[cookieface]

I'm trying to be a responsible dog owner and a good neighbor. Most of the time, my dog eliminates in our yard. A notable exception is when she and I walk around the neighborhood. I don't let her go in areas that are obviously tended and always clean up after her, but is there anything else I should be doing? Is it possible / advisable to try to make her wait until we get home? I've tried waiting for her to go in our yard, but she still goes while we're walking.

Thanks!

 

[spotted nikes]

I try to not let my dogs walk on manicured lawns or go into the yards. If possible, I keep them to the part between the road and sidewalk. Pick up after them. That's about all you can do, because, if they have to go, they are going to go.
I get mad at the people on Flexi leashes who let their dog go 10 feet up into my yard to go to the bathroom. There is no reason that doing that would ever be acceptable, even if they do clean it up.

 

[sassafras]

Yea I keep them out of people's yards, but allow them to go on the boulevard.

 

[cookieface]

Thanks, I think. The problem is, the only option is someone's yard or the street. I try to keep her as close to the street as possible and guide her to less manicured areas.

I'll try harder to get her to go before we leave home.

Yea I keep them out of people's yards, but allow them to go on the boulevard.

You let your dog go on the street? Our neighborhood isn't busy, but we're usually out when people are coming home from work or leaving for kids' events so there is some traffic.

 

[sassafras]

Oh, sorry. "Boulevard" is what we call the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street here.

 

[hamandeggs]

If the yard is manicured, then don't let her ruin the lawn or pee on the rosebushes. But if it's generally untended, I would worry less about it. There's a semi-abandoned house on a corner lot near us and I let Biscuit wander about in the yard there, but if it seems like someone has put effort into their garden (even if it's on the median), I won't let her go there.

 

[lil_fuzzy]

I let my dogs poo wherever they need to go. Obviously they're not in the middle of people's yards, they can't get there with a leash on, but anywhere on the grass along the footpath is fine, and I pick it up.

There was on time Obi had only barely stepped off the path to poo, and I got the bag out while waiting for him to finish, and while I was standing there with the bag in my hand some woman inside the house shouted at us to "get off our yard", then ran away from the window so I couldn't see her. I very calmly waited for Obi to finish, picked it up and kept walking.

There was nothing special about the yard, just grass and some weeds.

 

[Tofu_pup]

I've tried getting the dogs to do their business before leaving the house and once we get home but that hasn't been very successful. The only time that really works is on runs. They're too busy trying to keep up on runs and as soon as we get home, they poop in the yard.

 

[Finkie_Mom]

Yeah, we don't have sidewalks in my neighborhood, so unfortunately, sometimes my guys have to go on someone's lawn. I try to move them along to areas, say, outside of fences where there are small strips of grass that aren't taken care of as well, but it doesn't always happen like that. But even when they do go on someone's lawn, it's at the very edge (I don't use flexi leads and they stay pretty close to my side the whole time). And obviously I pick it up wherever they go. For my dog walking clients, I am usually able to get them to go before we walk (in their own yards) so we're good. The ones that don't, I try to make sure they go in the grassy area between the curb and sidewalk.

 

[cookieface]

Thanks. Sounds like I'm not a terrible neighbor. Few houses in our immediate neighborhood have well-manicured lawns (too many trees) and I can generally keep her away from those that do. And we never leave home without a supply of poo bags - they're good for poop and trash we find along the way.

 

[Poly]

Oh, sorry. "Boulevard" is what we call the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street here.

Some locales don't have one of those. Heck, some don't even have sidewalks.

And there are locales around here with NO sidewalks and with manicured lawns right up to the roadway.

To the OP:

When walking your dog, you have to follow all the applicable rules and regulations.

Contact your town or county and ask what the dog walking ordinances are for your location. It may not be just about cleaning up - you may have leash laws, BSLs, and the like that you have to follow. You'll probably end up talking to one of the animal control officers. You'll not only get the rules, but how animal control interprets the rules. That will help you a lot.

Also, if you wander into a "gated" or HOA community, or special areas such as around schools, the rules can be quite different from the general ordinances. So be aware of any special signage as you are walking around. Some of these locales have very strict dog related regulations.

We go to a lot of places for trials, matches, practices or just visiting. Ranging from urban to suburban to exurban. Sometimes there is an assigned potty spot but sometimes there isn't. We couldn't possibly know what the laws and regulations are for every place we go to, but we have found that most of the time, if we act reasonably responsibly, clean up after our dogs, and don't let them wander into what are obviously front yards, we are OK.

 

[sassafras]

Some locales don't have one of those. Heck, some don't even have sidewalks.

And there are locales around here with NO sidewalks and with manicured lawns right up to the roadway.

Yes, I'm aware of that. The OP asked a question and I answered. *shrug*

 

[hamandeggs]

Some When walking your dog, you have to follow all the applicable rules and regulations.

Contact your town or county and ask what the dog walking ordinances are for your location. It may not be just about cleaning up - you may have leash laws, BSLs, and the like that you have to follow. You'll probably end up talking to one of the animal control officers. You'll not only get the rules, but how animal control interprets the rules. That will help you a lot.

Not saying I disagree with this, but IMHO it's just as important (if not more) to follow the lead of what other local dog owners do. Sometimes the local rules can be ridiculous. For example, it's not in any statute, but the city where I live published a pamphlet about cleaning up after your dog that says you shouldn't even throw poop bags in public trash cans. You're supposed to take it home with you. Sorry, but that is ridiculous and I don't know anyone who actually does that.

 

[cookieface]

To the OP:

When walking your dog, you have to follow all the applicable rules and regulations.

Contact your town or county and ask what the dog walking ordinances are for your location. It may not be just about cleaning up - you may have leash laws, BSLs, and the like that you have to follow. You'll probably end up talking to one of the animal control officers. You'll not only get the rules, but how animal control interprets the rules. That will help you a lot.

Also, if you wander into a "gated" or HOA community, or special areas such as around schools, the rules can be quite different from the general ordinances. So be aware of any special signage as you are walking around. Some of these locales have very strict dog related regulations.

We go to a lot of places for trials, matches, practices or just visiting. Ranging from urban to suburban to exurban. Sometimes there is an assigned potty spot but sometimes there isn't. We couldn't possibly know what the laws and regulations are for every place we go to, but we have found that most of the time, if we act reasonably responsibly, clean up after our dogs, and don't let them wander into what are obviously front yards, we are OK.

Thanks for the advice. As far as I can gather from reading state laws, dogs need only be "under control" and "not be allowed to run at large." There is no BSL; dog bites and attacks are reported and a district justice determines whether a dog is "dangerous" and requires special licensing and handling. There don't appear to be separate regulations for our county or township as everything links back to the state. Our HOA really doesn't have regulations; they exist mostly to organize parties and care of common areas.

Not saying I disagree with this, but IMHO it's just as important (if not more) to follow the lead of what other local dog owners do. Sometimes the local rules can be ridiculous. For example, it's not in any statute, but the city where I live published a pamphlet about cleaning up after your dog that says you shouldn't even throw poop bags in public trash cans. You're supposed to take it home with you. Sorry, but that is ridiculous and I don't know anyone who actually does that.

Considering we've cleaned up dog poop in our yard for years before getting a dog, I'd like to aim a little higher but I understand what you're saying.

I really don't think I should have to call the county or township offices just to walk my dog down the street. Animal control operations in my county are in a state of flux right now as our county SPCA stopped accepting strays and other provisions are just getting off the ground (to be fair, the SPCA gave the county several years notice). This Saturday we plan to attend a licensing / microchipping event sponsored by the county and local kennel club. I'm sure there will be literature and opportunities to ask questions there.

 

[Vicky88]

I would not let your dog go on someone else's garden, Holly i taught as a pup to stay out of other people's garden's, i walk down a lane often, and normally have her on her flexi lead without a problem, if she gets to close to a gate i just call her back.

 

[cookieface]

I would not let your dog go on someone else's garden, Holly i taught as a pup to stay out of other people's garden's, i walk down a lane often, and normally have her on her flexi lead without a problem, if she gets to close to a gate i just call her back.

Do you mean garden as in planted area or garden as in lawn? (If my memory is correct, garden to British folks is what yard is to Americans.)

 

[HollowHeaven]

There are no sidewalks on our path. We walk on a road, first our neighborhood graveled road, then on a paved road.
We have designated potty spots that the dogs don't care about but I certainly do. If they have to pee, generally I will let them pee wherever (as long as where ever isn't on someone's car or mailbox or 5 feet in their yard), 'cause if you're so petty you're gonna get mad over PEE, that you'll never see, smell or step in, then I just don't know what to do for ya.
But when I notice the call of nature otherwise, I will try to keep my two on the road, because they generally won't go there, then start jogging towards the potty spots. And our potty spots are generally unkempt grassy ditches. After 5 and 4 years going in these same spots, I think they know what to expect by now, but they don't always wait of course.

So maybe you can pick some spots for pottying without shame or panic? xD

 

[melaka]

I don't let Buffy walk on people's lawns. We don't have sidewalks here, but my street isn't too busy. I hold the leash so she can't reach the lawn. I'm also lucky that she pretty much will wait to we get home to go. The one time she went on the outside edge of someone's fenced lawn of course there was someone there watching. But, I cleaned it up, which I would've done whether someone was watching or not. Some neighbors don't do the same: I always, always find dog (and cat) poop on my own front lawn.

We also go to a beach town during the summer where many residents have signs saying keep the dogs off their back yards (we walk through the driveways a lot) and nicely manicured front yards. Sometimes I will let her go on the grass strip by the street but I try to make it down to a sandy/weedy area that is near the entrance to the beach/off to the side.

 

[HerdersForMe]

If possible, I keep them to the part between the road and sidewalk.

When possible your dog should go in your own yard. However things don't always work out perfectly. When all else, the above is appropriate IMO.

 

[cookieface]

Going in the street isn't an option - too dangerous. I'll try to get her to go before we leave home, but we don't call her "Miss Poops-A-Lot" for nothing