The smell never quite warns you in time. Instead, that sickening feeling as you step down in a pile of it and ruin your day comes first. The neighbors don’t seem to care where their dog goes, or they’d clean up after. If it were just on the sidewalk or other public property, it wouldn’t be quite so bad, but it’s not. The worst part is that you don’t know why the dog is picking your yard.
How do I keep my neighbors dog from pooping in my yard? You can always ask the neighbors to handle it, but when that fails, you may need to resort to other methods. You can use both chemical and natural repellents. If you prefer a more prohibitive approach for the owners, an excellent outdoor camera and a bill for the cleanup will do nicely.
People First
Even if you’ve tried it before, talking to the pet owners is worth a shot. Most people can be reasoned with, and pet owners love their furry friends. Even when it seems like your neighbors are awful people, they could have given a bad first impression if they had an off day. Though it won’t always work, you may be pleasantly surprised by how far some manners will get you.
Using the least problematic avenue for a solution first is always the best choice. Often enough you’ll find that’s an end to the problem. Since you’re not a cartoon villain, threatening the dog’s life won’t work. It can get you into legal trouble, so avoid any threats. If the situation persists, there are other avenues to explore.
Written Notices
Putting up a sign that warns people to please pick up their dog’s droppings is another simple solution. It serves to make sure the owners are aware that you can see what’s happening. This is particularly effective if you don’t know who owns the dog. Not everyone will respect the sign, but it still serves to show that you’ve made every effort to fix the problem peacefully.
If you do know the owner, you can send them a letter as well. It’s not uncommon for frustrated neighbors to send cease and desist letters when a person or pet is harassing you with their actions. It’s always best to use a template. Stick to the facts exactly and don’t add in anything personal or overly expressive. It might help to mention that dog poop is a health concern and a biohazard. However, anything that comes across as a threat can come back to bite you later.
If you’re forced to send a letter, notify your local police or sheriffs. Make three copies. Keep one, give one to your law enforcement, and post the third via certified mail only. A certified letter means you have a receipt and proof that you sent it. Otherwise, things can devolve into your word against theirs.
Natural & Chemical Options
Using repellents to keep dogs out of your yard might be the solution you’re looking for. Anyone who’s walked down the pet aisle has likely seen sprays to keep cats from clawing furniture, but did you know dogs are especially susceptible to some sprays and natural substances?
Canine noses are hypersensitive, which means there are numerous strong scents they dislike. Not every solution works on every dog, but with a little experimentation, you should be able to find something workable.
Natural & Artificial
- Mothballs- It’s not just the moths that dislike mothballs. Many dogs find the scent of mothballs offensive, and they’re easy to spread around.
- Rubbing Alcohol- Perhaps it’s less than desirable to sprinkle alcohol on your grass, but if you live somewhere like the southwest where a large part of landscaping is rock work, this might be perfect.
- Ammonia- If you have ammonia around the house, then all you need is a spray bottle, and you can deter that pest of a pup. You can get this in large containers at most grocery stores.
- Citrus- Lemon, lime, and orange oils can annoy some dogs. The pungency and oils can be offensive to their sensitive nose.
- Vinegar- Sure, your yard will smell like a pickle, but it probably won’t be covered in poop. You can use either white or apple cider vinegar. Spray it around to prevent pest problems.
- Chilli Powders- There are quite a few choices for powdered chillis. Choose something hot and strong like a good cayenne or ancho powder. You can put it in water as a spray or sprinkle it around as you like.
- Artificial Sprays- There are many commercial dog repellants (Click Here for pricing)for sale. Powders, sprays, and granules can all be used around the edge of the yard to create a border.
The downsides of using these methods are that you have to pay out of pocket and it must be renewed regularly. Keep your receipts in case your neighbors cause you further problems. If you ever have to go to court, a judge may order them to pay reimbursement for your troubles.
Other Solutions
Not often, but sometimes the dirty doggie is a stray. In that case, you can call the local animal control. However, there are many other solutions you can try, as well. For example, when you know whose dog is leaving you ‘presents’ try out a surveillance camera (Click Here for Amazon pricing). They come in handy for all sorts of issues, so even when the dog problem is solved.
An obvious answer is to put in a fence or border of hedges and dense plants. Fencing is easy to get at a local hardware shop, and almost anyone can install it themselves. If you choose plants, make sure you look for something that grows fast and has dense branches. A plant with thorns will help keep pests out very effectively. Roses and barberry both look lovely and prohibit entry.
Adding other elements to your yard that dogs dislike might also help keep the pooch in its place. Sharp rocks aren’t much fun to walk over for one thing. If you like a more cultivated garden, try some plants: citronella, lemongrass or coleus canina for a nice smelling and attractive border that many dogs dislike.
Lastly, you can install an electronic dog repeller (Click Here for latest pricing). Using a combination of noise and lights, these ingenious devices send animals running. If you prefer, you can pick up the spray version on Amazon instead, but either way, scaring the bad dog out of your yard should make it think twice before it bombs your grass again. Pick a solar charging model, and you won’t have to worry about power issues like batteries and cords.
Last Resort
If you’ve installed the surveillance camera or taken pictures, there’s one last option available. Hire yourself a cleaner who can take care of the health hazard in your yard. This is an essential step because you want the proof you had a professional clean up after the neighbor’s dog. Then collect up all your receipts for cleaning, cameras, repellants, signage, the certified letter you sent, and so forth.
Get ahold of a lawyer and have them file suit against the neighbors. Once you’ve done everything in your power to solve the problem like a mature adult, you’ll have more than enough evidence to get your money back. As long as you haven’t been rude or harassing, there’s not much reason why a judge would find against you.
Once your neighbors pay your court and legal fees, take time off work to go to court, and have to pay for all that gear to keep their dog out of your yard they will almost certainly keep the beastie on a leash and out of your way. Keep the security cameras(Click Here for the latest pricing) up and running in case they try to retaliate.
Final Thoughts
Stepping in poop is a horrid feeling. When it becomes a regular occurrence because of a lousy neighbor, it may seem like there’s not much you can do. Luckily that’s not true. When talking fails, take the steps necessary to get rid of your puppy pest problem. Even if the first thing you do doesn’t work, it will eventually give you a paper trail if you ever need a final solution like suing the neighbors.
Hopefully, things won’t go so far, but if they do, you now have a roadmap to guide you to a resolution. Most of the time, it doesn’t need to go so far because there are so many methods for keeping dogs away.