bathroom etiquette

abs914

O.G.
Sep 3, 2008
737
7
I live in a townhouse community with two bichons. Every day I take them on 4-5 walks, generally the same route...never had any problems with anyone.

We were just out on a walk and some woman comes out of her home and says "Can you please not have your dogs go to the bathroom on my lawn?" I proceed to show her my blue bags and say that I always pick up after my dogs. She says "I know, but it's not fair to my dog when they pee on my lawn."

Now, my dogs don't go roaming her lawn (technically, I'm not sure if it's HER lawn or if it belongs to the community). Throughout the whole community there is one tree every couple of yards. These trees are literally maybe a foot away from the sidewalk. One of my little guys will lift his leg on it and keep on moving.

The part that confuses me is when she says "It's not fair to my dog." Her dog is a little teacup thing that doesn't even go on walks. The only times I've seen it, the woman or her husband would be holding it. Even if it did go on walks, how exactly would my dogs peeing be unfair?

Where does she expect my pups (and all the other pups) to pee?

Thanks for any feedback :biggrin:

p.s. I know avoiding one tree isn't a big deal...but it's a cookie cutter community so I would literally need to stare at every house number as I'm walking them. Due to the fact that my one year old enjoys putting anything and everything in his mouth, my attention needs to be on them, not with which house I'm currently passing.
 
I don't really know the set-up of your neighborhood, but in my town there's a strip of grassy area between the sidewalk and the street/curb. When I walk my dogs in our neighborhood, that is the only place I allow them to use the bathroom. I don't allow them to do anything in anyone's yards, as I feel that's off-limits for a variety of reasons (it can ruin grass, they may have children that play there, etc), and regardless of those reasons, someone else owns that yard and not me, so my dogs have no right to do their business there.

Perhaps that women meant she didn't want another dog marking their territory in her dog's yard?
 
I guess everyone has their own beliefs then when it comes to that. I believe that owners should be responsible to pick up after their dogs but I don't mind at all if a dog wanted to pee on my grass. Obviously other people feel that way as well since other owners allow their dogs to pee on the trees and I've never heard anyone else complain. But I don't want to start trouble so it looks like I'll be taking them in a different direction from now on to avoid that woman :P

Thanks.
 
I don't allow my dog to pee/poop on anyones lawn. I direct her off the sidewalk onto the grassy strip closest to the street. I'm not really understanding what your set up is - whether you live in an apartment complex and the "lawn" is basically everyones or if you live in an residential neighborhood with lawns and no grassy strips of land next to the sidewalk? Some people don't even like dogs going there but thats too bad cause they are ridiculous to think that just because a dog doesn't poop or pee on their lawn or anywhere else that during the night other creatures aren't relieving themselves there too (ie, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, feral cats, coyotes, etc.) So if it is community lawn she is talking about, kindly remind her of that fact.
 
I live in a townhouse community with two bichons. Every day I take them on 4-5 walks, generally the same route...never had any problems with anyone.

We were just out on a walk and some woman comes out of her home and says "Can you please not have your dogs go to the bathroom on my lawn?" I proceed to show her my blue bags and say that I always pick up after my dogs. She says "I know, but it's not fair to my dog when they pee on my lawn."

Where does she expect my pups (and all the other pups) to pee?

I think I live in a community very similar to what you have described when it comes to the "shared" lawns. I don't have dogs but most of my neighbours have them and to be honest, I wouldn't like it if they let their dogs pee/poop on my lawn either. It's not technically "my" lawn but it is understood that if I were to spend time outside (bbqing, sitting outside, sunbathing, playing frisbee or whatever else), that lawn is where I'll be (same for other neighbours and "their" lawns). And in doing that, I certainly won't want to accidentally sit on pee or smears of poo on the grass (sorry!). My other neighbours have kids who spend lots of time outside on "their" lawns and I don't think they'd want their kids to be playing around on a dirty lawn either.

We have strips of grass on the sidewalks next to the buildings. My neighbours generally bring their dogs there and it works for everyone.
 
Teacup dog is probably afraid of other dogs.

I am fostering a very emotionally sensitive pug. She is easily frightened because she was treated very badly for 4 years before coming to Pug Rescue. She is even afraid of most puppies, even the tiny ones like yorkies.

Teacup dog sees "her" lawn as her territory - in effect - her home. When she smells another dog's pee in her "home," it means a BIG (to her) dog has invaded her territory. It scares her.

It's like how we feel violated and scared when we get an anonymous porno telephone call. We feel like we are in the crosshairs (gun targeting site) of some male pervert. And we feel like our personal space (home / sanctuary) has been invaded.

Teacup dog is reacting based on her experience and/or genetic memory.

Just pity Teacup dog and have your pups pee elsewhere.
 
Teacup dog is probably afraid of other dogs.

I am fostering a very emotionally sensitive pug. She is easily frightened because she was treated very badly for 4 years before coming to Pug Rescue. She is even afraid of most puppies, even the tiny ones like yorkies.

Teacup dog sees "her" lawn as her territory - in effect - her home. When she smells another dog's pee in her "home," it means a BIG (to her) dog has invaded her territory. It scares her.

It's like how we feel violated and scared when we get an anonymous porno telephone call. We feel like we are in the crosshairs (gun targeting site) of some male pervert. And we feel like our personal space (home / sanctuary) has been invaded.

Teacup dog is reacting based on her experience and/or genetic memory.

Just pity Teacup dog and have your pups pee elsewhere.


wow, never thought of it that way! :nuts: poor lil pup. good post!
 
Teacup dog is probably afraid of other dogs.

I am fostering a very emotionally sensitive pug. She is easily frightened because she was treated very badly for 4 years before coming to Pug Rescue. She is even afraid of most puppies, even the tiny ones like yorkies.

Teacup dog sees "her" lawn as her territory - in effect - her home. When she smells another dog's pee in her "home," it means a BIG (to her) dog has invaded her territory. It scares her.

It's like how we feel violated and scared when we get an anonymous porno telephone call. We feel like we are in the crosshairs (gun targeting site) of some male pervert. And we feel like our personal space (home / sanctuary) has been invaded.

Teacup dog is reacting based on her experience and/or genetic memory.

Just pity Teacup dog and have your pups pee elsewhere.
Good post... never would've thought of it like that.

My community is completely different - my dog pees wherever it wants, other dogs pee wherever they want... this hasn't ever been a problem.