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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not to want a stranger's dog to crap in our garden every day?

104 replies

sleeponeday · 15/08/2017 17:38

So, in our new house we have a lovely local who lets their dog into our front garden every workday to take a crap between 6.30 and 8.30 am. They open the gate in order to do so - very quietly. It's absolute It was obviously going on for a while before we moved in (house was empty at least a couple of months prior) to judge by the amount of shit. Chilli powder on the stones (a local dog breeder suggested that this might stop the dog being willing to get into the garden at all, without harming them) isn't working, and nor are sleigh bells on the gate. Any suggestions on what we can do to deter this animal? And I do not mean the poor dog.

OP posts:
greatbigwho · 15/08/2017 18:42

I used to have a rape alarm that was a small box with a pin on a cord that triggered the alarm when it was pulled out. Could you put one of those on you gate so when it was opened it triggers it?

Original poster
sleeponeday · 15/08/2017 18:43

Joinour the neighbours warned us to shut the gate when we moved in, on the poo basis. It's a known issue and shutting the gate worked for the others - and cats wouldn't stop pooing at weekends, really, either, or work to a schedule of that kind. I think it's as simple as the dog getting used to our garden while the house was empty, and the owner (who is, by definition, a lazy fucker) doesn't want to wait for them to crap. If they're very used to our garden as the poo space then Pavlovian response has probably kicked in.

Thanks so much for the padlock-from-6.30-until-8.30 suggestion, and the Jeyes fluid - that is also a genius tip; DH is now home so will pop to Homebase and buy some, and treat accordingly. Think those will be the way forward for now, with motion sensors to alert us if all else fails/they get up earlier.

Kids can't deal with my handling this first thing. Eldest is autistic and suffers severe anxiety - he could get massively hung up on this situation if we let him.

I'm probably paranoid after working for a neighbourhood mediation charity a few years ago, but I would be very wary about escalating this. Someone capable of it is not going to have good boundaries or much concern for other people'. Poking that stick is less sensible as first recourse than trying to deter the dog to begin with.

But if we do need to confront we will be recording the conversation on my phone. So will update accordingly. I'm very much hoping it never needs to come to that, though. I just doubt this person is going to be especially reasonable, and as this is a civil and not a criminal matter, formal avenues to stop it would be expensive and not necessarily that effective. Think we will have better luck if we can deter the dog.

OP posts:
Brittbugs80 · 15/08/2017 18:45

Get a nest cam. They send a message with image to your phone once someone or something enters the boundary line you can preset on the camera.

You could then get to the door or window while they are on the middle of the act and ask them or print stills, take them round and say you will be going to the Police if this doesn't stop?

Brittbugs80 · 15/08/2017 18:46

And the nest cam also records sounds and conversation. You can also talk to someone through the camera

Brittbugs80 · 15/08/2017 18:47

And the nest cam also records sounds and conversation. You can also talk to someone through the camera

BMW6 · 15/08/2017 18:48

Oh I'd be watching like a hawk then follow them to find out where they live. Use mobile to film them red handed.
Then I'd gather up all the shit from my garden and anywhere else and put it all over their path or doorstep.

aaaaargghhhhelpme · 15/08/2017 18:49

Ah op. There are some excellent suggestions here I can't add anything to. Just wanted to add my sympathy. hope the jeyes and padlock work out Flowers

tararabumdeay · 15/08/2017 18:50

Our neighbor's sad old lab used to crap on our front garden all the time. The silly woman denied it was her dog even when it was crapping there in front of us.

We pay for our lawn to be mowed and trimmed but our gardeners refused to do it because of the manky cur's crap.

Dog is dead now. If it had gone on longer than the 'It's not my dog.'
'Yes it is, it's crapping there now.'
the neighbour would have had a dog shit postal delivery every day.

The cheek of some people!

Original poster
sleeponeday · 15/08/2017 18:54

Thanks, aaaaargghh. It's such a gorgeous house, too! In every other way it's perfect. If we can sort this poocopalypse out, all will be fab.

Some really excellent suggestions here. MN can be fab in a crisis. And also when it's just, literally, a shitty situation. Grin Thanks, you lovely lot of vipers.

OP posts:
QuartzUcan · 15/08/2017 18:56

Sympathies! I hope you manage to get this sorted OP.

user1497557435 · 15/08/2017 18:58

What's a nest cam?

SaucyJack · 15/08/2017 19:07

Film them, and then post the video to your local FB group. Print pictures off from the video and post them through the doors of any neighbours who may not be in the FB demographic.

BzyB · 15/08/2017 19:10

Haven't read whole thread, but phone set to record out the window, screen shot them letting their dog in and put posters of it up around the neighbourhood?
Might backfire....

May09Bump · 15/08/2017 19:11

put a sign up saying weedkiller / rat poison on grass - deadly to pets up.

Brittbugs80 · 15/08/2017 19:17

What's a nest cam?

It's a small security camera you can install on your property. It's a one off payment or you can pay for the subscription service which keeps the data it records.

It doesn't look like a camera either so it's not obvious what it is at first.

RaptorInaPorkPieHat · 15/08/2017 19:18

My dad had this issue (open plan front garden though).

He solved it by lining up some water balloons on his bedroom windowsill and then lobbing them at the owner (not the dog) when he caught them in the act.

Very successful (but not particularly friendly Grin )

Hope you sort it Flowers

AlexaAmbidextra · 15/08/2017 19:23

Do what I did. Covertly follow dog walker home then put a plastic bag full of their dog's shit through their letterbox.

Kickhiminthenuts · 15/08/2017 19:30

I've seen motion sensing water sprinklers before mentioned on these kind of posts.

lifeinthecountry · 15/08/2017 19:30

Is it possible it's quite a large dog and jumping in the garden itself? They may be just letting it out to wander. I ask because a few days ago I found a strange dog crapping on my lawn. It scarpered when it saw me and leapt over my fairly high gate as if it was nothing. No owner in sight.

ScissorBow · 15/08/2017 19:30

Love that Alexa

randomer · 15/08/2017 20:10

Have you had a word with the owner (with a witness present)

Ekphrasis · 15/08/2017 20:52

Sorry if already suggested but you can get this inaudible (to us) noise maker that makes a whine in a pitch various animals hate (different settings). Dh got it off Amazon. We had similar and that put a stop to it. Ran on batteries and sat in garden. (Sadly batteries have now leaked and I can't get it to work as recently found more dog poo).

TroelsLovesSquinkies · 15/08/2017 21:18

I'm placemarking to see if they come back tomorrow.
I'd put the kids in the front windows and tell them we are spying and watching for a dog coming to the garden. If they see it they have to tell you quick and they will get a prize.

elfinpre · 16/08/2017 02:30

Please don't use Jeyes fluid. It is harmful to pets.

FreudianSlurp · 16/08/2017 02:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.