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.

We'd love if Ddog2 shit in the garden. He used to when we were toilet training, but he's stopped and will only shit when out. Ddog1 will happily go in the garden. We poo pick regularly. If it bothers you this much, then take your bloody dog out more often! It isn't hard! We pop to the end of the road with Ddog2 when he needs it.

@frostedviolets

If she's bleaching the grass. No doubts the dogs are getting sick from that. I guarantee it.

@DogInATent I looked there first. Then I decided to put it under AIBU instead because I felt like DH was being disgusting and endangering my DS with all the piles of ninja poo

As it is, the most helpful posts have been people giving constructive advice on how to fix the dog-disrupted-schedule-in-lockdown problem . So I would have been better on the doghouse board (!)

I get the impression that you're not so much pissed off that the dog is shitting in the garden (which would be unreasonable, it's gross, but not the end of the world), it's that your husband is allowing the dog to shit multiple times in the garden and never clears it up, leaving random piles of surprise shits for you and your kid to find. That would piss me off. He knows that the dog doesn't need to go outside to offload 15 times a day. So either he doesn't let the dog out during the day, or - if he's absolutely certain the dog needs out - he goes with the dog and clears the poop up at the time. He's being unreasonable and selfish.
But, you're sure someone else isn't letting their dog use your garden as a toilet?

@RincewindsHat

So you're dogs can't go in your garden. But you will subject their poo to a grassy bit by a car park!

Not a responsible owner.

@Hoggleludo Seriously, it's a tiny patch. Like two 20cm circles of spray with a multi-surface spray. The dog would need to have a bleach fetish to get sick from that - even if he was a sick dog (which he isn't). .

I've had a couple of blowups about ninja poos since lockdown started, my DH said he'd fix the problem, and then - lo and behold - this morning, the garden had two more ninja poos in it. They were covered in flies, very slightly crumbly, and generally not attended to. So I lost my rag at him, was so repulsed that I sprayed bleach on the crumbly poo residue, and then posted on the internet.

Stop assuming everyone online is completely mad (!!)

I’ve 3 dogs ( not through choice )
Imagine the poo 💩
They are walked twice a day and still poo in my garden
We check the garden regularly and wash it down where they poo
It’s really not difficult

@Skiessoblue You've got it.

@hoggeludo why on earth is that irresponsible?! Dogs gotta poop somewhere, if they poop on a grassy patch in a PRIVATE carpark (part owned by ME) that is not used for anything else and I pick up the poop, how can you consider that irresponsible!? Honestly, you seem like such a drama llama, attacking a strnger on the internet for something you basically made up. Do you police the area where you live handing out notices to all dog and cat owners about how they're irresponsible because their pets have to poop? No? Then why do it online?! So weird. Go fill your isolation time with something else, the OP asked for an opinion and I shared mine. I didn't attack anyone else in my response to the OP. Your comment is completely uncalled for and irrelevant.

We pick up the dog poo from our garden everyday... it’s really not complicated IMO

We have a dog and previous house with larger garden we built a fenced stoned area for dogs to use as kids were young and didn’t want them on grass dog has poohed ( as you can’t get it all up ) currently have small garden but still have an area we encourage dog to use and mostly hope he goes on his 2 walks a day he occasionally goes elsewhere if let out at night if desperate . We try to work the walks at times he tends to go and we’re re doing the garden so that he could only access his fenced off area for toilet and only have access to rest of garden when we are out supervising as I still don’t want boys playing in grass a dog has poohed on ideally. If he’s going that many time’s in a day and didn’t normally is he being fed more maybe ?

The garden is completely fenced. And it's a large dog (so not a cat or a fox). So it's our dog...

Surely if you have a 50ft long garden, your dog, as a family member,is allowed to use some of it for his toilet. You have to get in a dog poo routine,and clean up after wards. If you don't like dog poo, best have a budgie instead. !

Why do you keep calling it 'ninja poo'?

You are mad if you continue spraying with bleach.

You are also cruel and will quite likely cause your dog to be ill. If you haven’t already.

Deal with your husband. You have been told how to deal with your dog.

I wish people wouldn’t get pets without taking into account their needs.

We are all struggling during lockdown. But we are mostly all managing. And making sure our pets are happy. Having a cross atmosphere in the house will upset your poor dog even more.

@Easilyanxious It's possible he's being treated more because everyone is at home.

I tend to treat him out of the room if I think my DS may be stressing him (he's a lovely, kind dog, but I worry). My DH also does agility training exercises with him (with more treats).

My DS is at home a lot more and my DH is wfh. So it's possible - between those things - he's eating a bit more.

How about you both do a poo check in the garden twice a day - one of you first thing before your child plays outside and once at lunchtime before afternoon play outside.

Also take it in turns to walk the dog which hopefully will reduce chance of poos in garden too.

In the current circumstances your DH should agree to taking it in turns to poo check. I’d like to hear what he thinks the alternative is.

This is what we do. No bleach necessary.

I’ve read a lot of odd threads on here since the pandemic started, this is definitely up there.

Just be a normal dog owner and pick up the poo. Simple as. It’s not a big deal.

In that case, you're definitely not being unreasonable and it's clear that a significant portion of people that have responded have missed the point entirely.

Unfortunately I can't give you any advice regarding your husband other than suggesting that you ask that he doesn't let the dog out ever, or that he puts a lead on him when going out the back and takes a bloody torch with him since it's apparently so hard to see the dog shitting in the dark.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone for responding. I'm now dropping off the thread as it's going around in circles, and not achieving much

@SidekickSally As I've said, multiple times, we're already taking it in turns to walk the dog.

@Sheldonesque Also, as several people have said, it is possible to have a dog without a large garden and without the dog pooing in it. It depends on the dog, its training and habits.

We have kept dogs for 10 years and previously had a working cocker spaniel in a tiny terrace with a tiny patio. This was not because I did not care for its needs. It was because I lived a short distance from a huge public park and took it for multiple walks each day plus a 90-minute jog. Needless to say, this would be a problem in lockdown where it isn't normally.

As most of our experience is with 'jog dog', we've continued the practice with 'big dog' of walking him in public parks and on the street multiple times a day - enough that he tends not to poo in the garden.

Again, thanks everyone who made helpful suggestions . We will try them

With absolutely no authority, I’d advise anyone who’s dog pooh is that vile to look at what they are eating. My dog eats raw food and does little tiny dry nuggets. They’re easy to pick up and don’t leave obvious bits behind

This ^

Mine aren't raw fed, but they do have a high quality food. Their faeces are firm. If they have a motion which isn't, i know they've picked up a bug or eaten something they shouldn't outside, and can keep an eye on whether they are unwell.

@Skiessoblue Thanks . I have considered issuing DH with a huge torch and requesting he uses it to walk to the end of the garden when the dog goes out there at night... I'll suggest it to him

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

Ridiculous. I want to say things to you that would get me banned or deleted. Rehome that poor dog, you are a terrible owner. DH needs a medal putting up with you.

Our dog has free rein over the garden, it's one of the reasons we got it! So whenever we see a poo we pick it up, and also do a poo audit daily.

This is on top of standard walks.

The garden is for all family members

I feel sorry for a dog who by the sounds of it is only allowed outside to wee or poo and not allowed free rein of the garden, small child in the house or not.