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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should the gardener pick up the dog poo as part of their 'duties'?

172 replies

SicSay · 26/08/2018 20:15

My DH works part time as a gardener for a couple of wealthy people with large houses and gardens - he does each of them alternatively every other week. This has been a good arrangement for the past few years and works well with us as the rest of the time he takes care of our small farm and woodland. the farm does not make enough for it to be full time work but with this extra work it works all round. The properties are close, so he can pop down check animals etc and we've always got on well. Recently one of the houses got two big dogs. They let the dogs run free in the garden and I don't regularly walk them, just let them out in the garden to play (their admission). They now expect DH as part of normal gardening duties to pick up the two weeks worth of dog poo on each visit? They think he is being unreasonable in refusing, he thinks they are being unreasonable in asking. The arrangement does work really well in terms of the other parts of our life, but I agree with DH that this is more than a bit much and not the gardeners role! What do others think?

OP posts:
Freezingheart · 26/08/2018 20:27

Absolutely not. Several weeks worth? No, and that’s just grim

sexnotgender · 26/08/2018 20:30

Lazy sods! Your husband should not have to pick up after their dogs.

My dog poos 2/3 times a day, that possibly 80 piles of shit in 2 weeks with 2 dogsConfused

AfterSchoolWorry · 26/08/2018 20:30

That's so gross. He is definitely not unreasonable to refuse. The gardens will be disgusting with two weeks of poo there.

hendal · 26/08/2018 20:31

No way!
As a dog owner there is NO way I’d expected a gardener to clean up after my dog (there is also no way would I also leave dog mess out in my garden for days/weeks at a time - gross and totally lazy! ).

It’s not his job to do. It’s the least pleasant aspect of dog ownership but one that is 100% the responsibility of the dogs owner.

kaytee87 · 26/08/2018 20:33

God I can hardly even get our gardener to do the weeding!

No, he should not be picking up after their dogs! They'll be asking him to walk them next. CF'ers

GandalfsWrinklyHat · 26/08/2018 20:35

No!

Let them go as clients. They won’t find a gardener willing to do this. They’ll soon see how ridiculous they are being.

QueenCity · 26/08/2018 20:38

That's disgusting and your husband should tell them so. I dread to think what their house is like. The dogs will be stepping in their poo and treading it into the house.

intuition · 26/08/2018 20:39

My gardeners are Portuguese and do pick up poo! I normally pick up but occasionally they will arrive early or I'm busy and forgotten what day it is. They have no problem with it!!

SicSay · 26/08/2018 20:39

Thanks all, I just showed this thread to my DH - he feels much happier in his view on this now! He has been so good at doing all the bits and bobs that they've asked for previously - but this has crossed the line! He's texting them back now!

OP posts:
shoofly · 26/08/2018 20:40

No! Absolutely no way! We rented for a year between selling old house and buying new one. Unfortunately the rental house gardens had been used as local dog loo for a number of years which drove me demented. I put down cayenne pepper, lion poo, water pistols,phoned dog warden, followed dogs home and complained bitterly to owners, poo picked daily. Lovely bloke who cut grass mentioned politely that he'd had 3 lots of dog crap to deal with (I'd already been out an hour before he came). I was mortified and hated those bloody neighbours. Definitely not a job for a gardener

Applesandpears23 · 26/08/2018 20:40

Do they not use their gardens at all? The smell! Maybe picking up one or two if they had been left that day and the owner is out.

kaytee87 · 26/08/2018 20:41

@intuition I'm assuming you don't deliberately leave 2 weeks worth of poo from 2 big dogs for them to pick up though?

That could be easily 50 poos 😷

Everyoneiswingingit · 26/08/2018 20:42

No.

kaytee87 · 26/08/2018 20:42

Not sure why them being Portuguese matters either 😂😂

Tartsamazeballs · 26/08/2018 20:42

I used to work as a gardener, if we had to remove dog shit we charged a £5-15 surcharge depending on the amount/whether the customer was visually or mobility impaired.

isadoradancing123 · 26/08/2018 20:43

Absolutely not, no way

MissingPanda · 26/08/2018 20:43

Dog poo is the responsibility of dog owners. YANBU

ladydickisathingapparently · 26/08/2018 20:43

No! Any more than I would expect a cleaner to clean an unflushed toilet.

PolkaDoting · 26/08/2018 20:43

Nope. Definitely not!

Siarie · 26/08/2018 20:43

No I wouldn’t ask my gardener to do that ever, Confused

BeenThereDone · 26/08/2018 20:43

They are leaving the dog mess for two weeks?? That is rank 🤮

bobstersmum · 26/08/2018 20:45

Dog shit that is left in the rain goes to mush and is impossible to clean up so for that reason alone I wouldn't do it. Why can't they pick up the poo?

Pippylou · 26/08/2018 20:47

Nope, if they're let out a lot, they'll do a tonne of poo. I have dogs and prefer them to go in my garden than elsewhere and it's loads if they get to free range.

Would never expect a gardener to pick it up.

LeftRightCentre · 26/08/2018 20:47

NFW! He'll find new clients. He doesn't have a contract with them, then he can just tell them, 'I won't be able to look after your garden anymore. Sorry.' And see how far they get. Lazy twats.

harshbuttrue1980 · 26/08/2018 20:48

No way. Gardeners and cleaners shouldn't have to deal with poo of any sort - it is basic respect to not expect anyone to clean the poo of you, your family or your pets - except of course if elderly or disabled, and even then it should be a negotiated part of the job.