Obnoxious Lawn-protective neighbors

[Doggish.Obsession]

So I was walking my dog the other day, and my puppy, (who's seems to be dwarfed when standing in grass) was happily galloping through like... three inch high grass. And suddenly, this bald really buff looking guy pops out of the house that owned the lawn and practically bellows, "DONT LET YOUR DOG ON MY LAWN! WHY DONT YOU HAVE A PLASTIC BAG?" -pause- "IF I SEE ANYTHING ON MY LAWN, I'M GOING TO... Remember you."

So naturally, I freak out and grab my puppy and run to the next block, with my puppy just like "Man, that was a particularly lush patch of grass over there..." And I'm just like all freaked out and checking for any bald buff dudes when I set my dog down.

Any experience of this?

 

[Julie]

I understand he scared you, but you really should not let your pup on private lawns.

I have a peice of lawn on the side of our house near our front sidewalk, and it is not part of our fenced in backyard. Well not only do I have to pick up poop in the backyard, but I also have to pick up poop in my front yard which my dogs have no access to. I can understand where the guy is coming from.
I have seen many dogs allowed (on a leash) to poop in my front/side yard and I have never seen anyone pick it up.

 

[Tobysmom]

Some people are like that. Then again it is their property. I have a neighbor with a cocker spaniel who lets it just go into peoples yards as they as out walking. She doesn't clean up after it either.

Maybe someone let their dog potty in that guys yard before and he is upset about it. Maybe he overreacted but it is his right to not have strange dogs in his yard.

 

[PixieSticksandTricks]

So I was walking my dog the other day, and my puppy, (who's seems to be dwarfed when standing in grass) was happily galloping through like... three inch high grass. And suddenly, this bald really buff looking guy pops out of the house that owned the lawn and practically bellows, "DONT LET YOUR DOG ON MY LAWN! WHY DONT YOU HAVE A PLASTIC BAG?" -pause- "IF I SEE ANYTHING ON MY LAWN, I'M GOING TO... Remember you."

So naturally, I freak out and grab my puppy and run to the next block, with my puppy just like "Man, that was a particularly lush patch of grass over there..." And I'm just like all freaked out and checking for any bald buff dudes when I set my dog down.

Any experience of this?

Hahaha that cracked me up. I got screamed at before by a big buff guy before but he wasent bald for stepping into his yard with both my dogs. Why you may ask? Because a big Semi was coming and I wanted to be out of the way (no sidewalks). Wow did he ever go off on me but I yelled right back "do you not see that big truck!!!???" while I pointed like he was stupid.

People make me giggle sometimes. I don't care if people let their dogs walk or releive themselves in my yard. Not a big deal to my mom or I really.

 

[Toller_08]

He could've been a little friendlier and just asked you to get off of his lawn, but I do understand where he's coming from kind of. I don't like it when people let their dogs on our lawn and I don't let my dogs on anyone else's lawn. In my opinion, you shouldn't have let your dog on his lawn at all. There wasn't any reason for your dog to be on his lawn. Of course, this is all my opinion and how I feel about these sort of situtations, obviously other people will differ from me.

 

[smkie]

yes..when i was a kid we had one of those down the hill past my house. My dog and were walking in the ditch that had rain water still damp for i was barefuot and the pavement was very hot. The man ran out and swore we were killing his grass seed. we weren't even on his ol grass seed. Another time he shot at the leaves right over our head with a bb gun as we went past. I have to admit that i rode my horse through his yard as retaliation shame one me one day..now he is an ooooold codger and i can say honestly that in the last 30 years his lawn still looks like heck. That old mean missouri clay doesn't make for a good lawn unless you chemical dump it to death. I dont see why a square of green is so important in the first place. I think people just want something to lay their control over.

 

[MyIrishWolfie]

He's obnoxious but I too can understand where he's coming from. I dont like when owners let their dogs poop in my yard and then dont clean up. If I see a dog taking a dump and the owner dosen't have a bag then I'll go out and offer them a bag. Maybe Im rude to do that but they're being rude not to clean up after their dog and after all it is my lawn. Yes, that guy should've asked nicer but then again its not that hard to carry a bag with you

 

[PixieSticksandTricks]

See up until 5 years ago I lived in a rural community where you never picked up poop. Now im trying to get used to it I still think its weird to pick up your dogs poop but I do it.

 

[Allykat]

I HATE when I have to pick up OTHER dogs poop. I always have bags with me just in case my dog has an accident. He could have been nicer, but I have to admit when I see someone's dog poop on my lawn and leave it there it can get a bit.....nasty. Its really rude to not pick it up.

 

[SummerRiot]

Although he could have been nicer about it...walking your dog on other peoples lawn is classed as "tresspassing".

Take your dog to a park where hes allowed to be in the grass etc.

I do not like it when other people trudge their dog across my lawn either. You never know if they have gotten their dogs shots or if the dog doesn't have something. As well as all the male dogs tend to pee on our trees in the front lawn, then Riots got to go and re-mark his territory lol Riot is out on my front lawn almost daily with me and I wouldn't have him to pick something up that he didn't have to.

 

[soft pawz]

i dont really let my dog walk right through other peoples property but i let him go to the edge of the gras and yes sometimes he poopes as i cant really control when he decides to go ( most of the time it is NOT on somebodys property though ). anyway i pick up and dont think its a big deal.
as long as you dont let your dog walk right through their yard and as long as you pick up i dont think poeple should get upset....

now if somebody doesnt pick up, thats a differnt story. would make me mad too.

 

[Barley'sMom]

In the neighborhood where I live (in the city), we had lots of dog owners who weren't picking up. So one Saturday last summer, we had a neighborhood party - and had the kids paint metal trash cans donated by the city. The cans are now strategically placed every few blocks next to the fire hydrants! A great resolution for any of you city people...

 

[moonchild1970]

Want to hear something funny? I actually got reprimanded for PICKING IT UP!!

I was walking my border collie and he pooped. So I picked it up in a baggy, and noting a garbage bin at the curb went over and dropped it in!

Then I heard someone knocking on the window of the house, so I looked up and here's this woman gesturing and yelling at me for throwing out the poop in her garbage can, so I just stood there and gave her a dirty look back and then walked off.

Law out here states that once a garbage can is on the curb, it is public property as far as being used. So the hell with her...lol.

 

[Debi]

remember too that it probably wasn't just YOU, but maybe countless people that let their dog potty in his yard. that may be why he wasn't in the mood to be nicer about it. also....sometimes 'nice' doesn't work. I have a neighbor that used to let their dog run for 'exercise'. we live in the country, and the dog could roam anywhere. for some strange reason, she loved to lay in my flowerbeds. wellllllll, I was nice once. the next time?? they got my point, and the dog no longer runs free. sad for the dog, but I don't want dogs in my flowers or my yard. I love dogs, but mine have their own yard and the woods. seeing someone else's dog leaving 'gifts' in my yard makes me really angry. gotta respect other people's property.

 

[whatszmatter]

Sometimes things happen, and your dog has to go, no big deal to me. What I really don't like or understand, can't you let your dog go to the bathroom in your own yard and then walk? I do it every day.

I don't mind if someone's dog just goes on the edge of our lawn, but two people in particular let their dogs, everyday, come up to the house, pee on the rose bush, pee on our tree, run over to the other tree and pee. ONe person at least keeps moving with their dog, the other one's just let their dog mill about sniffing and peeing wherever he likes.

That bugs the heck out of me, for one, its not their yard, two, it drives my dog nuts. I don't let her pee in your yard, keep your dogs from doing it in mine. Why people let their dogs out to mark up a an entire neighborhood is beyond me.

 

[casablanca1]

I don't think letting your leashed dog stray briefly onto the edge of someone's lawn is a very serious case of trespassing, and the buff guy was a jerk. I try to keep my dog off people's yards and in the curb area (between the sidewalk and the street) but if she veers over to sniff a tree, I'm not going to haul her away out of some exagerated respect for property rights. If there's no sidewalk, and the owners of the nearest house have chosen to pretend that their property extends to the street (Manifest Destiny of the suburbs) I have no problem walking on what should be a sidewalk, to stay out of the street.

The only exception here is if there's a dog freaking out in the backyard or at the window or something. Then you really should move on quickly, to avoid taunting the confined dog.

can't you let your dog go to the bathroom in your own yard and then walk? I do it every day.

It does depend on the dog, though. My last dog would rather use the yard before walking (I don't think I ever had to pick up after her on a walk) but my current dog will, if she suspects there's a walk in the offing, wait no matter how long I leave her in the yard first.

 

[DanL]

remember too that it probably wasn't just YOU, but maybe countless people that let their dog potty in his yard.

That's my take on it too. He's probably tired of people letting their dogs on his grass, even if they aren't going to the bathroom on it. It sounds like he spends a lot of time getting his lawn to look nice, and he doesn't want to put up with people doing that- whether doggish's pup was going to the bathroom or not.

The neighbor who lives across the street on my side yard has a group of other old men who come over and hang out in his garage every morning. The street is narrow, so they would constantly park their trucks on my grass- not his of course. I finally went out one day and put notes on all their trucks to please not park on the lawn. It's not like I have a model lawn, but I work on it, and they were wearing tire marks into it. There is a lot behind mine that is a guy's garden- so they started parking there instead. That guy put up no tresspassing signs to keep them off. I always told my wife, I felt like driving over to their houses and pulling up on the lawn and parking there for a while, to see what they said and to let them know how it felt.

 

[KellyB]

I've got to agree with everyone that you were in the wrong. You should not let your dog in anyone else's yard . . . period.

Let me explain that my husband and I have had similar reactions to people allowing their pets in our yard because asking nicely doesn't work. We had people allowing their dogs into our yard to do their business and we all know that dog urine can kill grass. We didn't want that, and we keep our dog to one designated bathroom spot to keep our lawn looking nice. And on top of that, there are been several times where I have gotten out of my car and nearly stepped in doggie landmines that were huge (and definitely did not belong to my 7lb chihuahua).

I'm sorry, but people need to have more respect for others' property. Remember that when you allow your dog into another's yard you are a TRESSPASSER.

 

[PixieSticksandTricks]

yes..when i was a kid we had one of those down the hill past my house. My dog and were walking in the ditch that had rain water still damp for i was barefuot and the pavement was very hot. The man ran out and swore we were killing his grass seed. we weren't even on his ol grass seed. Another time he shot at the leaves right over our head with a bb gun as we went past. I have to admit that i rode my horse through his yard as retaliation shame one me one day..now he is an ooooold codger and i can say honestly that in the last 30 years his lawn still looks like heck. That old mean missouri clay doesn't make for a good lawn unless you chemical dump it to death. I dont see why a square of green is so important in the first place. I think people just want something to lay their control over.

I agree. I have never seen the huge deal with lawns and how they look. Its grass not gold.

 

[Dreeza]

yikes! i always let oakley run on people's lawns...i know its not right, but so far, no one has said anything. If people are around, then he stays by our side of course...

i mean, i dont know about where all of you live, but we cant take oakley to a park...the closest one is 45 mins away or something (and when im not home (98% of the time), my bro cant...cause he cant drive)...and yeah, we have a backyard...but we want to walk too...we make sure he stays outta flowerbeds...he doesnt dig...and on especially muddy days, we try to keep him from running and skidding (and pulling up all the grass, lol)

we always pick up though...people around here are pretty good at that...i rarely see poop on the ground.