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?

I hate the 'all sorts of animals shit in your garden's argument. Yes, wild animals. If people didnt buy and own dogs and cats, or cared enough about other people to try and direct where their pets shit, then dogs and cats wouldn't shit in peoples gardens. I think it's totally different, unless you're also feeding the squirrels birds and foxes that shit in my garden. Wild animals shitting in my garden is nature, your cat shitting in my garden is your desire for pet ownership spoiling my enjoyment of my property.

Anyway dont think you're unreasonable in saying anything

I can’t believe anybody has suggested it’s ok to let your dog shit in someone else’s garden! That’s disgusting! Just because wild animals do it doesn’t make it ok.

I'd be mortified if my dog did this even once, out of necessity. I always keep her on a short lead when going past open plan gardens and it is totally unacceptable for her to let the dog poo there. If you are lucky and your dog has nice solid poos you can pick it up easily but the day will come when her dog has an upset stomach, and she can't pick it all up.
Dog owners should always carry some wet wipes as well as poo bags in case this happens and encourage the dog to poo in it's own garden or somewhere it won't cause a problem (but still pick up of course)

Dog owner here. It's incredibly cheeky of her and I don't care if she is picking it up. Ask her politely to take her dog elsewhere. The urine will damage your lawn and however well she cleans up after the dog there will still be traces which could represent a danger to children playing on the lawn. Highly unlikely but not impossible (Toxicara Canis).

@LucyLime

So far then we think it's ok for dog owners to allow their dogs to relieve themselves in other peoples garden as a matter of course? Interesting

I don't want to put a fence up, to reiterate. Should I have to?

It's not ok and no, don't put a fence up.

It's your property and she has no right to be on it.

I'm sure there's somewhere nearby the dog could 'go'

No, I try not to let my dog poo in someone's garden, even if i clear it up

Placemarking.

YANBU, that's really poor behaviour. And picking it up does NOT excuse it. I would say exactly what you are planning on doing.

I have three dogs and regardless that I pick up poo after them I wouldn't dream off letting. Me poo in someone's garden. It's bad enough if they do it in the verge in front of someone's fence or hedge.

I certainly wouldn't let it become part of its daily routine.

Talk to her nicely about it

I’m finding really hard to comment without knowing how obvious it is that it’s your garden. I’m confused how a garden can’t lend itself to a border... my only thinking is that it can’t be that obvious it’s your garden? She’s picking it up so she’s clearly a responsible dog owner, which makes me think she may also be confused?!

Fuck that! I would wait for her and ask her to not let her dog shit on your garden. Whether or not she picks it up, there are still nuts left on the grass 🤮 It’s vile and entitled.

Tell her to keep the dog on the path. In this way it can shit on the path and she can pick it up from the path.

You could also put up a little sign saying 'keep dogs off the grass - private lawn'

That’s incredibly rude of her. Absolutely call her out on it.

I'm a dog owner and there's absolutely no way I'd allow my dog to do this. Totally unacceptable. If you don't manage to spot her, get one of these signs, although someone that brass necked might not care

@ReeseWitherfork you'll just have to trust me that my private garden is very clearly my private garden and it's very very clear to anyone walking past that that's the case

As a dog owner I always stop my dog peeing and pooing in other peoples gardens. Because it's rude and disgusting for the garden owners. If my dog did that I'd apologise profusely if challenged.

My bloody dog like to poo on a certain bush that borders a drive/garden, he aims for it, so i walk him in the road to stop him going near the bush. There is also another bit of a garden that is further up that he likes to poo on, its on a busy road so i have to try and pull him of it. No way on earth would i let him wander into someone's garden to shit even if it is picked up. So bloody rude.

Just before Christmas someone let their dog crap halfway up my drive and just left it. I bought a ring door bell i was that bloody angry.

If your asleep when she passes maybe put a sign on your garden saying "Do not let your dog toilet here"
Leave it up for a few weeks.
If it's only the one woman she will see it

I'd never allow my dog to do this. Disgusting behaviour and can't believe anyone would argue otherwise.

Dog owners don't want the smell and mess near where they live of course so take the dog as far away as they can and let someone else have it.

What a ridiculous generalisation . Even the CF in question is picking the poo up.

There was a dog who was leaving poo on our gravelled drive early hours every day, it was a huge lump of sloppy poo, not solid either. I would have to go out early in the morning every day to pick it up invade my children stepped in it. It suddenly stopped, we then had CCTV, so no chance of it happening now. The owner was either oblivious with the dog running ahead, or they didn’t give a crap (pun intended!)

Of course it's unacceptable. I don't allow my dog to walk on other people's grass or any part of their garden, never mind peeing or pooing.
And if in any doubt whether it's a private garden or not, keep the dog away.

I would speak to her politely but firmly.

Hope that will be enough to do the trick. She'd have a brass neck to continue allowing it after being spoken to.

Another dog owner here who always makes sure my dog stays out of other people's gardens. I think saying something politely but firmly to her is fine. Our issue on the other hand is that our neighbours either side both have cats and they poo in our front garden (read small path to hedge) on a daily basis and I hate it. I'm pregnant so don't really want to have to keep picking it up but the alternative is having to constantly tell our 3 year old to watch out whenever we go out. Our next door neighbour even joked about their cat pooping in our garden a few weeks back and I got mild internal rage, both at cats in general for never going in their own garden but also that cat owners can just let their pets wander off to poop where they like with no onus on them to have to do anything! Urgh! (Rant over!)

Do the same as you would for cats and put pepper down?

Wild animals shitting in my garden is nature, your cat shitting in my garden is your desire for pet ownership spoiling my enjoyment of my property
Very well put!