Should residents be able to 'police' sections of their street?

[StreetStrife]

After just being shouted at by an incredibly rude and aggressive woman who barged out of her house to have a go at me for letting my dog wee on a patch of council owned grass at the end of her close I thought I would ask wise Mumsnetters their thoughts.

The woman who took it upon herself to police her street, and also, apparently, takes it upon herself to 'look after' this small patch of grass by planting a few geraniums in the middle, claims that because she looks after it and children play there sometimes I should not let my dog on it. Apparently my husband has "already been told not to use it" by her, so how dare I.

My thoughts are that children play in gardens and parks where dogs go all the time, that this is not her land, and that this is a convenient place for my dog to wee while we temporarily have no garden access due to building work. It is the closest bit of public grass we have, and I am currently injured and can't walk too far (although this is not a visible injury). My dog is prone to UTIs and likes to wee on grass rather than pavement, and often refuses to go if there is no grass. The next nearest patch of grass is an extra five minutes away.

This has reminded me of many incidents I've been involved in or heard of over the years, often to do with parking spaces on public highways but outside someone's house.

Should residents be able to 'police' the use of the streets directly in front of or around their home? I think no, so AIBU? If you are one of the people that think I am unreasonable I'd love to hear why, and if you do this on your street do people abide by your demands?

Same. People think it’s just a bit of land a free for all. But I pay for its upkeep the plants, mow it, weed and feed it, treat it for leather jackets etc. all at great expense. I mentioned earlier that I did put up a sign saying private land please keep dogs off, and it got kicked down repeatedly. I can only assume people thought that was nonsense and that I was being aggressive and controlling.

It’s wee not shit. It’ll be fine. I’m sure we step on areas that dogs have weed on on a regular basis and have no idea.

You'd think, being a dog-loving country, that we'd have more spaces for people and their pets. I can see why she was pissed off if the patch she looks after, stinks of dog piss, even though you didn't break the law.

I used to walk a friend's dog in the days before poo bags and she was trained to pee in the gutter.

Oh OP this is MN. That means just by owning a dog you’re in the wrong 🙄

you’re not doing anything wrong but I agree with the idea of bringing a milk carton with some water - shows an effort.

What about the cats, foxes and other wildlife that pee on that patch of grass? The birds that shit on it? What about blokes that pee on it or small children?

Ooh, ooh, I know! Get all dogs DNA tested and supplied with an ID certificate. Do the same for cats and tag them. Ditto wildlife. Then go out twice a day, hands and knees job, and swab every grass blade, test it and see what is to blame. Sorted! That's nice and fair in the blame game.

Seriously, some of you on here are batshit when it comes to dogs. I bet you're all cat servants and let them crap all over the place!

At least this thread has taught me why our grass is so yellow - the foxes!

I have got a new fence now and they don’t come nearly as much but before they were practically living in our garden

I think her husband let the dog poo in the same spot

When was that? It's been in my children's lifetime that stray dogs stopped being a thing. Dogs used to wander. Men and boys would piss against walls etc.

No they shouldn't if it isn't exceptionally anti-social. We've just had an incident were paramedics were shouted at and had to put up with aggressive behaviour from men 60-75 because they think they are in charge of parking/road usage and the ambulance was blocking the road. It's been building up to this.

I wouldn't let the dog pee on the geraniums but you don't need to worry about grass. It's not an endangered species.

Training

Train yourself not to bother about something perfectly normal like a dog peeing in the street, that would be easier than training all the dogs just to please you.

Someone let's their dog wee up our front wall. This encourages other dogs to wee there. It stinks. Then my stupid cat decides to roll in it. So I end up with a stinky wall and stinking cat.

Plus the wee destroys grass.

Dont be so selfish and use the gutter. When I was 13 I taught our dog to use the gutter. Im sure you can too.

Aslong as it’s scooped up.

It’s a fact of life. I have a popular dog walking route directly opposite my house so for the poster who suggested it I’m sure I get my fair share of dog urine.

Dont be so selfish and use the gutter. When I was 13 I taught our dog to use the gutter. Im sure you can too.

How does the dog get onto the roof?

Talk about batshittery on this thread. Dogs are fine, but they seem to make their owners crazy.

Dogs have to hold their wee and poo in for much longer than humans and go on demand because they can't just take themselves off to the lavatory when they need to. They're already managing their toileting, it just takes a responsible owner to play their part and find a suitable place and then clean up afterwards. If you have a dog you have a garden (if not you're unfit to be a dog owner) so you actually have somewhere to train your dog to go.

If you make sure your dog is toileted before you go out for walks and then it still needs to go, you clean up and take everthing home. It's really not that hard.

Cats are just as bad. Dogs pissing and shitting in the driveway, cats shitting all over the back garden. The actual wildlife (remember dogs are pets, not nature) is nowhere near as much of a problem!

I am another one who grew up with dogs being made to go in the gutter.
I think it is really bad that people let their dogs go to the toilet where children play. This woman is just trying to make her area nice.
OP YABU. Even if you are having building work done take your dog into your garden on a lead or use the gutter. Why can’t you just be considerate?

Yes I’m so bloody sick of any patch of grass stinking of dog piss and poo. Let them do it in the road.

so pedestrians and residents don’t have the immediate surroundings absolutely ruined. The little picnic park near has been absolutely ruined and just stinks 24/7 no one can use it.

My dog wees and poos in the garden but he’ll do the same whilst we’re out and about too.

Presumably your plants are on land you actually own. The woman described in the OP does not own the land, she's chosen to interfere with public land which is not acceptable.

Agree with this. Of course dogs can wee on public grass. So do wildlife, e.g. foxes, rabbits etc. It’s not for the neighbour to police what it can be used for. Kids play and sit on the grass in parks and playing fields all the time where dogs have likely urinated.

But taking water is a good compromise to show you’re being considerate if it bothers her. A pint of water would likely be sufficient.

You are being selfish.

Take it somewhere suitable.

Piss everywhere is revolting. If you don’t find piss revolting, I’d say that was a kink

She should get one of those ultra sonic dog deterrent's. We had problems with cats pissing on our grass this solved it.