after asking several times (very nicely), my neighbors continue to let their dog shit in my yard. it's an older couple, probably mid 50's. the wife is the sweetest woman in the world, but the husband is kind of passive-aggressive. i have always been incredibly nice to them, used to watch their pets and tend to their gardens while they were on vacation. the husband and i used to have a beer together on the porch when he got off of work... then a few months ago, i saw him literally tell his gigantic dog to take a gigantic dump in my yard (right where i walk), and then praise the dog. if i see them in my yard, i open the front door and wave, and he waves back and yells at the dog to get back in the yard.

another neighbor just has an out of control puppy, and paid $texas for an invisible fence that never gets used. he counter-poops where the other dog goes. it's like they're having a competition to see who can drop the smelliest, squishiest deuce right in the middle of my pathway.

i don't want to say anything else to the neighbors, i don't want problems with them. ONE of them (still not sure who) called my landlady and bitched that i had "sketchy" people coming in and out all night. (reality: i let 3 friends from out of town stay over. my dreadlocked and tie-dye shirted friend apparently slammed a car door too loud at 3am. isolated incident... i'm totally quiet.)

anyway, talking to the neighbors is out.

i don't want to put up a sign, dogs can't read.

idea #1: tried liberally sprinkling tony chachere's creole seasoning all over the perimeter of the yard. nope, fresh turds this morning.

idea #2: soak cotton balls with cayenne pepper and lemon juice and make a stink-forcefield around the yard. dogs supposedly hate cayenne pepper and citrus... and acetone and mothballs, but i'm trying to avoid chemicals.

anyone have any other (organic) ideas to keep a yard turd-free? both dogs are fairly gangster, i doubt that the pepper/lemon balls are going to work 100%. thanks for any suggestions

1/20/2010 12:41:59 AM

Quote :

"anyway, talking to the neighbors is out. "

You're really not leaving yourself many options if you won't talk to them about it. I know you want to be nice, but they are not being nice and you are basically giving them a free pass to walk all over you. Sometimes people need to be put in their place.

1/20/2010 12:47:00 AM

i already asked them nicely once... i'm not trying to start a war. i can't stand any sort of conflict. plus, both dogs roam the neighborhood all day, so they're unsupervised anyway. i'd rather just take care of it myself without causing any problems.

1/20/2010 12:52:48 AM

1) motion activated sprinkler
2) spray vinegar around your yard (note it will likely kill any plants you spray though)
3) your pepper idea
4) supposedly dogs aren't fond of mothballs or semi-rotten potatoes (but who really wants a collection of either of those in their yard?)
5) call animal control

1/20/2010 12:55:55 AM

I can help as long as you don't ask questions.

1/20/2010 1:03:41 AM

1/20/2010 1:06:51 AM

take a dump on sweetest woman

1/20/2010 1:16:00 AM

Quote :

"1) motion activated sprinkler"

1/20/2010 1:18:43 AM

just approach them both nicely and ask them to pick up after their dog if it shits in your yard. only assholes don't pick up the turd if it isnt on their property, so both of your neighbors are both insane and exceedingly rude.

1/20/2010 1:19:19 AM

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100489143&langId=-1&catalogId=10053

1/20/2010 1:20:09 AM

My choices would be along the lines of:
1. Talk to them. Tell them it is unacceptable and they need to do what it takes to keep it off your lawn or pick up after their pet.
2. Return feces to owner by way of front porch or car hood.
3. BB Gun. Nuff said.
4. Call animal control. Have dog picked up if possible; creating a huge hassle and some expenses for the owner. If nothing else, have owner fined for having off leash dog in city (assuming you live in the city of Raleigh.)

Just my two cents. Worthless advice since you're so willing to bend over backwards to avoid conflict.

1/20/2010 1:27:43 AM

Dude I know it sucks. My neigbour used to do it with my lawn. I told him a lot of times but he wouldn't listen.
Try to let it go. You should have more important stuff to worry about.

1/20/2010 3:10:03 AM

good advice by ndmetcal, if you want to be passive/indirect about it.

for direct methods, see Skack's advice.

and if want to be a doormat, see ^

1/20/2010 4:37:09 AM

If you really want to show them what's up, I've heard that spray painting your rage all over the FXT will get your point across too. LOL

1/20/2010 7:26:11 AM

Take a shovel and throw it in their pathway. It's as easy as that.

1/20/2010 7:36:58 AM

That sounds like a good plan to me. Hopefully you can guess the right house if the dogs are different sizes.

1/20/2010 8:03:05 AM

get this



this one's funnier cause it's got the turd coming out



or, if you don't mind and just want em to scoop...



[Edited on January 20, 2010 at 8:16 AM. Reason : ]

1/20/2010 8:14:17 AM

DUDE you got 2 choices

1. Stop being a bitch and go tell your neighbors that if they dont stop their dogs from shitting in your yard that you will stop them.

2. Roll over like a little bitch and just watch your step every morning cause you are going to be avoiding dog shit like land mines as long as you live there

1/20/2010 8:49:30 AM

put shit in paper bag, put paper bag on neighbors door, light said bag on fire.

or do like jim carrey in me, myself and irene.

[Edited on January 20, 2010 at 9:06 AM. Reason : ]

1/20/2010 9:05:24 AM

yeah, stop being a little bitch and stick up for yourself

1/20/2010 9:06:24 AM

Throwing anything smelly in your yard isn't gonna work.


Just ask them again and don't be as worried about being nice about it.



"Look, I don't own a dog personally, and I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard. If he goes in my yard, pick it up."

You could even go so far as to hand them a wad of old grocery bags to pick it up with.

1/20/2010 9:12:44 AM

i've ruined 2 pairs of $90 running shoes thanks to unruly dogs... poo got all down in those holes that let your foot breathe. i'll mow the lawn, clean up the turds, and the next day there's twice as many steaming piles.

i don't want to cause any drama in the neighborhood, it has enough without me adding to it. it's a pretty nice neighborhood, and i'm kind of the redheaded stepchild already because my house looks like beavis and butthead live here. not my fault, that's why the rent is so cheap.

dog poop isn't pissing me off by any means, or ruining my life, just trashing my running shoes (and socks once... that was sooooo gross!). i figured there had to be an easy, safe, non-invasive way to deal with the issue without involving anyone else. thanks for the good suggestions!

[Edited on January 20, 2010 at 9:14 AM. Reason : asdfasdfasdf]

1/20/2010 9:13:54 AM

1/20/2010 9:14:19 AM

CAYENNE

Go to Sam's, buy a big container of cayenne powder, and sprinkle it all over your yard.
It's gotta be all over the yard, not just the perimeter.
Dogs sniff before they poop. A nose full of cayenne doesn't feel good. They'll poop elsewhere.

It worked for me.

[Edited on January 20, 2010 at 9:15 AM. Reason : ]

1/20/2010 9:14:35 AM

somebody in my neighborhood stuck plastic bags on a few small metal poles and lined their sidewalk with them. i thought it was pretty weaksauce

[Edited on January 20, 2010 at 9:17 AM. Reason : ^^ You people are fucking barbaric. ]

1/20/2010 9:16:58 AM

Obviously I'm joking.

Seapunky, if you want to be passive-aggressive about it, which I'm sure you are since you don't want to confront them, write a strongly worded letter, make sure to mention things like "animal control," and drop it in their mailbox.

1/20/2010 9:22:30 AM

If you're unwilling to express your dissatisfaction face to face may I suggest the following.

Pick up the poop, hang onto it for a few weeks, put all of it in their driveway at the first of every month. Repeat until they get the god damned point.

1/20/2010 9:25:37 AM

If you can't bring yourself to talk with your neighbors about the issue, then you deserve to have this problem. Have you ever seen the beginning of Me, Myself and Irene? People will walk all over you if you don't stand up for your self. You say you don't want conflict...its obvious these people have no respect for you, so by "keeping the peace", you're not maintaining your friendship with them, but confirming your status as an inferior. Think about it...they think so little of you that they deem it acceptable to not only look the other way when their dog shits in your yard, but to go out of the way to encourage them to do so. They are purposefully instructing their dogs to deposit steaming piles of shit on your property. The ship has long since sailed for amicable relations. I realize some people don't like to face their problems face to face, I get that. But by not saying anything, by not doing anything at all to nip this in the bud, you're just as much of the problem.

1/20/2010 9:28:11 AM

Quote :

"both dogs roam the neighborhood all day, so they're unsupervised anyway"

Call Animal Control about stray dogs roaming the neighborhood.

1/20/2010 9:37:15 AM

I had this situation once. The neighbor knew better. I got pissed off when I was cutting grass and would step in it. I started hurling it back in their yard with a shovel when I found it.

Lots better ways, though, as suggested.

1/20/2010 9:42:03 AM

Just start shitting on their property and put little flags in each load.

1/20/2010 9:47:12 AM

I bought this ultrasonic motion-activated thingy a while back to put on my mailbox to keep dogs from shitting in the plants around it, worked awesome. When they got near, it would go off and they would take off.

It was like this, but this wasnt the one i bought (cant find the original link):

1/20/2010 9:56:00 AM

Quote :

"CAYENNE Go to Sam's, buy a big container of cayenne powder, and sprinkle it all over your yard. It's gotta be all over the yard, not just the perimeter. Dogs sniff before they poop. A nose full of cayenne doesn't feel good. They'll poop elsewhere. It worked for me."

yes.

the reason the creole seasoning didn't work is b/c it's not straight cayenne. the container at sam's is around $5.

since it's not totally the dogs fault though, man up and talk to the neighbors again. buy one of those no pooping signs too so they're reminded of your conversation every time they visit your yard.

1/20/2010 9:59:05 AM

I agree with launching it back into their yard, or better yet, intentionally placing it under their car wheels so they have the shit stuck in the tire tread. My parents did this to our neighbors when their rat terrier would take dumps in our yard.

Who wants dog shit in their neighborhood on the lawn anyway? Ugh. Not only does it smell and is unsightly, it's a public health hazard if it gets into the runoff stream, as well as a hazard to other animals (potential for parasites). And who wants their families running through it? I always yell at people if I see them letting their dogs shit without picking it up- I don't want to step in it when I walk or run my dogs I always carry extra baggies to give to people and drive the point home.

If that doesn't work, animal control is always your last option.

1/20/2010 10:05:26 AM

Quote :

"Just start shitting on their property and put little flags in each load."

WINNAR WINNAR CHICKEN DINNAR!

1/20/2010 10:11:50 AM

Amazon is far cheaper than home depot. I may have to invest in one if the problem starts up for me again in the spring. It's really annoying when it's obvious it's completely intentional.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000071NUS

1/20/2010 10:16:58 AM

a friend of mine collected the shit for a week, placed it on the end of a snow shovel, knocked on the neighbors door and slung it into their living room when they answered.

It solved it.

1/20/2010 10:20:07 AM

Well that will either work, or get you arrested

1/20/2010 10:27:48 AM

Quote :

"hen a few months ago, i saw him literally tell his gigantic dog to take a gigantic dump in my yard (right where i walk), and then praise the dog."

Here is where you should have clipped it. If you see this again, run out and ask him what the fuck he thinks he's doing. Maybe then he'll stop. If not, I dunno, shoot the little piece of shit when it runs on your property.

1/20/2010 10:28:02 AM

Wish I knew which neighbor it was. I'm glad it's not just me though. I was taking a walk a few months back and another neighbor placed a big sign on a mailbox asking to not let dogs shit in the yard.

1/20/2010 10:28:53 AM

I think filing a complaint with Animal Control is your best option. Any type or retaliation on your part will only make matters worse, and potentially get you in trouble.

1/20/2010 10:30:38 AM

also,

1/20/2010 10:34:28 AM

Eat nothing but Indian food all day then shit all over their lawn.

1/20/2010 10:38:42 AM

Seriously, call animal control.

Quote :

"§ 91.07 ANIMALS AT LARGE. (A) (1) It shall be unlawful for any owner to permit an animal to be at large. (2) The Animal Control Section shall confiscate any animal found to be at large and impound it at the county animal shelter in accordance with §§ 91.50 through 91.58. "

Quote :

"§ 91.08 ANIMALS CREATING NUISANCE. (A) It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep, possess or maintain an animal in the manner so as to constitute a nuisance. (B) The actions of an animal constitute a nuisance when an animal disturbs the rights of, threatens the safety of or damages a member of the general public or interferes with the ordinary use and enjoyment of private or public property: (1) Maintaining an animal that habitually or repeatedly disturbs, interferes with or annoys human beings; (2) Maintaining an animal that tips over garbage pails or damages gardens, flowers or vegetables;"

http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/North%20Carolina/wakecounty_nc/wakecountynorthcarolinacodeofordinances?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:wakecounty_nc

1/20/2010 10:45:28 AM

Yeah, because that's the reasonable reaction.

1/20/2010 10:49:58 AM

Quote :

"If you can't bring yourself to talk with your neighbors about the issue, then you deserve to have this problem. Have you ever seen the beginning of Me, Myself and Irene? People will walk all over you if you don't stand up for your self. You say you don't want conflict...its obvious these people have no respect for you, so by "keeping the peace", you're not maintaining your friendship with them, but confirming your status as an inferior. Think about it...they think so little of you that they deem it acceptable to not only look the other way when their dog shits in your yard, but to go out of the way to encourage them to do so. They are purposefully instructing their dogs to deposit steaming piles of shit on your property. The ship has long since sailed for amicable relations. I realize some people don't like to face their problems face to face, I get that. But by not saying anything, by not doing anything at all to nip this in the bud, you're just as much of the problem."

Slave hit it right on the nose. You are just renting the place, who cares if you remain lifelong friends with the neighbors.

1/20/2010 10:50:07 AM

Oh shit, i didn't notice she was renting. Talk to your landlord and have her handle it. After all, it's her property getting shit on.

1/20/2010 10:52:17 AM

Quote :

"counter-poops"

1/20/2010 10:53:15 AM

you've already been civil. call animal control.

1/20/2010 11:52:52 AM

citronella works well.

1/20/2010 12:56:37 PM