Friday, February 17, 2006

The Dog Sign



I really don't want to resort to this. I think this is very tacky and will not improve my "curb appeal" at all.

However, the dog crap in my front yard doesn't add to curb appeal either.


Have I mentioned this before? That portion of the grass between the street and the sidewalk...covered in dog poo. The neighbors have a boxer. Big ol' dog that they never walk. Never walk. They just let him out the door and he goes, and he comes back in. Fine. They want his crap all over their front yard that's ok by me.

But my yard!? That's just crossing a line, isn't it? What is the neighborly thing to do? They aren't being neighborly by allowing this to go on.

I don't notice it when there's snow on the ground. But every time it melts, I see the many, many piles. I cannot handle this any more. I went over one day to talk to them about it, but no one came to the door. Just the dog. He stared at me through the glass so very sadly.



Any advice for me? I really don't want to resort to the sign. At one point we took a couple minutes and threw the piles back onto their lawn, not caring if we missed and it landed on their sidewalk or front steps. Was that bad? Is it bad if I don't care?



I mean really, I can't handle this. But I don't want to be a jerk either. Do I :

1. Tell them to make their dog stop doing this regardless of what it takes to make that happen
2. Tell them that I want them to clean up my yard
3. Print out a picture of this sign and stick it to their door, thus threatening to report them to nopoopyneighbors.com

I hate it, but what am I gonna do? Other than go crazy about it. Because I'm getting there.

8 comments:

Carbon said...

Wow, your neighbors are horrible!

I would just go over there and say, I don't know if it's all your dogs dodo but if you can keep the dog in your yard to do it's business so that I don't have to clean it up, it would be greatly appreciated.

If that doesn't work, start throwing it at their front door ;-) har har

heather said...

I agree with the previous comment...approach it from "This might not have anything to do with you, BUT I've noticed..." And you could add something like "that's why cats are better"

Anonymous said...

What a bunch of crap. Literally.

Try going over and talking to them again. I'm guessing you don't have a "come on over for hot dogs on the BBQ" relationship with them anyway, so what do you have to lose?

And if that doesn't work.... well, I hate to say this, but clean it up yourself and LEAVE IT ON THEIR FRONT STEP. Possibly leave a note with it that says, "I don't like it at my front door either."

I'd also go a step further and visit your city's government page online and see if there's anything in there about fines for not cleaning up your dog's doo doo. I know in my city we have the ability to phone up the city and have them come out and write up some tickets (if you can prove who the doo doo belongs to).

What a bunch of jerks, your neighbors.

anne said...

So many good ideas!!

If the nice "not blaming" approach doesn't work, I'm totally piling it on their front step. With the "poopyneighber" sign on it. Right so they have to step in it!

And no, unfortunately we don't have a hot dogs & bbq relationship. Which is really too bad because they have a great pool. And I sit on my back roof in the summer longingly gazing at their pool...

Maybe they'll feel bad about their crap and tell me to use the pool whenever they're not around. That would be stellar.

Anonymous said...

There is yet another solution to this little dilemma though- do they ever leave his doggy dish outside? Have any rat poison?? I do believe the problem would be solved! lol As you can tell- I am not a big fan of dogs. Our neighbors let their dogs out at 11pm and again at 5am to run around and bark their heads off. I think I need to make a trip to Wal-mart for some pest control products...;)

Kimmy said...

I'm a dog owner. A responsible dog owner. I always carry a pooper picker upper with me...and on the rare occasion I forget it I always go back and pick it up. It's only fair.

I get aggravated with people who don't pick up their poo...especially since mine likes to sniff it out and...

I went round and round with former neighbors. They let their lab out, without a leash, to roam around and potty. Several times I talked to them about the dog and the poo. I finally called Animal Control (because of the leash law). They picked him up three times.

Finally the neighbors moved. Thank God!

Talk to them. Or write a letter if you're more comfortable with that? What about Homeowners Association? Take pictures of the dog off the leash, taking the dump, pictures of the piles in your yard...all the evidence you can get. Take it to your local police dept. If you can show you've taken the appropriate steps, then it's time for someone else to move in and take charge!

Good luck. I'm interested in the reaction to the sign.

(oh, here from Nelly's portfolio. She's awesome! She did my site, too!)

Anonymous said...

Transcend. It is not right that a neighbor be inconsiderate, but retribution and confrontation will lead only to your increased unhappiness. Just be tolerant and peace will come to you. And if you poison my dog I'll burn your house down.

anne said...

Ha! No worries...I like animals too much to ever do that. I don't mind the dog, he's pretty friendly. And the neighbors seem to be nice guys too.

But there's nothing transcendant about stepping in poo.