Dog poo-ing on our garden every morning and evening. AIBU to say something?

[LucyLime]

We live in a quiet area with just three houses in a sort of cul de sac. We are part of a small estate but at the bottom of it. Nobody comes down here unless they live here or are delivering something really.

However there is a cut through at the top and every morning and evening for the past week, a woman has started appearing from this cut through and walking past our house with her large dog. And every morning and evening, this dog is doing a poo on my front garden.

It cocks it's leg on my bushes and had a wee and then settles down for a poo. And yes - she does stand there watching and picks it up

The reason I know? We have security cameras. The reason I've not said anything to her yet? I have annoyingly either been asleep/ in the shower/ in the garage/ out shopping. Nearly managed it this morning but by the time I'd opened my front door, she was turning the corner and I wasn't about to screech!

So ... onto my AIBU. My DH thinks that as she's picking it up then meh, not a massive deal. I think differently - I don't want my front lawn used as a dog toilet and I think it's bad manners to allow your dog to do this. Once I sort of get - but this is now becoming a pattern.

AIBU to literally stake out my camera notifications today and ensure I can get to my front door and ask her to stop immediately? Or just ignore it?

Oh I wouldn't dream of doing anything to make the dog uncomfortable. I love dogs and well, it's just doing what dogs do.

But with a bit of luck it won't be doing it any longer on my garden. I hoping she's so shamefaced that she changes her walking route. It's been going on a week or so so I'm assuming we are a new route for her right now

@Hoppinggreen

I don’t let my dog into anyone’s garden, fenced or not Her picking it up is irrelevant, the dog shouldn’t be there (assuming it’s obvious a private garden)

This. Exactly.

Wow please don't do the laxative idea!!! How reckless. Its the owner that needs telling not punishing the dog! Hope it was a joke

@Santaiscovidfree

Bucket of water isn't a bad idea....

To throw at the dog or the owner?

I feel bad when my dog poos on the pavement at the end of someone's drive or outside their property.

At least it picks up easily off a pavement.

Not so easy from grass always I find.

Hmm now I've seen the pic I'm unconvinced, how could you say it's defo a garden? A patch of green and some shrubs bordering a road with no pavement doesn't sound like it's DEFINITLEY A GARDEN. It's not marked by a fence or anything and on lots of estates/developments that section isn't included in the house ownership

Snap @simbobs

@nellly it's a joke of a photo. I have cropped it to the nth degree. We have two front gardens. They are separated by a path. They are each about 16 foot square

To reiterate - yet again - there is absolutely NO DOUBT that this is a PRIVATE GARDEN

We don't just have a random patch of verge grass outside: it's a garden

Please / just take my word for it!

@Hillary111

what should i do? Hold my hands underneath to catch it?! *Why are you asking us? you chose to get a dog for your pleasure and enjoyment, you have to deal with the shit, it is not acceptable to say 'the dog does what it wants to and there's nothing I can do about it'*

She does do something about it, she picks it up! As would I. What i'm saying is; of course I would try and divert the dog to another area BUT sometimes you don't realise in time.

but your dog should not be in/on someone's garden in the first place.

If they are not on the lawn, then when they squat, they won't be shitting on the lawn will they?

if they are off lead and wander into people's gardens, that is not on. Put them on a lead.
if they are on a long lead and wander into/onto people's gardens, shorten the lead.
If they are on a short lead and wander into/onto people's gardens MOVE walk on the other side of the road, shorten your lead, move the the edge of the pavement

or, her's a radical thought

TRAIN your dog to walk to heel, not to wander in/on/over any bit of grass handy.

I have a dog. I get it. It isn't always easy, but it is MY responsibility to keep them out of gardens and on the pavement/verge.

@nellly oh and please credit me with the sense to know that my actual garden belongs to me and isn't a random part of the estate

Maybe you're her new route because she pissed someone else off so much she had to change?! Serial garden pooper!

@LucyLime

YANBU in the slightest, and I have two large dogs. Dog “mess” destroys the lawn and plants - I love my dogs to the moon and back but my goodness the garden is ugly tbh, even if it didn’t have an effect on the plants - your property is not a dog toilet and it’s not on. If it was an unexpected accident okay fine (I NEVER let mine set paw on other people’s property but there was one time boy dog randomly cocked his leg out of the blue...and even he looked confused!) but this looks like it’s becoming routine.

If you are worried about confrontation maybe try a sign first? “Hello describe dog you seem lovely but I’d rather you did your business somewhere else rather than my garden. Thank you”

@Thehawki ha you could be on to something there! It's such a small estate anyway - maybe 60 houses in total and we are tucked away - just 3 houses here. I've never seen her before so she's definitely coming from the top of the estate using a cut through

I'm a dog owner and I think her behaviour is terrible! Her dog shouldn't be anywhere near your garden.

Print out a photo of the dog taking a dump and put a big X through it then put it on display by the pavement?

It’s bad manners. You know when your dog is building up for a dump. Anyone with decency would move him on before the bombing run commences.

Steppemum - see my following post at 12:57

My phone just pinged with a ' front door motion detected.'

I jumped up and rushed to the door and ... it was another dog Walker with her spaniel on a lead I just said a cheery hello and pretended I was putting something in the green bin which is awaiting collection. I did wrench the door in a bit of a hurry so she was a bit startled

Still poised

We need a diagram OP.

Do you actually use this piece of garden for anything? If it's at the front and not fenced in? I couldn't get worked up about it.

Cough cough, diagram, cough cough

Haha @LucyLime I didn't mean you didn't know just querying whether it is as clear to walkers as you assume

@CorianderBlues

It won't help but it would make me laugh my pants off all evening

Because you'd made an animal ill? How hilarious you are.

We trained our dog to ask to do a poo. When out for a walk if she needed to go she would wiggle her bum and cock her head and we would either say yes or no. She would also tell other dogs off if they did one on the pavement as she knew that wasn't allowed.

Follow her home, shit in her garden but pick it up and take it home. Do this twice a day. Even better if she looks out of her window whilst you are doing so, maintain eye contact, the whole time

My dog doesn’t go anywhere near peoples gardens I pull him away. However if he goes to the toilet on the pavement I won’t stop him.

Put up a sign saying:

KEEP OFF THE GRASS

And if that doesn't work after a few days, change it to one saying:

THIS IS A PRIVATE GARDEN, NOT DOGSHIT ALLEY