To not let sister's dog use my garden as a toilet?

[YesterdaysQueen]

My sister recently moved to the same town as me but into a flat without a garden. She has a dog who only likes to do his business in a garden, not out on a walk. Since moving she has been letting herself into my garden with her dog so he can do his business in my garden as he won't do it anywhere else according to her. She does pick up after him but it all goes in my wheelie bin which stinks!

I had no problem with her dog using my garden when she would occasionally visit before but now it's become every day, 2 sometimes 3 times a day.

I've asked her to stop as I have young children who, now that the summer is finally here, want to play in the back garden and it just annoys me that all of the lawn area has had dog poo on it and as he gets a dodgy stomach fairly often, some of it is diarrhoea so my sister has been ripping up the grass in those areas when trying to pick it up.

Anyway, she's now very unhappy with me for saying her dog can't use my garden as his toilet any more and has said it's not a big deal and I'm overreacting and being difficult.

AIBU?

But judging by posts on here, it makes no difference as the majority of owners don’t allow their pets to toilet on their own gardens.

Had to say kids play on grass they sit , put hands on the grass. Toxocariasis is an infection caused by the parasite Toxocara. It spreads to people from animals, usually dogs or cats. so lock the gate so she can't get into your garden.

You are not unreasonable. I’ve trained my dog specifically not to toilet in my garden because I don’t want the mess around my children- even if you pick it up there is going to be something left.

The idea that you should be ok with her coming specifically to somewhere where your children play is bonkers to me.

You are not at all being unreasonable. Your children and your garden are of course higher priority to you than your sisters' dog. She is just being too lazy to train her dog or inconvenience herself in anyway. Pity she isn't too lazy to gaslight you!

Get the lock before you tell her anything. Her dog can absolutely be trained to go on a walk or at the park. My dad designated a corner of his garden (screened off by lattice) for his Labrador to use. Said Lab then trained my Shelties and German Shepherd mutt to use the back corner herself. It can be done.

I don’t even like my own dog going in my garden. I take him out to the woods and pick up and put in the dog bin. That’s disgusting that she’s putting it in your wheelie bin as well.

omg, she's bonkers! Tell her immediately that her dog has to learn how to go when out on walks. And NO PUTTING POOP in your trash can either! Your poor kids deserve poop free grass. (and I say this as a dog lover and current owner of 8 dogs)

That is weird and gross! It’s just as bad as if your sis used your garden as her toilet and bagged up her xxx and dumped it in your bin 😳

I would have a problem with it, and you can tell her if you wish!😅it's disgusting, and even more disgusting because you have children, tell her to stop right now and let her be upset

Dog poo can make your kids go blind if has parasites. Just no. Ots your kids play area not her dogs. She can go to park move to a flat with shared garden or just walk on pavement and see a vet. She is cresting this issue for her dog. Dont get a dog you cant look after period. She will get over it.

If your sister is responsible enough to pick up his poo, she is equally capable of taking his bagged up poo with her to put in her OWN wheelie bin. To do otherwise is unacceptable. Dogs can be surprisingly finicky about where they go. It’s up to their owners to do the right thing. I say this as a dog owner.

Buy a bolt for your gate

Can people stop scaremongering over toxocariasis please!

• Fresh poo picked up quickly does not present a big risk
• Larvae need to sit in the poo at a pretty constant temp (optimal temps for development being 25-30c) AND humidity (around 90%) for 2 to 4 weeks.
• The dog (or fox, or cat) has to have worms in the first place
• cats and foxes will spread it more because they're less likely to be wormed and whilst cats bury their poo (not always) and this takes it out of casual contact range, that also means the poo is likely to sit long enough at a constant temp/humidity that allows the eggs to develop into infectious larvae.

Most of the year the UK is too cold. If it is too hot like right now, that poo will dry out and the humidity levels will be too low. Right now a dog turd on my back yard is dry and dusty in 12 hours! (Not that it is left there that long usually).

Cleaning up promptly, worming responsibly and teaching children sensible basics like 'wash your hands before you eat' and 'dont poke your fingers in your mouth or eyes when playing outside' will do just fine.

Wow. I could never in my wildest dreams do this with my dog, unless I was invited somewhere and in those situations I’d only bring my dog if the host had a dog. Thoughtless sister. Certainly not a you problem

Even without children, that would be a big fat no from me.

@YesterdaysQueen
Dont let her dog use your garden as it's toilet if your children were to contract something from her dogs doings she probably wouldn't care then deny.
And I as a dog owner truly honestly believe she's trained her dog only too poo in your yard no where else then slapdash the cleanup whilst causing damage
What would she do if doggo wanted to go at 4 on a freezing cold morning?
Turn up in her nightie?
Somehow I doubt that
Put a lock or two on your yard door
And deny her a key
She's being unreasonable, petty and spiteful extracting more than the lemonade and she knows it
Her dog, her problem .

It’s absolutely ridiculous that she ever thought that was acceptable! Who wants dog shit in their garden daily when they don’t even have a dog!!!

Yeah you’ve got a point there.

I guess I just find it especially annoying as I already need to watch where I walk and dodge poo outside, but having to do that in my otherwise very nice clean apartment building too feels too much. Like there’s no escape from it lol

I think we need more dog free parks tbh.

Are you serious?! Google the dangers of dog poo to children. My primary school friend lost her eyesight from contact with dog faeces.
The bacteria from a single poo remains in soil so multiple ones and literally creating a garden of shit for your children to play in!
PUT A LOCK ON YOUR GATE!

This.
I'm stunned that anyone would risk their childrens environment and health so their sisters large dog can use their garden as an open sewer.

Kind of beggars belief.
No one i know with dogs allow it in their garden, they go out for walks for this very reason, and pick it up of course.

To risk your children so unnecessarily is frankly wild.

That’s disgusting. Not a safe area for the kids to play. Big nope 👎. Let her take her dog to the park!

Cleaning up promptly, worming responsibly and teaching children sensible basics like 'wash your hands before you eat' and 'dont poke your fingers in your mouth or eyes when playing outside' will do just fine

Well you’re probably supervising your kids while they’re eating so yeah you can ensure they wash their hands before eating, but it’s pretty natural for most kids (even adults!) to rub their eyes or touch their face and if they are only out in the garden you’re not going to be watching them every second.

I mean it’s fine to tell your kids all that but you shouldn’t be relying on that alone , surely in this situation the focus should be on ensuring they don’t have their auntys dogs faeces in their garden @WiddlinDiddlin

This is why we need more dog free parks. What about parents who don’t have gardens? Where do they take their kids to play safely if dogs are using the parks as toilets?

OP, so your idiot sister moved into a flat with no outside space when she has a large dog, and thinks it’s Ok for it to dump all over your grass when you have DC who want to play outside? This is beyond unreasonable, and I wouldn’t have countenanced it for a single second. I don’t know what gets into people with dogs: their entitlement is off the scale. I’d have had to hose my garden down several times after DDog had used it as a toilet, particularly with doggy diarrhoea. OP, in your shoes, I’d be glad your DSis bears a grudge as you won’t have to put up with DDog - and whatever alternative arrangements she is now making, she can continue to make.

I wouldn’t ever let a dog use our garden as a toilet whilst I have children who play in it, even for occasional visit. It’s unhygienic and they can get diseases.

Good point.