Poop happens, but it doesn’t mean it’s pleasant to deal with. It’s even more unfortunate to handle these messy situations if the animal that belongs to the feces isn’t yours. So if you have a problem with your neighbor’s dog pooping in your yard, here are some safe and ethical ways you can easily take care of the problem and keep the peace in your neighborhood.
Create a Barrier to Prevent Dogs from Accessing Your Yard
One of the easiest ways to keep your neighbor’s dog out of your yard is to create a barrier around your yard. A tall fence or a row of hedges is a great way to keep out unwanted neighbors’ pets.
If planting hedges, it’s essential to make sure they are planted close enough together to prevent animals from squeezing their way in.
While creating a barrier is one of the easiest ways to keep your neighbor’s dog out of your yard, it can be one of the most expensive methods to achieve this.
Alternatives to a fence or hedges are landscaping materials such as mulch or rocks. If the material is rough for dogs to walk on, they might pass your yard and head on to the next.
Put Up a Friendly Reminder
If you’re unsure who the culprit is that is leaving turds on your lawn? Or you want to address the situation passively, you can install a friendly sign in your yard. The sign shouldn’t be threatening or rude, just a way to remind your neighbors to clean up after their pets.
Usually, the sign is enough to remind neighbors of their duty to clean up after their dogs or avoid your yard. But, of course, this only works if your neighbors are walking their dogs. If the dogs are wandering around unleashed and unsupervised, the signs won’t work.
If the sign doesn’t work, you could consider installing a poop bag dispenser like those installed in dog parks on your lawn. Some owners may have neglected their duties simply because they forgot their poop bags or ran out. Having the baggies installed near your yard is a friendly reminder to do the right thing.
Create a Poop Safety Zone
There are many reasons pet owners and those without pets don’t want animals that don’t belong to them pooping in their yard.
However, if you want to please everyone in the neighborhood, you could designate a part of your yard or your neighborhood as a “poop safety zone.” This area, usually created out of sand, for easy clean-up, is where any animal can handle their business without anyone else getting upset.
Consider Stinky Deterrents to Keep Unwanted Dogs Away from Your Yard
Dogs will naturally avoid lawns that don’t smell good to them. Two items commonly used to create an invisible, stinky barrier are vinegar and ammonia. If using either one of these products, it’s essential to know it can kill grass and cause other unsightly side effects.
One way to control the damage to your yard is to soak cotton balls in either vinegar or ammonia and then create an invisible fence with the soaked cotton balls.
However, it will help deter your neighbor’s dog from handling their business on your lawn. Other natural dog deterrents that might irritate a dog’s nostrils but not cause harm include chili pepper and cayenne.
Talk to Your Neighbors About their Dog’s Behavior
One of the simplest ways to avoid getting annoyed with your neighbor and their dog is to have a civil conversation with your neighbor. It’s important not to raise your voice or immediately threaten your neighbor regarding their dog’s behavior. Instead, explain that you’ve seen their dog pooping in your yard and you’d like the behavior to start.
Your neighbor might not know that their dog is doing this. Talking to them about it might be all you need to do. If the problem continues, try to have another conversation with your neighbor. You can escalate the problem by involving others in the community, but that will probably result in having a negative relationship with your neighbors.
Install Motion Detected Water Sprinklers or Ultrasonic Dog Repellents
Other behaviors deterring tools from stopping dogs from pooping in your yard include motion-activated water sprinklers and ultrasonic dog repellents. Some water sprinklers can be programmed to spray water when motion is detected nearby. When a neighbor’s dog sets off these sprinklers, water will spray and hopefully scare the dog back into their yard.
Ultrasonic dog repellents can be installed on the perimeter of a yard to keep dogs away from the space. The dog repellents create an ultrasonic sound that humans cannot hear but is irritating to dogs. When dogs are annoyed by the sound, they will likely stay out of your yard.
