Neighbor's dog relieves in my yard
January 16th, 2008
My yard and my neighbors' yards are not fenced. One of my neighbor's dog relieves himself in my yard, and I am constantly picking up its waste. I have seen the dog do this with my own eyes. I have a 15 week old puppy, and I work very hard to train him to go in our yard rather than in my neighbors' yards. I go out with him on a leash to make sure he does not go in others' yards. My neighbor, however, just lets his dog run around everyone's backyard. I don't have a problem with this, but I do have a problem when his dog relieves himeself in our yard.
I don't think my neighbor's dog made a habit of relieving himself in my yard before I got my puppy (or at least I didn't notice it). So I wonder if the dog is just trying to claim his territory now that there is a new dog on the block.
Any comments on how to handle this situation? Should I talk to my neighbor about it? I am reluctant to talk to my neighbor because I generally don't like him. His kids are contanstantly running around in my backyard, and I have already talked to thim about that. His kids still run around in my backyard despite my complaints. So he might just get mad if I now complain about his dog. But it is driving me nuts!! Any input would be much appreciated.
Comments
Depending on which city you
Depending on which city you live in, there may be ordinances against letting dogs run loose, even on ones own property. Minneapolis and most surrounding suburbs have such laws. I have the same problem with a neighbor's dog and every time I see the dog outside not tied up, I call animal control. There are escalating fines in Minneapolis for such violations, so whichever city you live in, let the law handle it.
Why not build a fence around your yard - your own dog could enjoy some relative freedom and it would serve to keep your neighbor's dog out of your yard. Probably his kids too.
Thanks for your comments,
Thanks for your comments, Doglover. I have thought about building a fence but it's not really an option. My neighbors and I have very oddly shaped lots -- a fence would look funny and ruin the our view.
I will look into the local ordinances. Thanks for the advice.
I think I might know your
I think I might know your neighbor! Ok, I just know people like your neighbor. I feel your pain. I've had neighbor's kids and pets in my yard (my flower gardens are cat litter boxes, makes weeding fun). Other than talking to him or putting up a fence (ruining the view of his dog pooping or his kids), there isn't much you can do. You can call animal control when you catch his dog roaming but by the time they get there, the dog will be gone (unless you know his schedule and can call ahead of time). I don't know if animal control in your city can give warnings to people who get complaints. That might be your only option if the jerk can't respect your wishes.
Talk to your neighbor prior
Talk to your neighbor prior to calling Animal control. I personally think that the relationship with neighbors is important and deserves respect, like talking face to face before escalating. You may be surprised, perhaps she does not know that her dog “uses” your yard, or she does not know it is a problem. People can not be expected to fix what they don’t know. Also by escalating this before trying to resolve it yourself could really strain any future dealings with this neighbor and we all know how bad that can get. Why start a feud when what may just fix it is a polite and civil discussion. it is the neighborly way to deal with things. Think of how you would want a neighbor to deal with it when they have an issue with your dog.
I'd definitely talk to your
I'd definitely talk to your neighbor about it. Ask them to keep their dog's crap in their own yard, or at the very least, pick up the dog's crap in your yard. Go armed with photos of their dog doing their business in their yard. If they refused, I think you should relieve yourself in their yard. Seriously.