AIBU to ask a woman not to let her dog crap on the pavement?

[furrycat]

I was walking with my buggy yesterday and a woman of about 25 was chatting on her mobile phone while her dog poo-ed copiously on the pavement (about 5 yards from a nursery).

I am sick of dodging dog poo all the time - it's everywhere, it gets on the wheels of my buggy and therefore into my house, and scraping it off my son's shoes isn't much fun either.

I asked her politely not to let her dog do that as it was a health hazard. She said repeatedly how she ALWAYS cleared it up at which point I said, great, thanks, and walked off.

She shouted after me that I was a "nosy bitch" and I turned round and said I wasn't, thanks very much, but I didn't see why it should get in my house, or make my children ill.

I was so angry and wondered if I should have intervened at all.

Message withdrawn

did she pick it up? i think that as long as she picked it up there is nothing else she can do. sadly if a dog needs to go he will go.

I think I would have waited to see if she actually did pick it up when the dog finished before I said something.

i always give a plastic bag to people if i see them leaving there dof poo and walking off.i say here you go youve got a bag you can do it now.
i think you should have waited to see if she picked it up or not before saying anything though.

A friend of mine went back to where her dog had pooed rather messily, with a bowl of water to wash down the tarmac! After she had cleared it up as far as possible, of course.

I get very annoyed when people stand and look disapprovingly as my dog poos - or (very rarely), say something, as they haven't given me the chance to pick it up, and any stares or comments get very short shrift.
Calling you a nosy bitch was rather impolite and hardly witty, but I'm afraid to say her sentiment wasn't misplaced.
dog owners have children and homes too, and they're no more fond of dog poo than you are
picking it up is as much as you can do, as unfortunately, the lack of opposable thumbs makes it hard for dogs to use a toilet

Furrycat, you're not being unreasonable of course. People should scoop up after their dogs.

But you watch.

This thread has started off just fine but as all these threads do will end up with people saying all cats should be kept inside and if they aren't others are within their rights to shoot them with air guns or dowse them in hot water, and people shouldn't be allowed to own dogs full stop because no matter how hard you try to scoop up there will always be some trace of poo left on the pavement.

heh! exploding dog bowels! That'd need more than a bag and a bowl of water!
This thread has narked me, actually, i'm rather fed up of people who think they have the monopoly on manners and take every opportunity to demonstrate this.

Ah, I didn't read the OP properly. She said had been going to clean it up. You should have waited until the dog had finished and then seen what she was going to do. Sorry, I do think that was unreasonable.

She'd probably had enough of the dirty looks she gets simply for owning a dog that isn't kept on the tightest and shortest leash possible, muzzled in public and kept in a nappy at all times. At least if she comes on MN with any regularity she'll believe that's what everyone's thinking when they look at her.

I love dogs but could never have one because I just could not bring myself to poop scoop. And what on earth do you do if the dog does a "runny"one?

Dogs poo. Decent owners pick it up afterwards. One thing that always struck me though is why can't owners train their dog to poo in the gutter, preferrably over a drain so even when it's picked up, the residue is washed away. Guide dogs are trained in this manner. Police dogs are trained to poo on command.

Anyway, as long as they do pick it up, that's the main thing

You can't prevent a dog from crapping on the pavement and as long as she cleared it up there's no problem. Pavements are awash with all sorts of crap and that will be because they are outside where the world isn't particularly clean.

Only if she didn't pick it up should you have said something - I mean it's not like there isn't enough people about who don't pick up dog crap to say stuff too

You're right, you shouldn't have intervened (well, at least til afterwards if she didn't pick it up)

Damn good point there, Voluptua.

Surely you should be annoyed if she didn't pick it up, rather than the simple fact that her dog actually did a poo!

I always wondered about Guide Dogs i.e. how a blind person did the poop scooping but didn't like to ask.

Ah but when she said she was going to clear it up, I said thanks very much and walked away. Surely hanging about to see if she did or not would have been her even more annoyed?

I once passed a woman in the park whose dog had just crapped and she was strolling away.

I said in a raised voice 'oh dear look at that messy poo, how naughty to poo on the floor, lets hope that doggies mummy clears it up'

I felt like a nob but she did go back and clear it.

(I was talking to my DC by the way, not just randomly yelling to myself)

Well, personally, I don't think it's unreasonable at all.

I have a large labrador who is trained to go in rough grass only (and, yes, I always clear it up!)

I would be mortified if my dog went on a pavement and (even if he were caught extremely short), I'd drag him into the gutter to do his business..... Though my dog has ishoos and would go in the gutter of his own accord should the need arise!! Clever dog dog!!!!

I suppose it's easier for me, as I do have a dog and therefore always have a plentiful supply of those essential 'little black bags' but if I see another dog owner walking away from poo, this is what I do:

Walk directly to the dog / dog owner and cheerfully say: 'Oooh, have you run out! Goodness, it's so embarrassing when that happens!!! HERE!!!!' (all said SOOOOO quickly so the dog owner doesn't have time to interrupt!!)

I find it works well, because you are being kind and helpful and, if the dog owner does get nasty, you can say 'well, I was trying to help you'.... I've never found a dog owner who could walk away from that!!!!

It's not acceptable to allow dogs to crap where ever they happen to be. It is totally possible to train dogs / get them into a routine and it is NEVER acceptable to leave dog poo in public places....

Rant over!!!

No you're not being unreasonable, its gross, they should let their dogs poo in their own back gardens/ yards if its that clean once they've picked it up.

Our neighbour has just got a dog and is windng up the neighbours as it keeps pooing on the drive next door. Nice.

Dog nappies are a great idea .

I absolutely hate dog poo which is everywhere but I have 2 dogs and trust me, when they want to go they go. I've had to stop in the middle of a junction before (in fact many times - I swear my dog is trying to kill me) and she won't budge (she's a hefty greyhound - they're not meant to be hefty but she is!). I always pick up the poo which isn't easy - especially when they have runny bums. I've tried wiping the pavements with all my tissues and must look ridiculous but it is horrible to be trying to side step poo all the time. So long as people make some attempt to clean up then that's ok. It's the ones who don't and probably those that leave it are doing the night walks because they can't see properly but still no excuse because I've been blind drunk and picking up poo before (only once and only drunk because I haven't had a drink for years so a couple of glasses had me legless but the dogs still needed their walk)! The worst thing is broken glass - there's more of that than dog poo. And that really is a serious hazard. I do think yabu in this case because you didn't give her a chance to pick it up - my husband often gets shouted at because think our dog is doing a poo when she's crouching down to do a wee - people comment before they think - would you have commented if it was a burly chap with a shaved head and tatoos looking mean and moody??? I flash my dog poo bags around like a fashion accessory - and I have a cute little dispenser to pull them out of too!!!!

to be honest i get more filthy looks picking up the poo and i often have to say ''would you rather be scraping it off your shoe?'' and i also wish that there were more bims around.

While dogs can't help pooing obviously there are a lot of people who do not clear it up, my dd's can't play on the grass in our local park as it is always covered in the stuff even though they have a designated dog pooing area. I would like a dog but would never get5 one because I can't deal with warm poo but if you have one then you chose it.