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Need advice re: discussing dog w/neighbor
I don't know if anyone saw this in the WTF Wed. thread, but I mentioned that my neighbor lets her dog out unsupervised in her front yard. Of course, the dog does not stay there and wanders across the street, into my yard, other neighbor's yards, etc. Today, the dog was on our front porch and so DH said to bring DD outside to see it. I opened the door to take her outside and the dog decided to come in. I got him out quickly and he went into my yard and did his business. Which we now have to clean up.
I've had to return this dog to the neighbor before (twice in one day). It concerns me that he's roaming around in the street. My FIL almost ran over him backing out of my driveway.
I'd appreciate some advice on how to address this with my neighbor. She's a single mom with three boys (not that it should matter), but wanted to give the background info in case anyone thinks that excuses her actions ... why would it though?
The dog is a little Jack Russell.
How is it that my BABY is going to be 3?
BFP-2/25/11; 8 Wk U/S-3/25/11-No HB, measured 6.5 wks; D&C
Re: Need advice re: discussing dog w/neighbor
I don't have any advice on the discussing the dog with the neighbor part. If I were mad enough bout the #2, I'd go over and talk to her about it...or I'd have DH go talk to her about it.
But I'd like to caution you about taking V out to play with "strange" dogs. I've got strange in quotes because I know you know the dog. I don't completely trust one of my own dogs around James because she's snapped at him a couple of times before. The other one, well meaning as he might be, knocks James down about once every couple of weeks. And my dogs aren't much bigger than a jack russell. You just don't know how a dog is going to react to kids. I rarely let James touch dogs while on a walk, and even then it's after many questions, persmission from the owner and still at an arms' length distance. Maybe I'm too cautious.
You didn't answer my earlier question, but I would let the neighbor know you've picked up many #2s in your yard and you would appreciate it if she contained her dog better, especially for the dogs safety. Based on the fact that the dog wanders around the neighborhood often, I would be willing to bet shr doesn't give a shiit and it probably won't do you any good to say anything.
Pants - She does have a fenced in backyard with a swimming pool. Maybe she doesn't want the dog to jump into the pool and come into her house soaking wet so she chooses to let him out front.
Madisen, I normally don't let DD play with strange dogs either, I was going to hold her and just let her look at him.
I'm not necessarily mad about the #2, I just think it's gross that I have to clean up some dog's sh*t. I know I change my kid's diaper, but in this instance dog =/= kid
How is it that my BABY is going to be 3?
BFP-2/25/11; 8 Wk U/S-3/25/11-No HB, measured 6.5 wks; D&C
I know I'm not USUALLY passive aggressive, but in this case I'd just file a complaint with the city. You need to know the owner's full name and their address (and you can get the full name from public record if you have the address). I can't imagine that she doesn't KNOW that her dog craps in other ppl's yards -- she just doesn't care. Maybe she'll care if she gets a fine.
Our neighbors have 2 dogs that run all the time. A mini schnauzer and a dachshund. When they are in our yard, we either go out and holler their names to go back home. The owners generally hear us and come get them. Or, we pick them up and take them home. Last time, I told them that we had put down some stuff on the lawn and would *hate* to have the dogs get sick. Of course we didn't but it seemed to have hit home that you never know what is in someone else's yard.
I also took them home one day and just laid it out that I was tired of dog poop in my yard and that it wasn't fair for my child not to be able to play in his own yard b/c of poop and dogs running up to him. That helped them see that their lack of action in controlling them really did have impact on someone else. They put down chicken wire under the fence after that.
I would just go tell her that you don't want V stepping in dog poop in your yard and to kindly keep her dog on her own property. I am kind of blunt like that though...
We have a neighbor with this exact problem, only they don't have a fenced in area and (even though they're lawyers) think that excuses the fact that they just let him out alone. I swear I find poop in the same spot of my yard on a daily basis. I tried initially to give some space since we're new, and it's the side yard so the dog doesn't know where his yard ends and ours begins. But after seeing them shove his little butt out the door unsupervised one day, and him roaming all in ours and the other neighbors yards, then wandering to the "lake" in our backyard, I had enough.
I told the wife that I saw him nosing around the water the other day and was worried about him either picking ticks or something up or getting hurt back there (he's a bichon frise, and we still don't know what all lives in that water). I acted like it was a first-time thing and that I didn't think she knew he got out. She has been better about it, but still lets him out alone, just brings him in faster.
We also have two cats that roam our neighborhood, and that's what really gets me. I've caught them in our garage, in our fenced backyard pooping on my patio, trying to eat our tomato plants, and one hissed at Jeffery when he got too close because he didn't notice it nearby. I don't know what to do about those. Nobody knows whose they are, and most neighbors just kind of ignore it, but talk about all the damage they do. I've thought about calling animal control, but I couldn't get them to pick up their darn phone when there was a male pit bull running loose, so I doubt they'll be all that concerned about nuisance cats.
Those suggesting filing complaints. Is that on the website, or do you have to call? And how do you deal when you don't know who they belong to?
"My 101 List - Updating asap, I swear!
Yep, this is part of why my inclination is to go right to a complaint.
To file complaints, you can do it online:
http://630city.coj.net/ecareprocess.aspx
Select Animal Control as the category. For a neighbor whose pet is a PITA, select "Nuisance" -- I think this will just ask you for your address and they will send you forms to submit an affidavit since it's a formal complaint against a citizen.
If you have strays, you would select "At Large," though like Laner said, then you're submitting them to the mercy of animal control.