Neighbor's dog won't stop pooping on my yard.

[thanks4allthefish]

Let me start out by saying that I love dogs. I always have and always will. I'm a responsible dog owner. Most of the time, my dogs poop in our backyard, and while I don't clean it up right away every time always clean it up within a short time. When I do take my dogs out for walks in or to the dog park, I am well prepared with poop baggies, a scoop, and even wipes if necessary. However, many of my neighbors do not have this same dog poop-picking-up etiquette. In particular, I have one neighbor who lets her 4 dogs out loose in front of her house. They wander and roam up and down the street, pooping at will in people's yards, peeing all over the place, and just creating a general sense of havoc and chaos.

Not only is this practice unsafe for the dogs, it's a busy street with lots of cars, it's also downright rude. A couple of the dogs are smaller, Chihuahuas, and have taken to pooping in my yard. This happens on a daily occurrence, and the owner never picks up the poop. My yard I starting to smell, and I’m tired of picking up all this unsolicited poop! I'm not sure what to do and how to approach my neighbor about this stinky issue. I'm also worried because the other dogs are German Shepherds, and if they start using my yard as a toilet every day, I may have to move.

I know in some places, there are ordinances about picking up your dog's poop, but I don't want to be that person that calls the authorities on my neighbors over dog poop; however, the problem is growing worse. Do you have any suggestions for convincing my neighbor not to let her dogs do this? Or should I try spray or something to deter the dogs from pooping here?

 

[GrouchoBarks]

I would consider putting up a fence. Or one of those signs that says your yard is treated with chemicals or that you use reclaimed water. That might discourage it. And a fence will keep them out, though that's a lot of work. But it might be worth it not to have poop in your yard all the time or have it out with the neighbors.

 

[Danielle DeGroot]

My suggestion would be to talk to the neighbor. If this doesn't work, check with your city code about keeping dogs on leashes and picking up their poop. It may not feel nice to report them, but it may be what you need to do to get your neighbor to stop letting your yard be their pup's potty. And, of course, a fence and some strongly worded signs are always a good deterrent. You may also want to check with your HOA if you have one. Again, it's not fun to "tell" on anyone, but you should not have to put up with poop in your yard.

 

[Frankie Flowers]

Not only is letting your dog poop on someone else's yard like that gross and rude, but it's also really unsafe to let dogs roam the neighborhood free, with no supervision. They could easily get hit by a car or bite someone. Then, the neighbor gets sued and may even be charged if their dog bites someone. I think I would try to talk to them after putting up a fence and signs. Plus, you can even sue people for property damage if your yard is suffering due to their dogs pooping on it. So it is really something that you want to put a stop to, and legally can. Your neighbor may not like you, but if they are letting their dogs poop all over your yard, they don't respect you anyway, so who cares if they don't like you. You don't like your property being used as a dog toilet.

 

[thanks4allthefish]

I talked to the neighbor, but things are not getting better. They were kind of like, "Oh, okay, sorry," but they have not stopped. I am checking with my city and neighborhood to see what to do and if I need a permit to build a fence! Thanks for all the suggestions. I'd love it if my yard was not the local dog potty, so I guess I have to do something.