Anyone who has ever had a dog knows that when walking them out on the streets, one of the main challenges will be with where is okay for your dog to poop. The streets are a public place but there are sidewalks and people’s yards. More than that there’s a difference in something being legal and being not allowed by social etiquette.
For instance, when we’re talking about the things that will happen when you’re walking your dog, it’s important to understand what’s expected from you as the dog owner. You must control your dog so it doesn’t hurt or bother other people, and you must also take care of its poop.
So, is it illegal for your dog to poop in someone’s yard? No law makes a dog pooping in someone’s yard illegal. But you can be sued for trespassing, and financial compensation may be pursued from damages the animal may have caused. Some signs can make it clear for you that it’s not okay to allow your dog to do that. The main one is to notice if we’re talking about a yard that it’s been clearly taken care of by a gardener.
Now, since a yard can be part of what would be considered public street, your dog can, theoretically, poop there. The secret lies in you knowing the difference of when it will be okay and when it won’t. If there are fences, you should keep out.
So, make sure to read this article ‘til the end to understand when to avoid allowing your dog to poop in certain locations. This will save you a ton of trouble and headache with a neighbor.
Does The Yard Receive Especial Care?
The first social rule that you have to respect above all else is what kind of yard we’re talking about. For instance, if your neighbor takes care of his/her yard like you would an art piece, you should not allow your dog to poop there.
When it’s clear that somebody went above and beyond to take care of the grass, maybe even sculpting a few things, it’s rude to let your dog poop there. You will only create unnecessary drama and enemies out of this.
Of course, there might come a day when you’re unable to stop your dog. Still, what you can do is to not even allow it to sniff around. You can notice in the dog’s body language when they’re about to poop or pee.
So, if the lawn has been taken care of in any special way, avoid it. Take your dog somewhere else. Again, it isn’t illegal, but it’s rude. A nice neighborhood starts with respect and consideration for everyone.
If you’re having problems with an inconsiderate neighbor, you should get this highly recommended camera to help with your lawsuit.
Do Kids Live There?
This is another important thing that you should consider. Of course, depending on how far you go with your dog you may not know much about the people who live in a specific house. Still, if you do, you should consider avoiding yards that you know are of houses that have kids living in.
Dog’s poop carries all sorts of bacteria and pathogens like any animal feces. So, it’s dangerous to get in touch with those things. Even if you do pick it up, which you should always do, it still leaves bacteria behind. When there are kids in the house, they’re likely to play in that same yard.
Unlike adults, kids will play with grass or dirt. They will touch anything and everything. They’ll put those things in their mouths directly or indirectly. This means that you’re exposing them to potential diseases. So, the nice thing that you can do is to avoid those yards as well.
The best rule of thumb is to go for sidewalks whenever you can. They’re usually from concrete and won’t offer you major threats.
Always Clean It No Matter What
This is another pillar of social etiquette for dog owners. Clean up after your dog. You have to understand that no one chose for you to have a dog but you. This means that you must be responsible for it, and make sure that your dog’s actions don’t affect other people.
What this means is that you should clean up after your dog and train it to make sure it doesn’t hurt other people. You should always get out of the house with a few bags and make sure to pick the poop up. This way the streets will be cleaner, therefore, way nicer for people to live in and walk on.
Now, the reason this is important to make clear is that often time dog owners think that it’s okay to leave the poop if it’s on the grass. That’s definitely not okay. The grass is even more likely to house bacteria and make things worse. So, no matter what, clean it up.
If your neighbor doesn’t respect that, put up a sign and install this well rated camera on your yard.
Avoid Grass
As you’ve read above, grass will be worse than asphalt. First of all, bacteria will grow more easily in there. Then, there’s the fact that it’s harder for you to clean it. The grass is also more likely for people to step on it barefoot. Kids are also more likely to use the lawn to play all day than the asphalt. This whole combination makes the grass the worst possible place for you to allow your dog to poop.
Now, to successfully avoid the grass, you should train your dog and also learn to read the signals the dog gives you when it’s about to poop. Dogs usually sniff and walk in circles. Then, they start to bend over.
What you can do is pay attention to those cues and before it’s too late, stop the dog and take it somewhere else. The asphalt is also way easier for you to pick up the poop. So, pay attention to the where there’s grass, and avoid it.
Illegal No, But Rude
One more time, it isn’t illegal to let your dog poop in someone’s yard, but it can be rude. The good rule of thumb is to avoid lawns, places with kids, and yards that people take extra care of it. Then, if you still have complaints from some neighbor, avoid that place as well.
To make it clear, the yard owner may sue you for trespassing but unless your dog causes any real damage, you won’t have much trouble. Still, it’s always good to avoid trouble. So, avoid that yard.
There’s also the possibility that the yard owner may film everything with the camera mentioned above and use it as proof to sue you.
Train Your Dog
The best way to have only great things happening from the experience of walking your dog every day, it’s to train your dog for all the situations that may arise. This means, training your dog to not poop in the wrong places.
You should also train your dog to respect your commands and not move when you tell it not to. You must remain in control at all times.
So, make sure to do dog training 101 with your puppy. Makes sure that it understands what to do and when to do it.
Final Thoughts
So, even though it isn’t illegal for your dog to poop in someone’s yard. It can still cause a lawsuit. More important than that, it will cause you to get into conflict with your neighbors. The best thing that you should do is to make sure that your dog poops on the sidewalks or other shared areas on the street.