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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dog using my garden as toilet without permission

40 replies

BuildersTeaMaker · 23/08/2022 12:18

Ok, before I raise AIBU

Im having work done on my house. Major works. A particular trade turned up today for first time- he’s sub contracted to my builders.

its 10am-so not like they were in a rush to get here

after I’ve chatted to them to confirm specifics of job I disappear. I then see a dog being let out of his van and running round the front of my house. I then see him and dog go round to back

by time I get to back, said dog is running into my borders over plants , come back on lawn. By time I get back doors open to say something dog is peeing and dumping on my lawn.

the guy is no where to be seen - or told quick enough to stop dog.

AIBU to think this is bang out of order? He’s now left and I went to look- a plant stem is broken and there’s the remains of dog poo on my lawn . Ok my garden is a bit messy as I’ve not been able to do anything out there for 4 weeks due to builders stuff-but it isn’t a builders yard or uncared for.

OP posts:
Original poster
BuildersTeaMaker · 23/08/2022 12:19

When I say remains- the owners clearly bagged most of it, but there’s remnants left.

OP posts:
Lockheart · 23/08/2022 12:20

He shouldn't let his dog run about.

A broken plant stem is not the end of the world. He's cleaned up the poo but if there's remnants just sluice it with a bucket.

Ask him not to let his dog out next time.

DuchessOfSausage · 23/08/2022 12:20

Put signs up

Hidingawaytoday · 23/08/2022 12:22

Nope, YANBU. I wouldn't have liked that either. What if you'd had pets that don't take well to random dogs in their space?

Mamamia7962 · 23/08/2022 12:23

I would let your builders know and say that you're really not happy with the sub-contractor and that if he comes back again he is not to bring the dog.

I'm a dog owner but this would really annoy me.

Mindymomo · 23/08/2022 12:23

You need to tell your builder that you don’t want their subcontractors bringing dogs and if they do they need to watch them and pick up their poo. If a dog is being let out of van, then it’s natural for them to want to do their business, but owner should be present.

Mamamia7962 · 23/08/2022 12:25

Just to add, it's called having respect for other people's property.

Bluebells12 · 23/08/2022 12:26

Mamamia7962 · 23/08/2022 12:23

I would let your builders know and say that you're really not happy with the sub-contractor and that if he comes back again he is not to bring the dog.

I'm a dog owner but this would really annoy me.

This. The sub contractor won’t much care what you feel (clearly!) but the builders who hired him will. Phone them and say you’re sure he’s a great guy etc but you don’t want his dog on site. Say dogs shouldn’t be running around building sites in general but here this particular dog shat in your garden flowerbeds and damaged a and plant you don’t want it back. The builder will understand!

SirenSays · 23/08/2022 12:27

I wouldn't stop him bringing the dog, but I'd have a word about keeping an eye on it and not letting it trample plants.

Skiphopbump · 23/08/2022 12:33

After a couple of hours I noticed one of the builders had a dog in his van. I told him that as long as he was friendly with my dog he could bring it in the house and I would supervise. No one should bring one in without asking.

Original poster
BuildersTeaMaker · 23/08/2022 12:33

SirenSays · 23/08/2022 12:27

I wouldn't stop him bringing the dog, but I'd have a word about keeping an eye on it and not letting it trample plants.

Why? Is it unreasonable to not want a dog in my garden at all? Why is that?

OP posts:
Lockheart · 23/08/2022 12:36

BuildersTeaMaker · 23/08/2022 12:33

Why? Is it unreasonable to not want a dog in my garden at all? Why is that?

Show quote history

Calm down OP, that poster is just saying what she would do. You can set your own rules for your garden.

bellabasset · 23/08/2022 12:37

I have a large garden where it wouldn't matter if a dog ran round and I often let the neighbours dogs there. But even so the builder's contractor wasn't to know your circumstances, if you had young dcs or a cat or a reactive dog.

But he should have asked if you minded, that's just manners and he should have thrown water over any remaining poo.

Peashoots · 23/08/2022 12:38

i wouldn’t like this. I have two cats who would go absolutely ballistic if a dog came in the garden. He should have asked.

Original poster
BuildersTeaMaker · 23/08/2022 12:38

I’d say given the dog was pooing and peeing virtually as soon as being let out the van (within the minute or so it took me to walk to the back of my house and open back door), that the dog clearly needed to be let out urgently- given it wasn’t first thing in mourning and I live fairly rurally why wouldn’t the owner have just pulled up someone else on route and let his dog do his business first so he could stay in van. They were only with me less than an hour and I’m sure dog would have been fine if it had done it’s toilet before. It was almost as if he specifically let the dog out when he got here to use my garden for its toilet break. He knew I had a garden as that’s the way the trades are coming in, and builder would have taken him when he came to give a quote- I wasn’t in at the time.

OP posts:
NorthStarRising · 23/08/2022 12:40

That’s not OK.
I’d make it clear to the builders that I didn’t want the dog on my property, so either the bloke leaves it behind when he’s at work, or they find someone else to do his job.
There are thousands of jobs where it’s not acceptable to bring your pet to work, why is his an exception?

Original poster
BuildersTeaMaker · 23/08/2022 12:42

Lockheart · 23/08/2022 12:36

Calm down OP, that poster is just saying what she would do. You can set your own rules for your garden.

Show quote history

Ok, the way it’s reads may not sound calm in retrospective….I am actually quite calm. The whys were curiosity to know what goes through heads of dog owners to understand what he was thinking. I don’t won a dog, never had, not particularly keen on them.
but I have family members who bring dogs to my house. I even am an owner of a dog bowl for water. They always ask if dog can go out but usually take dog for constitutional before they arrive. They’ve never let their dog wee or poop in my garden. Is that unusual- I just thought it was normal that if you visit with a god you don’t let them piss over your hosts garden

OP posts:
Original poster
BuildersTeaMaker · 23/08/2022 12:43

bellabasset · 23/08/2022 12:37

I have a large garden where it wouldn't matter if a dog ran round and I often let the neighbours dogs there. But even so the builder's contractor wasn't to know your circumstances, if you had young dcs or a cat or a reactive dog.

But he should have asked if you minded, that's just manners and he should have thrown water over any remaining poo.

There was a hose nearby- he could easily have done that. He didn’t

OP posts:
Original poster
BuildersTeaMaker · 23/08/2022 12:44

Visit with a god! 🤣🤣should be dog…but feels apt

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 23/08/2022 12:45

It wouldn't bother me at all but I'm a dog owner and a dog lover and wouldn't mind picking up someone else's dogs mess if they were working on my house.

mountainsunsets · 23/08/2022 12:46

There are thousands of jobs where it’s not acceptable to bring your pet to work, why is his an exception?

It's one of the many advantages of being self-employed or a contractor. You run your own business and get to decide the rules - and that means you can bring your dog to work with you if you want.

Of course that doesn't mean the dog should be peeing and pooing everywhere, but if the contractor wants to take his dog to work with him, that's his decision to make.

BEAM123 · 23/08/2022 12:48

This is outrageous bad manners. Least he could have done is knocked and apologised and asked for water to hose it down. So ignorant. I would tell your builders that if that subcontractor comes back he is not to let his dog out of the van, and that if it happened again they will have to find another subcontractor as you do not want him on your property.

Denny53 · 23/08/2022 12:51

Mamamia7962 · 23/08/2022 12:23

I would let your builders know and say that you're really not happy with the sub-contractor and that if he comes back again he is not to bring the dog.

I'm a dog owner but this would really annoy me.

^Say this

Summerfun54321 · 23/08/2022 12:54

The main builder will want to know one of his subcontractors is pissing off his clients. Tell the main builder what happened and that you weren’t impressed and don’t want it happening again. The main builder can then decide whether to have a word with his subbie or find a different one.

BuenoSucia · 23/08/2022 12:55

Please let me be not the only one who thought the dog should’ve asked permission first.

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