Neighbors dog poops in my yard (natural, sheltie, cross, outside)

[hmrd]

mod cutdog and cat feces can be hazardous to the health of humans, dogs, and cats.

My neighbor’s cat was pooping in my flower bed. Another neighbor told me I was getting free fertilizer. I asked if he knew it could be harmful to humans.

“There are several very common diseases that can be transmitted to dogs, cats and people through feces. These include giardia, roundworms, salmonella, and Ecoli. In addition, your dog can spread or contract parvovirus or coronavirus through infected feces. All of these diseases are very serious and common and every effort should be made by pet owners to keep their pets and family away from potentially infected feces.”

“Flies will consume and lay eggs in feces. These same flies will [can] then come into your house and then spread disease as they pause on your counter and food.” The word “can” is my suggested edit.

The two above quotes are from the internet site of two veterinarians:
5 Important Reasons to Clean up Pet Waste

Old, dry poop may be less disgusting, but it’s not necessarily less dangerous.
“…perhaps less well known is the fact that a lot of these parasites actually become more infectious as the poop ages…Roundworm can take up to three weeks, and then may remain infectious for years in contaminated soil and water.” Dog Poop Poses Disease Risk: Scoop Fido's Feces While It's Still Fresh

Also, CDC and local governments have become interested in the fact that animal feces left on sidewalks and yards can wash into storm drains and ditches and contaminate our water sources. Beaches and wetlands are affected, too.

While people may believe their pet has no parasites or diseases, this is not always true.

Getting people to take responsibility for cleaning up after their dog is not just about the mess and smell, it’s also about human and pet health.

[SilentP]

Our neighbors had been consistently setting their car alarms at all hours. Nothing like hearing beeeeeep as you're about to fall asleep. The last straw was when it happened at 4 AM. We approached them and phrased it in a way that assumed they didn't know how disruptive it was and they were receptive, apologetic, and said it would never happen again. So, I would suggest letting them know and hopefully, that mitigates the issue. Good luck!

[68scout]

It's really an easy solution on your part....it just depends on if the neighbor is an ass about it....

Stop by, introduce yourself as your "new" anyway to the hood.... then make friends with the dog...this should stop it from "charging" at you if it occasionally gets off leash. Dogs love new friends.

then take the opportunity during the good vibes of meeting and be-befriending their dog to say something about the poop....say it TO the dog, like he's a bad little bugger...then you can sidesteer the conversation easily into asking the owner to be more mindful.

Try that....

Argh, had to edit twice....my "S" key on the laptop works intermittently sigh

[don6170]

Originally Posted by 68scout

Stop by, introduce yourself as your "new" anyway to the hood.... then make friends with the dog...this should stop it from "charging" at you if it occasionally gets off leash. Dogs love new friends.

Not all dogs like strangers coming into their territory. When meeting a new dog, don't look it directly in the eyes, which can be perceived as a threat/challenge. At first meeting, don't reach over it's head to pet it and don't pat it on the head. You want the first up close meeting to go well. Also - some people are clueless about their dog's behavior.

[68scout]

true...I am assuming the original poster will use good judgment....but with dog people making friends with the dog (if possible of course...some dogs are just jerks lol) goes wonders to the relationship with the owner...

dog people always say (JOKINGLY) if my dog likes you you must be allright

[wheelsup]

Talking to the neighbor is a great idea. I would not however follow up by throwing the poop on their doorstep or in their yard.

If the dog is in fact going on your property you have legal recourse:

"Pooper Scooper" Law

The person responsible for any dog must remove feces deposited by the dog from any private property unless the owner of the property has given permission allowing such use of the property. Removal of animal feces is not just a courtesy, it is an environmental necessity.

Animal Control Unit | raleighnc.gov

If this were me, after speaking to the neighbor, if it continued to happen I would purchase an inexpensive security camera with motion sensor so that it could record the "deed". With proof, the system will get involved and hit the owner where it counts.

Personally, that is how I would handle the situation. I certainly wouldn't go directly to throwing the book but if they don't stop you need to draw the line in the sand.

[NM posts]

I'd talk to them and if that doesn't work I'd probably bag the poop and put it on their steps/walkway. I'm not sure that's the right thing to do...but I know I'd do it.

[underPSI]

mod cut

Have you actually witnessed the dog pooping in your yard? Here's what you said in your first post:

I just bought a townhome less than a month ago and have already stepped in dog poop from my neighbor. They have 2 dogs and a pooper scooper. I believe they only clean up about half of their dog waste. I just found 6 piles of it today in my yard when I came home from work and ended up stepping in it as well. I live on an end unit townhome so we kind of share a yard between the houses.

They have 2 dogs and a.....POOPER-SCOOPER which implies they pick up their dog's poop. You state they clean up their dog's poop but only half of it. Does that sound reasonable? Not to me. Why would someone who has a pooper-scooper go through the effort of only picking up half of it? Reading further you state you live on an end unit which, in my opinion, would probably be where most people walk their dog. I have yet to read where you witnessed your neighbor's dog pooping in your yard. You have to understand it's not what you know it's what you can prove. Right now it's sounds as if you really don't even know if it's your neighbor's dog. If their dogs are pooping 6 times in one day the neighbors really need to choose a better food. I state that because even on crappy food a dog isn't going to poop that much which points the finger at multiple dogs pooping in your yard.

My suggestion would be to not say anything to the neighbor right now. Wait until you catch them in the act. If you make an accusation without any proof you will look like a fool. Just keep you eyes open for the poop until you can find out who's doing it. What about putting up a webcam in the front window for a few days while away? All you need is proof of who's doing it then you can resolve the situation.

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by underPSI

Have you actually witnessed the dog pooping in your yard?

That's EXACTLY what I was wondering. How are you SURE the poop is from this specific neighbor?

[bobbyrab]

You need to ascertain the "poop" on the poop before you defecate on your neighbor.