Would you ask a neighbor to clean up the dog poop in their yard?

[infomama]

As a dog owner and a good neighbor I would say it's fine to tell them about the problem.

Calling the police/health department is not cool IMHO and since you have a rapport with them there is really no reason to...just talk to them. If the shoe were on the other foot and they had a problem/concern wouldn't you rather hear a reasonable request from them and not some random health department employee. It's not like the aren't going to figure out who called KMIW?

[EllasMum]

My parents recently had new neighbours move in, and within a month or so, my parents got a bylaw ticket for parking their car the wrong way on the street. Let's just say that my parents had parked that way for probably 30 years with no problems, then suddenly, new neighbours, and a bylaw officer just happens to pay a visit. It wasn't too hard to figure out who called the city. It created some ill will with otherwise friendly neighbours. I know the situation is a little different than yours, but I would still go and talk to your neighbours first before calling the health dept. JMHO.

[MamaMolly]

I feel for you on this. My sister has 3 dogs and they don't scoop and the stench is revolting. They can't open their windows, you smell it as soon as you drive up, gaggingly bad. I really, really wish in my secret heart of hearts that someone would have a kind word with them because I *do* fear animal control or the health department getting called out. Which would be humiliating, and that is why I don't recommend that as a first step.

IIWY I'd ball up my courage and mention it. I'd probably offer to help scoop, especially since they helped with your snow. Best of luck with this, it is a really difficult situation.

[MistieandMichael]

Ok so, towards the end of my post I said I could kindof understand where she could have an issue with it...but to FIRST contact the authorities is not really friendly neighbor etiquette. I am happy to live in a very dog inhabited neighborhood. My dogs are primarily inside dogs...so they usually aren't outside barking at all hours. I do love the fact that a couple neighborhood dogs are barking at all hours of the day and night. Not too annoying, just enough noise to set a dog owners heart to rest. Speaking to a person that has had issues with a nosey neighbor while growing up...they suck! I've had dogs of mine taken away because a neighbor took false information to authorities and my mom had to pay all kinds of fines because this guy was just a jerk...which is not cool. In the end we ended up putting up a very tall privacy fence and spraying the side of our fence that faced his house with graffiti. Maybe not so mature...but neither was he. I mean at that rate your neighbor would probably call the authorities every time your kid cried a little too long...and then start something nasty between you...just too much drama. They are your neighbor, talk to them...I'm sure you are more nervous about talking to them than what it's really worth.


As for my dogs mess...I own a house with a fenced in back yard. Where I live it snows...did I go out to pick up poo during the winter? Yes...but probably not as often as I should have. Do I pick up poo in the rain? No way! Not when it's in my yard and I can wait for a day where it's nice and dry and a lot easier to pick up. When I walk my dogs or they are in public I take a ton of bags and make sure it's picked up. But, I'm not going to wait in my back yard for my dog to poop and immediately pick it up. I currently do not have any kids...so the back yard is dog territory and will be until such a day were we move. By large dog I mean I have an american mastiff...he poops as much as a small horse...so yes, it is important to try to keep up on it...but quite impossible to do every day. Shoot most days I'm luck if his poop is solid enough to not just smear...so it almost has to wait a day to become more pooper scooper friendly.

Proper poo disposal??? I've always thrown my dog poo in the trash double bagged...but I've also heard that if you have lots of poo that you shouldn't just put it in the trash...have you heard of this? Or is it just a rumor type thing?

[Tondi G]

Maybe you could buy them a brand spankin' new pooper scooper and put a big red bow on it and put it on their doorstep! Maybe they don't have a pooper scooper? We scoop the entire yard every other or every 2 days. With 3 dogs it has to be done! If you don't want to speak with them in person could you email them or drop a note in their mailbox?

[squimp]

We deal with this problem. My excuse would be that I'm having some friends over for an outdoor BBQ or something, and the smell of dog poop is really unappetizing. So would they mind please having it cleaned up for this Sunday or whatever. A good neighbor would likely be so embarrassed that they'd stay on top of it. The bad neighbor would likely ignore you, after which you could call the city.