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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours dog shitting on my lawn, fed up.

49 replies

ohshitonit · 10/09/2018 16:54

I've asked before about this but I'm asking again as i'm just so pissed.

There's some flats down the road, 2 separate tenants keep letting their dogs wee and poo on our front lawn, they also do it to another neighbour. Our lawn is yellow and patchy as they have 2 dogs each and they do it 3 or 4 times a day each. I am picking up about 6 or 7 poos a day.

Initially I put them in our bin but i'm so tired, today I've started bagging them up and putting them outside the flats on their car park and I've put "dog shit back to the flats, ta" on the bag.

I don't know WHERE in the flats they live, I know who they are by appearance but they really are aggressive looking, I don't feel safe approaching them.

I've asked our landlord if we can have fences, apparently we can't according to something to do with the house, it's a new build. I've put stones up so that it's quite clearly my front garden. I also put flowers in pots but their dogs weed all over them so they stunk and went yellowy and died.

I could cry, today my son slipped in the shit and I've had to put his shoes in the wash again. I don't want to do all this, I don't have bloody dogs.

I've just emailed the housing association who owns their flats and described them and the dogs, is there anything else I can do?

I don't really want to push our landlord too much as she's very poorly at the moment.

OP posts:
Original poster
ohshitonit · 10/09/2018 16:56

Oh and they're definitely intentionally walking them on our garden, I've seen them standing on the garden until they have done a poo. My husband said something before and the guy got really aggressive and said if he picks up the poo then it's none of our business. But they often leave smears even if they do pick it up, and then put it in my bin.

OP posts:
SpottingTheZebras · 10/09/2018 16:56

How about a water sprinkler that you can turn on when the dogs go near your garden?

OutPinked · 10/09/2018 16:56

Might sound obvious but have you tried dog repellant?

CocoCharlie83 · 10/09/2018 17:02

YANBU to be so upset about it. But it isn't anything to do with your landlord, you have to deal with it.

I don't really know what you can do but I feel for you. Have you every caught them in the act? Is CCTV an option? Tried placing signs in your garden short term until it stops?

Plus how happy would you be if you lived in one of the flats that didn't have a dog and some random lady kept leaving bags of shot about your property. I'd stop doing that if I was you as it is punishing innocent people who haven't done anything to you and you might find that one of the innocent people think he same as you and return to sender.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 10/09/2018 17:03

Bloody irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs shit everywhere. Really gets on my last already very freyed nerve.
I'm not expert but I'm sure dogs are not permitted in flats. Unless the flat is privately owned that is.
Can you also notify Environmental Health.
I appriciate your LL is poorly but with the greatest respect that is not your dealing.
This is becoming a safe guarding issue if your son can't even play in his own garden with out the risk of blinded by dog shite. I don't want to terrify you even more but than is a risk.

Original poster
ohshitonit · 10/09/2018 17:05

I'm not expecting our landlord to deal with it i just mentioned it in case any one suggested we ask her for help. i only asked her about the fence but as i mentioned we aren't allowed.

OP posts:
PositivelyPERF · 10/09/2018 17:07

Get a row of planters, place a post in each planter and secure with cheap stones or sand, cable tie an extending trellis between each planter. You will need to cut off some of the lower part of the trellis to make it fit. It will act as a barrier, but is not in the ground so you shouldn’t be accused of breaking the no fence rule. You can place a planter with a fake shrub, between the odd trellis to break it up, if you want. To make it even less ‘fence like’. You can get fake ivy covered trellis and fake shrubs from B&M, or places like that. You could use two planters, with posts to secure a light weight gate. I dont normally like fake plants, but this way you won’t have dead plants.

Another option is to turn a planter upside down and cable tie the two planters bottom to bottom, so one acts as a stand and that way you keep your flowers higher off the ground and out of reach of pee.

lowtide · 10/09/2018 17:08

Can you get fake obvious (or real) cctv. Have you contacted the police?
This feels like deliberate intimidation.

SpottingTheZebras · 10/09/2018 17:11

Can you report to your council (get video/photographic evidence) for dogs being out of control, intimidating and them not cleaning up after them.

StealthNinjaMum · 10/09/2018 17:13

Have you thought about planting the prickly bushes they recommend to deter burglars? Sorry I don't know any names but you can google them.

keyboardkate · 10/09/2018 17:15

I'm not affected as dogs or cats do not seem to wander onto our paved drive, but neighbours who have grass/lawn put 2litre seven up bottles filled with water (laid flat) and they swear it keeps the dogs off.

I dunno, but maybe worth a try. If it doesn't work it has not cost much.

Something to do with the reflection in the water or something so the old timers around here tell me!

NotAnotherJaffaCake · 10/09/2018 17:16

Jeyes fluid acts as a scent deterrent, we also used a ultrasonic repeller thing which works with cats too.

Namechangingagainjustbecause · 10/09/2018 17:21

Slab it

Inmyvestandpants · 10/09/2018 17:23

Three suggestions spring to mind:

  1. Follow them back to their flats so you know where they live. Next time the dog does its business, pick it up on a shovel, take it to the flat and post it through the letterbox. Tell them it's none of their business whether you post shit through their letterbox or not. You might think this is too high-risk if they are very aggressive people.
  1. Are the dogs on leads when they come onto your land? If not, you might be able to report a loose dog - the owner has a responsibility to keep his dog under control. If they're on leashes, are the owners trespassing on your property? The Animals Act 1971 deals with the liability of owners of animals for what the animal does.
  1. Is there a substance (like pepper - no idea if this would work but there might be something)) that you can liberally sprinkle in the area that will deter the dogs?

You have my deepest sympathies. This sounds like a horrid situation. It might make me think of moving tbh.

lowtide · 10/09/2018 17:24

Get an air gun and shoot the fuckers
(Owners that is. It’s not really the dogs fault)

MotherofTerriers · 10/09/2018 17:30

photograph them and contact your local dog warden

Laiste · 10/09/2018 17:33

Have you approached the council? Have a look on your local council's website and see if there is a contact email address for a dog warden. Email them and tell them what's happening and what additional info. they would need to be able to help you. Have you taken photos or video on your phone of it going on?

If there is no dog warden or the info isn't obvious then ring the council switchboard and ask them.

Have you got the name of your local community officer? Ask them for advice.

In addition to all this i would get myself down to pound land or your local market and buy as many big planters as i could afford and do what a pp suggested and create a meaningful barrier around your lawn. Yes to posts in the planters held upright with sand or soil to hold a chain or decorative short trellis upright - that's a good idea.

CrunchieFriday · 10/09/2018 17:35

Oh I'd hate that .

Perhaps you could get a sonic repeller like one of these

It isn't harmful but would be very uncomfortable for the dog. I doubt if it would want to loiter around your garden and poo.

As long as they you don't think the owners would be aggressive with the poor dog ?

Haireverywhere · 10/09/2018 17:41

How annoying OP!

I used a sonic repellent from ebay years ago and it stopped both dogs and cats from coming onto my garden.

Original poster
ohshitonit · 10/09/2018 17:43

I'm trying to picture the planters with posts in, had a Google and can't see anything for inspiration. Has anyone got a pic of what they mean? Thank you all btw. Sorry if I sound moody I'm so bloody fed up.

OP posts:
LellyM · 10/09/2018 17:43

We had the same issue. At the worst we had 27 poos! I tried going to the parish council (managed to talk for 30 mins without using the word s**t!!) Tried ultrasonics but someone smashed it.

We knew who it was so ended up having a conversation within her hearing with another dog owner saying "I know it wont be your dogs as you are a responsible dog owner but could you keep an eye open as it is bloody disgusting". It stopped!

Now just to stop the damned cats pooing all over the flower beds in the back,. I don't hate animals I love them but I am sick of getting hand fulls of cat cr*p. I have taken to shooting them with a supersoaker water gun just as they squat - doesn't hurt them, but they think twice!

Dljlr · 10/09/2018 17:47

They're bloody awful things and I'd not usually recommend anyone get one, but there's a thing called a mosquito alarm that emits a loud high pitched sound discernible to animals and young children. Shockingly legal (I really dislike them!) Short term, you could potentially get one to dissuade the dogs from even wanting to go on your garden, never mind the intention of their adult handler; which could hopefully solve the issue long-term. I remember your previous thread, I'm sorry you're still having issues.

Everyoneiswinginit · 10/09/2018 17:56

My dog is repelled by the scent of orange and lemon.