Modern Vespa

I live in a condo. You're supposed to have your dog on a leash and pick up the poop. The neighbors are not using a leash and are training their new puppy to use the the area beneathe the windows in my condo as it's potty. Does anyone have a nontoxic solution to deterring dogs from pooping in a given area? Oh I've tried the logical approach of asking the neighbors to pick up after their dog.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-make-homemade-dog-repellent.htm

They're a little more expensive but I believe bismuth bullets are non-toxic. And I'm not talking about for the dog. Hate a-hole neighbors. Pepper spray on the grass might deter the dog...maybe? Good luck!

I know moth balls work for cats. Might work with dogs too. They have such a strong odor, the dog might avoid them.

Ground Cayenne pepper on the grass works wonders.

Thank you Matt, I've tried the vinegar, no luck. I might give ammonia a try, but my dog sits right at these windows and I don't want the smell to irritate him either. I read about cayenne pepper, but someone said they put too much out and it burned the paws of the dog. I don't want to hurt the dog. Citrus might be worth a try before anything.

Has anyone here had success with any of these deterrents?

K suggests providing some poop bags, along with a sign, at the 'offensive' place - 'passive aggressive' response. She says it's probably as cheap as spreading the whole area with cayenne pepper or chilli flakes (which should also work a treat). I bow to her knowledge of these things.

Cayenne pepper keeps popping up, I might have to give it a try; I just don't want to harm the puppy.

Providing bags might work. It's worth a try.

Does the condo have an association with regulations? If your neighbor is in violation, notify the association and let them deal with it.

Yeah, sometimes neighbors are irresponsible with their dogs. I live in the county, so no leash laws. Several dogs roam free and are pretty much harmless, until you ride by on a scooter or moto. I have learned some pretty good defensive maneuvers since I dumped my Triumph upon hitting a pooch. No damage whatsoever to the dog. Good luck with the irresponsible neighbors.

Yes. Many other neighbors have complained about the puppy and their large dog not on leash. I understand thus far two letters have been sent regarding this issue, no joy.

Is it a common area? Or is it your property?

The best answer is get a house, but guess what, the lawn next to the road or easement or common property isn't yours either. All the dogs in the neighborhood do their stuff on my front lawn. But I don't even care.

Why?

Because my boyrfriend mows the lawn.

Actually, animals live outside and the entire world is their toilet.

If that bothers you, your going to be annoyed alot.... I would choose not to be annoyed.

When I was a young fellow in high school in San Francisco, I lived with my mother in a apartment house she owned on California Street just below Jones Street. There was a marble lined foyer entrance that was my responsibility to maintain. There was an elderly woman down the street that had a couple of german shepard dogs, one of which decided that the foyer was his territory and made it a point to mark it so every morning.
My solution for a cure was a six volt dry cell battery, a model "T" Ford ignition coil with an output of about 35,000 volts, and a copper wire screen around the white marble corner of the foyer.
I was watching from the front bay window as the woman walked her dogs up the hill toward our house. As the male dog lifted his leg at the foryer corner, I closed the switch. When he urinated, a relatively bright blue arc nailed him in an apparently delicate portion of his anatomy and he damn near tore the old ladys arm off when he came to the end of the slack in the leash.
He never came near the foyer after that.
My concience has never bothered me a bit.

My grandfather would squeeze lemons or oranges into a garden sprayer and spray the lawn and flowers beds. Seemed to do the trick nicely and left a pleasant aroma when you opened the windows. He loved dogs, hated inconsiderate dog owners.

Citronella oil. It is sold as a bug repellent, but dogs can't tolerate it.

Thanks Trout and chukstr! If poop bags don't work I'm glad to know citrus might be an option.

Richard, thanks, but your solution is a bit electrifying and powerful. I'm really leaning towards non-toxic solutions here. I am not looking to cause any harm to the dog.

Was that the dog that came after me as soon as I rode your Vespa down the street? I almost ran over it.

As for repellent, you can cook a beef stew, dilute it and spray it onto the lawn. You won't smell it, but the dogs will. Apparently they don't poop where they eat.

go have a word with the neighbours ... if they dont sort it out then clean up after the dog n post it to them ....

after an old neighbours dog shat on my doorstep which i then slipped in i cleaned me shoe on their door handle and flicked the rest into their hallway as they answered the door .... i had talked to them about it a few times n this was the final straw ... they didnt even know i also had a dog at the same time

i have to go through their yard to get outta mine n it was like landmines in a warzone

im not sure of the law in your country but here in the uk its about a £80 fine all you would need to do is take a picture and report it,it could go to court if they keep doing it then it would be a much higher fine.

Bitza, I asked the neighbors to clean up after their dog, but with us sharing a common interior hall, I won't be bringing the poop in for a word. I can see how if the dog were pooping on my porch for me to step in I might.

Hillbilly, yes the condo association will send several letters with the rules of dog ownership/responsibility. Eventually it will result in a $150 fine. That's why I'm trying to resolve it on my own before I go to the association.

K2, I saw the mention of moth balls as a solution, but I'd be afraid the puppy might try to eat them. I would think the odor would deter the eating of a moth ball, but it would worry me.

don't wait as those associations can take a really long time to get anything done. make a formal complaint in writing. Follow up in a formal letter every week till they correct the issue. In the mean time do what you can do help deter the inconsiderate people. I personally would poop scoop the poop and deposit it at their door step and leave a note that they left this behind.
Also capture them on video if you can or some pics, they can't deny pics it wasn't them.

Doug, I have a camera that i use to keep watch on my scooter, it's possible it is capturing the dog going to that area, but not making the deposit. Of course as it's the only dog trained to use that area as it's potty it would be seem obvious that would be the dog making the deposits.

We share a common porch and interior hallway so leaving the doggy deposits at their door or on the porch would be a problem for other people. If the non-toxic solutions don't work I may use my scooper to relocate the poop.

@#$.

I saw something about this, too. I decided it would probably disappear before it got much use.

I had this problem a few years ago. I tried all the remedies noted. Moth balls smell like moth balls, which is bad. As bad as dog poop. I went to Sam's Club and got a BIG bottle of red pepper (not black, or cayenne) and sprinkled it heavily over the area. You may need to rake it down into the grass so it's not quite so obvious. Freshen it up occasionally. Use lots, it's cheap.

Watch out when using peppers. On windy days it could blow into your face while trying to sprinkle on the lawn. Also, if there are children who might play in the area you could potentially be putting them in harms way.

I have a corner lot in a small neighborhood where every lot is at least 1 acre and I have about 300 feet of frontage where folks often walk their dogs. Most owners are very responsive and pick up any poop deposited on my lawn, but it only takes a few who don't pick it up that make my lawn mowing like walking through a mine field.

A couple of years ago, I bought a metal ashcan like you saw in restaurants to put out in the front corner of my yard. Many of those same folks that let their dogs poop on my lawn also toss their cigarette butts on my lawn too. I attached a bunch of plastic grocery bags and made a sign that said something about for your convenience-your butts and your dog's. The can lasted less than a week as someone rode their vehicle over my new ashcan repeatedly, crushing it.

Another neighbor who owns a dog and always picks up after her, placed a sign in her yard that said something like- "I don't crap in your yard, please clean up after your dog when they use my yard," That sign might have made it a week.

What really gets to me is that our little neighborhood backs up to a 1200 acre nature preserve that is easily accessed from just about everyone's home where you can walk on maintained trails and allow your dog to dump often and anywhere without having to clean up. But people choose to walk their dogs where they have an effect on their neighbors.

Our next door neighbors use to just let their two dogs out of the front door and they would immediately come to our yard and do their thing. My wife would get the shovel and toss it over the line while it was still steaming. Now-those neighbors won't say a word to us, but no loss there. When he walks the two dogs, I can count on at least two cigarette butts and probably a warm pile on each trip.

I watched as another neighbor-a lady with two dogs, just stand and watch as her larger dog dump in my front yard just two days ago. I carried 3-4 plastic grocery bags out and as she started to leave I asked her if she needed a couple of these to clean up after her dogs. She turned away, said nothing and just kept going. Saw her watching her dog pee in about the same place this morning.

I love dogs. Grew up with the coolest black lab, Splasher, that ever walked this earth. But owning a dog comes with a lot of responsibility that goes way beyond feeding and watering.

I wish I had a good solution for you. I always use old tennis shoes that live in the shed to mow my lawn and keep breathing through my mouth, ready to hold my nose at any second. I'll be watching this thread for any real solutions. Maybe I can do the sprinkler thing and make sure it soaks the owner too. And to the folks that just let their dogs run the neighborhood... Call animal control-not for the one that just happens to get loose once in a blue moon, but for the dogs that are always out and about.

mine isnt a deterant .... it was the only way when i saw red

FYI. Do NOT use vinegar on any planted areas including grass. Unless, of course, you want to kill your plants. As a side note, vinegar is an excellent natural weed killer.

bleverone, I'm not sure the sprinkler will last long from the story you've told. I do think you have the right idea, target the human owners, not their dogs.

I would pick it up and set it at their front door, out of the bag

No leash, call the pound.

The association is there to deal with stuff like this, they will tell you that. Go to them and let the guy get fined, it will be his own fault not yours.

I agree. If you ever break one of the association rules you can be sure they won't cut you any slack. Might as well use them for what they are supposed to do when you are the beneficiary.

I think I'd try the citronella, worse case scenario it keeps mosquitos away from the window. Best case it keeps the dogs away long enough for them to establish a new dumping spot.

FWIW, we taught our dog to dump in our side yard. When we go for a walk he will tinkle everywhere, mostly in dribbles to mark his passing but if he does leave something else as he occasionally does at the dog park we bag it.

Web and Dooglas, I will use our association if I necessary, but I'm willing to try non-toxic options first. As Doug said its a slow process dealing with the association (at least it's true here) and the puppy will have had at least a month or more to continue potty training beneath the windows. If it can stop sooner than that, it's worth a try.

CD, that's a good idea getting the benefits of citronella clearing the potty training area of dogs and mosquitos. Two birds, one stone.

I'll be out shopping for chili flakes and citronella tomorrow. Hopefully success lies in at least one of these two options.

Don't forget the beef stew. It's completely harmless. It is used by professionals to keep dogs out of sandboxes.

cant ya buy ultrasonic alarms for dogs .... freak the bugger out a few times n it might learn