 15/04/2015 15:26

YANBU at all and I'm amazed that the man was anything other than totally apologetic - as I would be in his shoes. A fence would help but the onus is on the dog owner to control their animal IMO.

I started a similar thread in chat recently about how to deter dogs from peeing outside our gate. No problem with the pee but as others said upthread once a dog makes it a habit it attracts other dogs to do their business there too and we had a dog poo right outside our gate.

From tips on the thread and online I have found that throwing a bit of bio washing liquid in hot water on the spot seems to get rid of the attractive 'other dogs hang out here' scent. Then vinegar and lime juice in hot water apparently act as a deterrent. I have been using this and have had no more poos outside our back gate - hope it stays this way! There are more hardcore methods but some of them seem cruel and I would avoid them unless I had to use them. I did put chilli down one day but haven't bothered since as the vinegar seems to be doing the trick.

Reginafalangie · 15/04/2015 15:30

Sorry but I am having difficulty understanding how did you not notice/smell dog poo on your toddlers shoes when you put her in the car seat?? Ya know given how smeary and stinky it is Hmm

End of the day dog mess is horrid and all owners should clean up. They don't and it is left to those who innocently step in it to deal with it. That is wrong but not all dog owners fault. If the problem is so bad in your area make a plea to the local council, alert the local paper, start a petition but please do not blame all dog owners.

tomatodizzymum · 15/04/2015 15:33

I am a dog owner. I sympathise, I hate dog shit everywhere, I feel for the dogs (who based on my experience of dogs) don't actually like shitting everywhere. It's one (of many) things that make me glad I left London.

If someone hates dog owners and dogs then I can totally get that, when I was having to avoid several steamy piles every day, I was not warming to dog owners either. Did I blame individuals, no, impossible. Do I get ofended when someone feels that way? NO, that's their right to their opinion and I don't feel tarred with that brush either, because I know I'm not 'one of those' dog owners that is making them feel that way.

Now I'm off to clean my dog because he's just come in and he smells like horseshit! That's a beast that doesn't mind shitting everywhere!

When it comes to drama, it's only drama if you don't agree or can't see the other persons point of you. To them it's not a drama it's an issue.

tomatodizzymum · 15/04/2015 15:33

point of VIEW

Reginafalangie · 15/04/2015 15:36

I totally get why Sister hates it. I see how disgusting it but it is the dramatic use of the language "lowering quality of life" and "victim blaming" that I find over the top in this situation.