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Original poster

Dog Poo - how to discourage it ?

43 replies

Metrobaby · 12/05/2003 10:44

Just outside my house on the pavement, I constantly keep finding dog mess. Its starting to irritate me - esp as yesterday one had been deposited right outside my front gate. I hate it being there as I don't want DD (or myself or DH for that matter) to tread in it. I never see the culprit dog owner either.

Anyone got any ideas if I can put something down that can discourage it?

OP posts:
Furball · 12/05/2003 10:52

I too have the same problem, wish I knew who it was, as I'd like to go and sh*t on their lawn!

Ghosty · 12/05/2003 10:57

This is a subject close to my heart Metrobaby ... My dad used to go purple in the face and look like he was having a heart attack when he found dog poo outside our house. Eventually he started putting up massive signs in the window in huge letter spelling out how he felt about it. Once we saw a lady standing patiently while her dog did its business, reading the sign. When she got to the end of it she started to drag her dog off .. the poor thing hadn't finished yet but the lady looked really embarrassed ... It was hysterical.
The signs were really long and wordy and used to say things like "If you let your dog defacate (that means sh**) on the pavement you are putting yours and our children and grandchildren at risk ... did you know that canine faeces (that means dog poo) contains bacteria blah blah blah" - and he would list a whole load of long names - "that cause diseases like x, y and z" - and he would list all sorts of disgusting diseases.
I can't really do it justice as my father is really clever with words but it was a great source of jokes in our house.
It worked though ... people stopped letting their dogs poo outside our house.
It's funny because in New Zealand I never see dogs pooing on the pavement ... owners ALWAYS have plastic bags tied to their wrists or in their pockets and in all parks there are special bins for them to put the bags in once they have been used.
Sorry ... not much advice but just wanted to show sympathy ...

whymummy · 12/05/2003 10:57

put a sign on fence saying "dog owners pick up the mess youre are being watched and will be reported"its absolutely disgusting on our way to school and last week we found right in the middle of the pavement a pair of calvin kleins and socks covered in poo,they`re still there a week later,the street is a really nice street with expensive houses,why do we pay council tax for????

Original poster
Metrobaby · 12/05/2003 11:11

I've got nowhere really to put a sign as the front of my house has 6ft hedge and a small gate. The hedges would obsure any sign I put in the window.

I have been thinking about sprinkling curry or chilli powder on the pavement - but I do like dogs (not their poo) and don't want to be un-necessarily cruel

The thing that annoys me about the owners is that I'm sure they'd be peeved if they found sh** outside their house, so why they insist on doing it to others is beyond me

OP posts:
whymummy · 12/05/2003 11:16

just put it on the gate for a while till they get the message

Ghosty · 12/05/2003 11:21

My dad would really like the chilli powder idea ... go for it!!!!!

whymummy · 12/05/2003 11:23

maybe the dog in question can smell the previous poo and that`s why he poos there again so how about throwing some water and bleach?

Original poster
Metrobaby · 12/05/2003 11:37

Ghosty

Thanks WhyMummy for the tip. As it goes - have just phoned environmental health and they will clean the st and stick some signs on the lamposts. Although unfortunately my house is not near one. They also suggested washing the pavement with bleach and water and confirmed (like you said Whymummy), that once doggy does his do-dos once he likes to go there again. Apparently bleach gets rid of the smell.

Unfortunately a sign on the gate would be ineffectual as our gate is v low (2.5ft) so someone would have to bend down and read it !

OP posts:
whymummy · 12/05/2003 11:41

result!! now what should we do about men pooing their pants and socks and leaving them in the middle of the pavement???

TheOldDragon · 12/05/2003 12:37

Get one of those powerful water guns and shoot the offending animal. And I'm not necessarily talking about the dog

SofiaAmes · 12/05/2003 12:44

Metrobaby, I had the same problem and put bright red chilipowder all over the pavement near my door (which opens directly onto the pavement so the dog poo was inches from our front door). It worked a treat. My theory was that it would keep the dog from being able to smell the remnants of his previous poo, but in reality I think that the dog owner probably took one look at it and decided that it was poisonous or something like that and took their dog elsewhere to poo.

milkbar · 12/05/2003 13:07

I get very upset and furious about this in our road and local area. I called our council and they told me that the dog warden can visit the offending owner and warn them that if they are caught again they will face a penalty. This means that you have to find out where the dog and its (irresponsible, ignorant, selfish, dangerous, dog-hating) owner lives. Which I never managed to do. I did confront a couple of people when I saw their dogs poo in our street, and since then the problem has improved. It was scary confronting them, but I just tried to remain polite (and reminded myself smugly that I have right on my side and an unimpeachable moral highground).

It was bad in winter when pushing the buggy home in the dark, unable to always spot the dog shit, then running the shit into the house on the buggy wheels. If you have any vision impairment it must be a constant hazard.

wigglybitsAKASamboM · 12/05/2003 13:09

Or if you want to be a bit kinder to the dogs, you can buy stuff in petshops designed to put on your garden which dogs and cats hate the smell of and won't go near, but it doesn't hurt them. No idea what it's called I'm afraid. I don't think chilli powder is fair (unless you shove it up the owner's nose, they should clean up the dog poo)

whymummy · 12/05/2003 13:12

i saw a dog doing a poo the owner looked at it and carried on a few steps further she stood on some other dogs poo i`ve never laughed so much in my life and i made sure she saw me laughing

XAusted · 12/05/2003 13:19

What about fixing up a fake CCTV camera with a sign saying that offending dog owners are being filmed? Unfortunately, you can't legislate to make people considerate but maybe you can make them feel guilty!

badjelly · 12/05/2003 13:21

Don't know it it works but you can buy dog and cat repellant in B&Q. I saw it in the weedkiller section the other day!

Clarinet60 · 12/05/2003 14:24

Chilli powder is fine. Dogs have fantastic noses and would smell faint traces of chilli from quuite a distance and so avoid it. Why should we have to buy expensive repellants?

I came across this problem on the beach on holiday the other week. A dad out with his family playing football on the beach took the dog to another spot, let it shit, then went back to where they were playing football. I marched up to him but bottled out of a comfrontation when I saw his shaved head and muscles. I went back and pointedly put a stick in the sand to mark the spot then shouted loudly to DS etc, 'Careful, there's dog poo HERE!'

The worst case I saw was a park marked out for a football pitch. I stood and watched loads of owners take their dogs to shit on it. What do they think happens during a game of football? Do the kids dodge the poo and avoid falling it it? I don't think so.

GRRRRRRR and double GRRRRRRRRRRRR!

badjelly · 12/05/2003 14:46

I'm still sticking up for the repellent - my dog eats chilli powder and it's me that has to clean up!!

Hilary · 12/05/2003 15:02

whymummy, can I just clarify?! The shoes and socks didn't have dog poo on them? The owner of the shoes and socks had done the poo on them?!?

Is that right?

kazzi · 12/05/2003 17:43

I've seen boxers with poo in them before outside a childrens play center I was shocked no end.I don't think there's anything that can be done because I would think the offenders would be to p####d up to notice .Notice you never see poop riden knickers.

whymummy · 12/05/2003 17:45

hilary,they were pants and socks and yes it was human poo all over them

kazzi · 12/05/2003 17:49

Hope it's not because we would take them home in a carrier bag

jinna · 12/05/2003 18:41

dog poo is a real problem in our local park - eventhough there are signs and doggy bins people still allow their dogs to do it everywhere - it makes me mad!!!!(if i knew how to do an angry face i would do one here) - i have got to the point where we don't bother going to the park any more- if people clearly understood the dangers caused by dog poo to children maybe they would be more careful - is there anyone else who feels as strongly as i do - i am not against dogs - it is there owners who need to be more responsible!

Clarinet60 · 12/05/2003 18:45

Yes Jinna, I feel as strongly as you do. I like dogs, just hate their poo. The French have loads of dogs. Does anyone know if the problem is worse or better there? Have they found a solution?
I favour nappies (LOL).

whymummy · 12/05/2003 19:06

i too detest dog owners who dont clean up,i know that where i come from in spain people call the council and give the name of the culprit and they get a fine,this is happen to someone i know,obviously its a small village and everyone knows everyone more difficult to do over here but once my ds stood on one we came home and by the time i unpacked the shopping my dd had been crawling all over the poo my ds was leaving on the floor,i could honestly have killed that dog owner!!!!