Dog s**tting in garden

[Londonwriter]

We’re lucky enough to have a (narrow) 50ft garden during lockdown.

My DH has been allowing our dog to s*t in the garden. Everytime my three-year-old DS goes to play in the garden, which is currently his main outdoor recreation as the playground is closed, there is at least one or two cold, dry c*ps hidden in the grass.

My DH says that he feels sorry for the dog because, although we are using our one ‘exercise’ trip each day to walk the dog, the dog can’t manage. He says he doesn’t know the dog is c***g in the garden because he often wants to go in the dark.

I’m sick and tired of it. He’s pooing twice a day (on each trip out) and then, it appears, in addition, he c*d six times in the garden over the Easter weekend. I’m worried that my DS gets sick from the garden being a dog toilet. When my DH isn’t working from home, the dog manages perfectly fine on a short run in the morning, a brief walk around 4pm and a further brief walk around midnight.

I told my DH to try to get the dog to c**p in one place only, but apparently this is not feasible given he’s working full-time and we have a colicky baby.

AIBU? DH thinks I’m a hygiene Nazi and it’s fine provided the c**p is picked up.

I am picking the poo. I’m more than picking the poo. I’m picking up the poo and spraying bleach disinfectant on the grass.

My DH started screaming at me that I was going to destroy the garden.

It’s possible a bucket of soap and water might be sufficient... Obviously, as the dog normally only poos on walks, I wouldn’t know.

Again, we have a gravel border, and I’d be delighted if my DH took the dog there on a night after I’ve gone to bed... but he isn’t doing that. He’s just opening the door and letting the dog out so - next time I take out my DS - I find ‘ninja’ poo

Just pick up the poo!!!

Who ever lets the child out needs to do a quick scan of the garden and pick up loose poos.

Done

Don’t make such a big deal about it. It’s poo not poison

You don’t need to bleach the grass either

We have two dogs, one who only poos in the garden and one who only poos on walks. Has the dog got an upset stomach? That is the only time our second will poo in the garden, because he is desperate. I survey the garden morning and evening and pick up any poop. It's not that hard. Surely DH can pop out in the morning if he is letting the dog out at night, and you can do the evening sweep.

You can police your DH’s behaviour. Part of dog ownership is cleaning up after your dog. And yes, dogs will go in their own gardens mostly. I only know of two who don’t in all my years and that was down to the dog - not the owners.

If the dog goes in the garden, the person who let him out picks it up.

It isn’t hard.

Did you really never expect your dog to need to go in its own garden?

I despair.

Oh my god...you're BLEACHING the grass?? What the fuck?

I’d be slightly concerned for your dog’s health, my dog only poos once, sometimes twice a day.
Which I thought was normal?
Surely going no2 5 or 6 times a day isn’t normal is it?

And it would be sensible to use the extra time we now have to train the dog to use only one part of the garden to toilet and keep the grass short incase of any accidents

You're bleaching the grass?! Seriously?
Just pick up the poo, crap, shit- you can use all of these words, no need for stars.

I don't see how it's your DHs fault, dogs need to toilet. It's not the dogs fault you barely walked it before.

And don’t bleach. You could harm your dog If it chews grass or cause burns to its paws.

It's difficult to train a dog to poo in one area. Why is the dog pooing so often? Strange he's gone from two poos to multiple.

Split your exercise and take the dog for two walks a day, one walk each. Take the toddler out both times as well.

Give dog 2 meals a day and no scraps / minimal treats.

Keep the dog in at other times. Or fence off part of your garden for toddler only use.

You do realise bleach is going to kill the grass and possibly the dog?
Or is that your intent?

It won’t be good for kids playing out either.

Unclench.

Why would any one let a dog shit in a garden where a child plays. Dog poo can have parasites etc in it. Totally grim

Of course it's normal for dogs to go in the garden.

Just pick it up once the dog has gone. Simple.

I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect a dog to only poo twice a day.

Our dog poos in the garden, I go straight out and pick it up. I always check in the morning and pick up any poos done after dark

This is all a bit confusing. When your dog asks to go out how do you know whether it is for a wee or a poo? Surely your DH let the dog out before when he wasn’t at work. If the dog is pooing in the dark surely that is after work? How is he ‘letting the dog poo’ what do you expect him to do differently?

We have had 2 dogs. One preferred to poo on walks. The other preferred the garden 🤷🏻‍♀️

Maybe the change of routine is causing your dog to behave differently but he isn’t doing anything wrong. You just need to pick it up like you would on a walk. If your grass is long you need to keep your grass short and if he poos in the dark, just do a poo check every morning, or get your DH to do it. If it bothers you you can throw some water on after.

I feel a bit sorry for the dog.

I have 2 labs and I just pick their poo's up every day.

You need to sort yourself out a bit and calm down. Dogs poo in gardens. That's normal. What you're doing is not normal.

Just make your H pick up the poo if you won't and for Christ's sake stop bleaching the grass. That is insane.

My dogs poo up to four times a day each in the garden. And I pick it up. We all run and play barefoot and we're all fine and happy.

You sound SO uptight I feel stressed just reading your mad post.

On the basis you think it's OK for your dog to poo in a public place and that (presumambly) picking it up makes it OK for those who follow, surely your garden is also safe once the poo is picked up?

My PIL's dog was trained to go in one corner of the garden, so they they knew where to look when picking it up, but going out with a shovel to do so was still a daily routine for FIL.

Can you rehome the dog? He deserves better than a neurotic owner like that...

Christ, you're hard work. Poor dog and poor DH. The dog is probably out of routine as well as the humans in the house. Just do a poo check before the kid goes out in the garden. It's a dog, not a person - give it a break.

And stop bleaching the fucking grass!!!

Water (or rain) is fine.

Also, I feel really sorry for your poor, confused and probably tummy-aching dog...

Just pick it up? Had this not occurred to you?

Also, I think most adults can cope with seeing the words shit or crap written down without the need for **

A kid two doors away from me was blinded by dog poo from their own dog when I was growing up. It happened in the garden. My mum was always going on - before then - about how their garden was full of dog poo. Have never forgotten it

Just to confirm, I always pick up poo on walks - like any responsible dog owner.

I normally take out the dog around three times a day, and let him in the garden about once a day. He poos on the morning run, poos on the evening walk, very VERY occasionally poos on the lunchtime trip down the road (but not usually), and pees on a bush in the garden when I let him out (under close supervision).

When my husband is working from home, he takes the dog out about five times a day - basically during every coffee break. I find this a bit excessive, but walking the dog is his main form of exercise.

I just think our garden is way too small to have that much poo in it, especially as - although my DH is picking up poos - I’m still finding several every time I go out. The dog isn’t doing them when I’m with my DS’ in the garden, and I notice if my DS1 opens the back door for the dog, so they must be happening on my DH’s watch.

Oh just pick it up before the child goes out, its not hard