Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To think people should pick up their dogs poop even in their own garde

50 replies

LadyGardener1 · 13/05/2015 13:02

Dp and I are gardeners. Its astounding the amount of customers who think it is OK to leave their dogs poo for us to go over with the mower and we inevitably stand in it too. We use our car for transport so then have pooey mower in the car. In DPS old job they had to go round any poo so left little tufts of grass everywhere, but we need the custom so can't afford to lose customers.

OP posts:

Signlake · 13/05/2015 13:13

Ugh it makes me feel ill that anyone does this. Dog mess is picked up and bagged immediately in our garden. What if you forget about it and then step in it?!

Notthecarwashagain · 13/05/2015 13:13

YANBU, it's gross.
My dog doesn't poo in the grass, but one summer I accidently ran over a cat poo with my mower and I could almost see the stench- I was gagging!
Poor you, if they know it's there it should be picked up.

As an aside, sorry v cheeky I know, is there a mower you would recommend for a medium garden? I had a flymo for my little tidy garden, but I've got a big untidy one now and the poor lawnmower is going to struggle when I finally get it out
Hope you don't mind me asking

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 13/05/2015 13:14

I do my best, but we have two acres and a fair bit gets missed.

Fudgeface123 · 13/05/2015 13:16

Dirty swines. Our NDN have just moved out and I don't think they picked up a poo EVER in the 2 years they lived there. Landlord had to get someone in to remove it before the garden was tended too.

Disgusting.

Floralnomad · 13/05/2015 13:20

It is disgusting but would it not be better for you to go armed with some poop bags and have a quick wander before you start mowing and bag what you can - then you can leave the bags of poo for them to dispose of . My dog is not allowed on the grass unless he is supervised and so if he does anything it's on the patio and gets picked up and washed down straight away .

Original poster

LadyGardener1 · 13/05/2015 13:20

I'm not really clued up on mowers really, I just know how to push it (dp is the real gardener, I just help) Ours is Macalister from bnq. Seems to do the job nicely. It was about £200 I think (petrol mower)

OP posts:

Collaborate · 13/05/2015 13:21

Maybe you could agree a further service (and charge!) of a dog poo collection? I agree it's absolutely foul.

Original poster

LadyGardener1 · 13/05/2015 13:22

One customer has 2 or 3 shitzhus, 2 weeks worth of poo for 3 dogs...I'd be there all day!

OP posts:

IceBeing · 13/05/2015 13:22

definitely just charge extra per poo. Once you put a monetary value on it people will respond

Notthecarwashagain · 13/05/2015 13:31

Ah thanks LadyG, will have a look at those!

Original poster

LadyGardener1 · 13/05/2015 13:32

Its horrible because its just getting musjed into the grass every time we do it, so they cannot actually enjoy their garden as its just poo. Also another reason I couldn't really pick it up is because the grass is quite long after 2 weeks and you cannot always see it.

OP posts:

OstentatiousBreastfeeder · 13/05/2015 13:33

That's fucking grim.

Why would anyone want shit all over their garden?!

CornChips · 13/05/2015 13:38

My gardeners actually have it in their contract with me that all dog poo is removed by me before they arrive. Sometimes I genuinely miss a few, but 'dog poo pickup day' happens every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays in my house so it is a quick and easy job. (The gardener does not come that often though!).

Can you put it in your contract? I certainly did not object to it.

MagratGarlik · 13/05/2015 13:38

Make it a condition of offering your service - somewhere in the agreement, grass should be cleared of debris and animal faeces, if this debris or faeces has to be cleared, an extra charge of x will be applicable. You'll probably find you only have to apply it once before people respond.

Fwiw, I hate cats that poo in the bushes in our front garden (creating an awful stench near the front door). Apparently there is nothing that can be done though and those cat-deterants are little more than useless!

whitecandles · 13/05/2015 13:41

Disgusting. As a child, our neighbours had a garden full of dog shit. They used to sit out there amongst it and let their kids play there and all.

It used to fascinate me. My parents were fastiduous pickers of poop.

drycoughssuck · 13/05/2015 13:57

I am convinced that most dog owners do this, leave it as late as possible. Every dog owner I ever visit says something like "Oh wait, let me pick up" and then goes out to pick up many many many days worth of poo which they often hunt hard for.

I hope you can get something inserted in the contract.

HamishBamish · 13/05/2015 14:01

Yuck, that's grim! YANBU. Of course they should pick up even in their own garden.

My dad has 2 dogs and quite a large garden. He follows them around with a shovel when they're out. Quite funny, especially first thing in the morning when he's still in his pyjamas!.

JennyOnTheBlocks · 13/05/2015 14:05

can you not lift it yourself instead of going over it with the mower?

i know you want to lay blame at the owner's door, but rather than let the shit hit the very tenuous link fan, you could say 'i'll have to charge an extra half an hour to clear the dog shit' and everyone's a winner

TheEggityOddity · 13/05/2015 14:06

Time to change the contract. Definitely not what I would expect a gardener to have to do! Yuck!

YouMakeMyHeartSmile · 13/05/2015 14:14

drycough I watch like a hawk and pick my dogs up as soon as he does them! Can't stand having poo on the garden (and I have a toddler).

SomewhereIBelong · 13/05/2015 14:26

part of the daily routine of having a dog is picking up the poop in the garden - every day - how could you know there was poop there and not want rid... ours only goes once in the garden - first thing- gets walked later (I pick up then too!)

addstudentdinners2 · 13/05/2015 14:33

YANBU to expect your employers to do this at all, it's gross.

YWBU to expect everyone to do this if they are the only people that use their gardens, surely?

Mrsjayy · 13/05/2015 14:39

Thats gross i leave my dogs poo to cool down but do pick it up i would say to your customer to make sure the garden is clear of dog poo before you come quote health and safety to her.or charge her more for shit shoveling

Original poster

LadyGardener1 · 13/05/2015 14:59

Add student dinners, tbh I think everyone should. My neighbours are new but they don't pick up after their 2 large dogs very often. Come the hot weather I can imagine its going to start smelling pretty bad for me and neighbours on the other side.

OP posts:

addstudentdinners2 · 13/05/2015 15:07

LadyGardener fair do's, hadn't thought of that!

Flip

1 2