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Last night a women who lives in my development was walking her beautiful large Husky. She proceeded to let the dog urinate on my front yard, near a tree and a flower bed. We added an element to our alarm system that alerts us to someone in our yard (not near the street) so we looked out when we heard the alarm and watched the owner allow the pet behavior.
I do not know the owners, but have seen them before in the neighborhood and they seemed pleasant, waving, etc. I posted a mention on our HOA FB page that I thought was improper pet owner behavior and rude.
Of course I was summarily blasted by other residents.
Is it too much to ask that all the hard work my 71 year old husband puts into our yard, restoring it from neglect from the previous owner and spending money on flowers, fertilizer, etc. to think dog walkers would curb their dog and use city-owned grass areas near the street? I don't feel it is asking too much.
The owner responded that, basically, his dog could pee anywhere it wanted, it wasn't something he considered or worried about and that he picks up feces per city rules. I understand that there may be a generational difference of opinion here. He was not totally impolite but his responses as well as other responses had a snarky quality to them.
I just wonder how these people would feel if I deposited about a pint of urine on their front yard and flowers.
Also posted in another forum, I don't know if reposting is correct. Admins please let me know.
Last night a women who lives in my development was walking her beautiful large Husky. She proceeded to let the dog urinate on my front yard, near a tree and a flower bed. We added an element to our alarm system that alerts us to someone in our yard (not near the street) so we looked out when we heard the alarm and watched the owner allow the pet behavior.
I do not know the owners, but have seen them before in the neighborhood and they seemed pleasant, waving, etc. I posted a mention on our HOA FB page that I thought was improper pet owner behavior and rude.
Of course I was summarily blasted by other residents.
Is it too much to ask that all the hard work my 71 year old husband puts into our yard, restoring it from neglect from the previous owner and spending money on flowers, fertilizer, etc. to think dog walkers would curb their dog and use city-owned grass areas near the street? I don't feel it is asking too much.
The owner responded that, basically, his dog could pee anywhere it wanted, it wasn't something he considered or worried about and that he picks up feces per city rules. I understand that there may be a generational difference of opinion here. He was not totally impolite but his responses as well as other responses had a snarky quality to them.
I just wonder how these people would feel if I deposited about a pint of urine on their front yard and flowers.
I guess it depends on how you phrased your note to the neighborhood. If you mentioned the work you and your husband put into the landscaping and would appreciate people being extra diligent around your area, I'm sure that would have been met appropriately.
But if you called someone out by name, made accusations and called them rude...
While I understand your concern, if I am out walking my dog in the neighborhood, and my dog has to pee, she's just going to go. I don't encourage it, but it happens. I would never, though, leave the sidewalk and walk my dog into your yard.
I guess it depends on how you phrased your note to the neighborhood. If you mentioned the work you and your husband put into the landscaping and would appreciate people being extra diligent around your area, I'm sure that would have been met appropriately.
But if you called someone out by name, made accusations and called them rude...
You get what you give.
That being said, perhaps the idea of depositing a pint or two of my own dog's urine in their flowerbed might be the solution. I was not unkind in my FB post but was met with unreasonable posts that I should be accepting of random dogs, on leash, being allowing to squirt in my flowerbeds containing expensive plantings.
I called no one out by specific name, merely said "the person walking the large Husky" - I have no idea where there house is in our enclosed development, but perhaps I should find out.
That being said, perhaps the idea of depositing a pint or two of my own dog's urine in their flowerbed might be the solution. I was not unkind in my FB post but was met with unreasonable posts that I should be accepting of random dogs, on leash, being allowing to squirt in my flowerbeds containing expensive plantings.
I called no one out by specific name, merely said "the person walking the large Husky" - I have no idea where there house is in our enclosed development, but perhaps I should find out.
I'm sure everyone knows who owns the large husky. That's just passive-aggressive behavior.
Instead of trying to handle the issue rationally, your first instinct is to retaliate? Play this out for us. When you retaliate, what do you hope to accomplish. Then, think what it will actually accomplish. I'm hoping you can see the difference.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mschrief
That being said, perhaps the idea of depositing a pint or two of my own dog's urine in their flowerbed might be the solution. I was not unkind in my FB post but was met with unreasonable posts that I should be accepting of random dogs, on leash, being allowing to squirt in my flowerbeds containing expensive plantings.
I called no one out by specific name, merely said "the person walking the large Husky" - I have no idea where there house is in our enclosed development, but perhaps I should find out.
That is very much like calling them out by name, because the Husky is not all that common, and it's not likely that there are many in your HOA. Normally the female dog's urine will kill plants almost as well as Roundup, while male is not as bad. I too would be annoyed by this, but would have tried to catch them walking by some other time and politely ask them to stop. Calling them out publicly will make them mad and probably cause them to encourage the dog to go on your plants, in addition to antagonizing the other dog owners in your neighborhood.
So .... here's my thoughts on this. On the one hand I believe strongly in the right to ownership and privacy. On the other hand I believe strongly in letting dogs be dogs. How to reconcile the two?
Well ...... with me I always end up siding with the pets. I see humans as taking these animals, domesticating them, making them utterly dependent on us, and so I think it is our responsibility (all of us) to tolerate a great deal from them.
People allow their dogs to defecate on my front lawn regularly. We live on the outskirts of a small city and the dogs will poop on an area of our lawn that is next to the road. I don't care. I just clean it up and carry on. They're dogs. Now I would have a problem if they pooped on my front patio. So I do draw the line, it's just a lot further away than others.
Perhaps, in the interest of harmony, you and your husband could plant urine resistant grasses and plants in the areas of concern. It will give you a new project (which is always good) and will show a willingness to live in peace. We can not control the behavior of others, we can only control our reactions.
I think the only other option is a fence (which dogs love to pee on by the way)
I always try to make my dog walk on my left so he's on the parkway side of the grass. However, you can't always win. You said that he peed near the flowers, not on them. I'd be more upset if he did but bottom line is that's part of the nuisance of living in a neighborhood. I'm sure he's not the only creature who has relieved himself on your lawn.
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Owner/Pet Behavior
