Keeping Dogs From Pooping on Grass

The police and animal control cannot do anything unless you actually see the dog leave a mess and know which animal it is. The police also have more important things to do. However, I have heard that there are sprays and pepper that can be used in the area where they poop. Cats and dogs are creatures of habit and will usually use the same place since it smells like them. It is not a matter of how trivial, or better than other things happening here. It is the time and money and becoming angry due to being dis-respected and cleaning up after someone and the cost of sprays and fences. A neighbor cat used to dig up my bulbs, make my flower beds ugly and smelly with her mess, and the neighbor lady did not care after several pleadings with her. Her cat went to a farm after I caught it for the third time in a cat trap. The time and money I spent on my flower beds and trying to work it out with the neighbor warranted this final action. If she did not care about being responsible, then I took it upon myself to take some permanent action. So, try some type of spray and keep the mess area clean so the smell will not entice them to use your lawn as a toilet.

I feel for the OP, I have a dog and pick up his poo right when he finished in MY back yard. When I talk him for walks I put 2 wal-mart bags in my pocket to pick up his poo. I also dont let him pee on telephone poles or other peoples property. There has been a dog coming in my yard and pooping and peeing everywhere. He is not my neighbors and he even poops on my neighbors deck right outside his sliding glass doors as his dogs stand inside and watch him poo. I told my wife I was going to take him to the humane society, if you have a dog why would you let him roam the streets, he is small lap dog and he was even out roaming the streets all winter and in a blizzard.

People don't have a clue that say "Don't call the police, just build a fence" Well a phone call to the police is free and a 90 foot fence cost roughly 1000 bucks. Why should I have to barricade my yard cause people are ignorant. I don't want a fence or other peoples dogs pooping in my yard. The 1000 buck price tag was if your building it yourself, for those that cant can expect a hefty labor charge. I worked for a cable company for 11 years as a in house installer and if you think the dog owners that let their dog crap in your yard care, you're wrong. I have been in numerous houses where the dog poops in the house (in the living areas) and they leave it there and walk in it. So if they don't care about their own kitchen and living room, they surely don't care about your yard

My second post on the topic and @ Lilac - Hello and I do mean this pleasantly! Again, can we all just breathe deeply about trivial matters before engaging in all out warfare? I did not say it was OKAY for a neighbor's dog to poop in anyone's yard if they offered to pay for pick-up: I merely stated that declaring all out war (calling the authorities without first trying to work out kind and considerate compromises) is not a positive and neighborly way to proceed.

Yes our domain is our domain but what in the world ever happened to common sense and common courtesy in the United States of America? Seriously, this attitude of "I'm calling the cops because I don't like dog poop" (or weird painted houses, or too much yard art or anything else that doesn't please our individual palettes) is a national disgrace and a great disservice to the brilliance of our nation's Founding Fathers - whom probably never even imagined that "dog poop regulation" would ever be something Americans would consider as a law enforcement necessity.

Yes, yes, yes, letting your dog poop on a neighbor's lawn is rude. But no, no, no, the Constitution of the United States of America does not guarantee us a right to never be treated rudely. We all just need to settle down and get our priorities straight on what really matters . . . and I seriously don't believe dog poop matters a diddly darn in the scope of American issues!

Buy some black pepper from the $1 store and spread it liberally where the dog usually enters your yard. I use it on my porch when my neighbors' cats start spraying my door. It keeps them away from quite awhile. You will have to reapply it if you water, if it rains, etc, but it might "teach" the dog to pick his own yard over yours!

Get an airhorn and every time you see the dog poop in your yard, blast away with the airhorn. Will not hurt the dog and will get your neighbor's attention. Will also get other neighbors attention; maybe it will embarrass them into being more considerate.

Get an airhorn and every time you see the dog poop in your yard, blast away with the airhorn. Will not hurt the dog and will get your neighbor's attention. Will also get other neighbors attention; maybe it will embarrass them into being more considerate.

Way rude of the next door people. Terrible! I do believe it is against the law to let your dog poop in other people's lawn. Them paying the lawn workers has nothing to do with it. They can't make rules for you. The poop is still there until the lawn people pick it up. You can do several things. Pick the poop up and throw it back in their yard. (yucky I know) Or call the police and report them. In some places it is now legal to fence the front yard so that may not be an option. I really think it way out of bounds for anyone to think this OK behavior just because the neighbors offered to pay someone to pick it up. In the USA your domain is your domain.

We used to have the same problem. My husband would pick up the dog poop and put it back in their yard. Didn't help. Then he started putting it right at their front door. A few times of stepping in it and they stopped letting the dog go in our yard.

I also saw a sign in a catalog (can't remember which one) that was in the shape of a tombstone, it said "Here lies the last dog that pooped in my yard!" You could maybe make up something like that. Good luck!
Margaret from Denton, Texas

My 2nd posting about this: KansasCindy is absolutely right about this. Do take care not to enrage them or get into an all-out war. If they are "not nice people" it might be easier (though not agreeable) to just clean up their dog poop and go about your business. One thing you could try, very sneakily (without them seeing), is to give it back to them. Pick it up, and put back in their yard....It tends to make a point.

May I respectfully suggest we all sit back and take a deep breath?

First of all, Beverly, what does the fact that your neighbors (yes, they are your neighbors) are smokers have to do with their dogs pooping in your yard? Last I heard, smoking (cigarettes, cigars, pipes . . not illegal drugs) on one's own property is a perfectly legal activity for adults.

Second, as I stated, they are your neighbors, whether you consider them to be such or not. If they have offered to pay for poop pick-up are they actually not honoring their promise, or are you just worried that they won't do so? I'm not sure exactly what you are saying here.

Yes, if your community has leash laws you certainly have the right to call the authorities. However . . . once you do so, you could possibly engage in an even bigger battle with your neighbors that could become irreversible. Wouldn't it be more neighborly of you to politely sit down and explain how much this bothers you . . . asking them to change the routine before you feel calling the authorities is absolutely necessary?

I understand that the dogs pooping in your yard is irritating to you, but as dog people who are used to dog poop, maybe your neighbors truly do not understand the extent of your irritation.

Finally, as the famous poet, Robert Frost once penned, "Good fences make good neighbors."

I wish you well, but if the worse thing any neighbor does is to let their dog poop in your yard, please count your blessings.

Dogs are not suppose to be off their property w/o being on a leash. You requesting concerns with the dog owners about this issue and it's not being addressed to your satisfaction, then take it a step further; call the local dog warden of your problem and let them deal with your issue on your behalf.
If the problem continues after the warden's first visit, call again. The first visit is usually a warning and after that it gets tougher. If the owners love their dog, they will keep it confined on their own premise.

A fence makes good neighbors, so check the fence laws/regulations in your state/county. These change and you want to be up to date with what a neighbor must pay or may not have to pay if you decide to put up a fence. An agreement of what type of fence can be put up on a borderline for an example and find out the cost. You can put your own up off the borderline so many feet from it, but at your own expense and neighbor cannot dispute unless it's an electric fence, another example.

Put up a fence.

You didn't say if you/they own the home. If they are renters, start putting major pressure on the landlord by contacting them on every occasion that they let the dog do his business in your yard. (If you don't know who owns the house, you can look it up on the appraisal district by address and find out.) If they own the home, then start contacting Animal Control. They shouldn't let the dog loose outside of their own yard, period. I have had "neighbors" like this before (even worse ones who tortured my kids), you have my sympathy.