Are "keep off lawn" signs obnoxious?

[Deleted]

Additional thought is that you could post a sign indicating that your lawn is being treated with chemicals that are not dog or child friendly....

[barefootcontessa]

Jan 2, 2014 10:24:06 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

Jan 2, 2014 10:17:30 GMT -5 barefootcontessa said:

really?  you would deliberately have your dog pee somewhere where the owner has a sign?  why do you think it is okay to allow your animal to use other people's yards to relieve themselves?  you can see how her lawn has been destroyed by people having their dogs pee there.  

If dogs don't go in people's yards where do you expect them to go?  Even if I let him out in my yard before we go for a walk my dog always goes again at some point during the walk.

well if there is a sign that means the owners would prefer you not to use their yard ... which you said would lead you to encourage your dog to go there.  I think that is rude.  Some people probably do not care if your dog pees there, but even then I would try to have them use the strip of grass by the street.  I have had dogs and was able to stop the dog from peeing places with signs or where it is obvious children are playing and go to a place less problematic.   

[Velvetshady]

Jan 2, 2014 10:26:55 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

Jan 2, 2014 10:18:55 GMT -5 Velvetshady said:

Damn, your house must stink then. Or do you not let them inside?

I meant when we are on walks.  My dog is potty trained and doesn't go inside the house, but outside is pretty much free reign.

Oh, so you "can" control where they pee, you just don't bother to when it's not your property they are ruining. Okay.

[kadams767]

I don't know, I might be wrong, but part of the problem might be that there are many dogs peeing in that spot. Once one dog pees there, any dog walking by is going to mark that spot as well, so even if you address it with one neighbor, it might not do much good at this point. It doesn't appear there is much grass elsewhere, though obviously I can't see more than the snapshot provided. I am kind of LOL'ing at the suggestion that the dog should be peeing on the grass by that tree in front. How big is that spot? My dog would never settle in to pee there, it looks like much too small of an area to sniff out a spot. And also, then that area would die and the tree also may have damage.

[mollybrown]

I wouldn't care if the sign was obnoxious or not. That damage is terrible.

I'd actually start with the HOA and push the fence issue. If they will not allow it, I would demand that they replace the grass and keep it green. Yellow grass like that is horrible for curb appeal, so they can let you minimize the issue or keep fixing it after the fact. I'd call every day if necessary until the issue is resolved.

[kadams767]

Do people think dogs are the only animals peeing and excreting waste on your lawn?

[karinothing]

I know you said you can't do flower beds (with brick) but cna you plant flowers at all w/out the brick? Or decorative grass or anything?

If not, I think the signs are fine. I would also ask the HOA to send out a reminder

[gt7301b]

Jan 2, 2014 10:30:07 GMT -5 @mx said:

Jan 2, 2014 10:24:06 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

If dogs don't go in people's yards where do you expect them to go?  Even if I let him out in my yard before we go for a walk my dog always goes again at some point during the walk.

Tree boxes, sidewalks, streets, parks, ditches? All of my neighbors have dogs and we have elevted front lawns (like 2-3 feet above the sidewalk). In spite of that their dogs somehow manage to pee. And it isn't because they are leaping retaining walls to do so.

Do dogs that live in apartments simply never pee??

My dog won't pee on the street or sidewalk.  I suppose if we lived somewhere with elevated sidewalks he'd have to get over it.

When I lived in an apartment there was a park across the street and there was grass near all the trees on the sidewalks, so there were plenty of grass options.

[ESF]

In the picture, it looks like there is a mulch bed down at the corner of the property. If the HOA won't grant an exemption for a fence, would extending the mulch bed be a possibility?

[imojoebunny]

Jan 2, 2014 9:49:08 GMT -5 y4m said:

Jan 2, 2014 9:42:13 GMT -5 imojoebunny said:

My neighbor here printed up some really funny ones. They have about 10 different ones they rotate. They have a dog, but they have a side yard that was becoming the toilet for every dog who walked by and it was pretty gross. Tacky or not, it was effective, and we all got a good laugh out of the signs. 

Can you share some examples?

I wish I could remember them all.  They were little rhymes like "don't let your dog s%#t, or we will pitch a fit" "Owls can whoo, but don't let your dog poo." 

[emilyinchile]

Jan 2, 2014 10:24:06 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

If dogs don't go in people's yards where do you expect them to go?  Even if I let him out in my yard before we go for a walk my dog always goes again at some point during the walk.

I'm really surprised you think that everyone in your neighborhood has some kind of obligation to offer your dog a bathroom spot. If you don't let your dog walk onto other people's yards, where will he be? That's where I expect him to go. Probably some kind of city-owned tree, bush, grass, fire hydrant, etc. area. ETA: Just saw your update. If your dog won't pee on a sidewalk, then problem solved! He won't pee during his walks and can relieve himself at home.

y4m if the lawn is maintained by the HOA, does that mean they have an interest in keeping it looking nice? I'd try to get them involved in the solution, if you haven't already. Good luck!

[Velvetshady]

Jan 2, 2014 10:39:14 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Do people think dogs are the only animals peeing and excreting waste on your lawn?

Yep, 'because it's those damn birds and squirrels all peeing in the exact same spot and causing the damage...


I live in the woods--I can tell you from much, much experience that while a bear does, in fact, shit in the woods, it doesn't normally shit in the exact same spot over and over again. Neither do most other untamed, untrained animals I see everyday. Including the feral cats we have around.

[ddi741]

Jan 2, 2014 10:13:45 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

If people are careless and lazy enough to let their dog crap on someone else's lawn, and especially if they won't pick it up, then I doubt a sign is going to make them change their ways.

Is it possible that the neighbors aren't even walking their dogs? We've had/have neighbors that just open the door and let their dog roam the neighborhood for 20 minutes to shit and play in traffic rather than taking the time to walk them. Assholes.

This is what happens in our neighborhood too. Those of us that walk and clean up after our dogs get the wrath of the neighbors but it's the loose dogs causing the issue. 

[kadams767]

Jan 2, 2014 10:45:57 GMT -5 Velvetshady said:

Jan 2, 2014 10:39:14 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Do people think dogs are the only animals peeing and excreting waste on your lawn?

Yep, 'because it's those damn birds and squirrels all peeing in the exact same spot and causing the damage...


I live in the woods--I can tell you from much, much experience that while a bear does, in fact, shit in the woods, it doesn't normally shit in the exact same spot over and over again. Neither do most other untamed, untrained animals I see everyday. Including the feral cats we have around.

I'm more referring to the posts saying its gross and that kids play on the lawn. It's not like if a dog stops peeing on it, the lawn is a pristine area. That's all. I agree the damage isn't good, but i don't really have a suggestion to fix it other than re-sodding it.

And you are lucky with the feral cats! The stray cat in my neighborhood is in my garden every freaking night. And don't forget rabbit poop! That's always a joy when my dog rolls around in it.

[pitterwoo]

There was a spot at a house around the corner from me that all the dogs were marking. It started to look rough and I know that I stopped letting my dog pee there at all (by not stopping to sniff, crossing the street earlier, etc). I think others must have also noticed that it was causing damage because the grass looks normal there now. So, while I let my dog pee while we're out walking I think it's rude to let the dog favor one spot or clearly be contributing to causing damage.

I think there are some products sold that are supposed to help grass recover from pee and not turn brown. There also might be something that is scented that deters from peeing there. Does anyone know more about this?

[msmerymac]

Jan 2, 2014 10:33:03 GMT -5 @publius said:

Jan 2, 2014 10:27:39 GMT -5 y4m said:

This is new construction and a new community--so we all moved in together basically.

Ah, boo then. I don't think signs on private property are annoying, but if the person hasn't noticed the damage they're causing or doesn't care enough to stop I doubt a sign would be much help.

If you don't have any luck with talking to the offender I'd send pictures of the damage to the HOA, complain about curb appeal and property values, and ask them what can be done about it. It seems like 90% of what HOAs get up into people's business about is the way the community looks, so it's possible they'd be willing to grant you some sort of exemption to the rules about raised beds by the curb.

As an alternative, it's possible they think that since that area is bad anyway, it's best to use it, which creates a vicious cycle. Also, the more dogs that pee there, the more attractive it is to other dogs looking to pee. 

I would imagine it would be best to put up a temp fence while the area is being reseeded anyway. That should help temporarily, but then I think a small sign in the corner is perfectly fine. If you neighbor thinks you are an asshole for that, Y4M, oh well.

As an aside, does the HOA gardener have to reseed the grass, or is that something you have to do separately? It seems like the HOA needs a "no peeing on other people's lawns" law unless they want to reseed everyone's lawn every 2 years. 

[gt7301b]

Jan 2, 2014 10:45:42 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Jan 2, 2014 10:24:06 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

If dogs don't go in people's yards where do you expect them to go?  Even if I let him out in my yard before we go for a walk my dog always goes again at some point during the walk.

I'm really surprised you think that everyone in your neighborhood has some kind of obligation to offer your dog a bathroom spot. If you don't let your dog walk onto other people's yards, where will he be? That's where I expect him to go. Probably some kind of city-owned tree, bush, grass, fire hydrant, etc. area.

y4m if the lawn is maintained by the HOA, does that mean they have an interest in keeping it looking nice? I'd try to get them involved in the solution, if you haven't already. Good luck!

I live in a suberban area where pretty much all the land is owned by the individual homeowners.  There are a few patches of land that aren't attached to individual homes, but those are a good distance from my property.  There are lots of dogs in the neighborhood and when we are out I see most of them going to the bathroom while on their walks.  People don't seem to be upset about it because if they were I'm sure it would have been brought up by our HOA.

[emilyinchile]

Jan 2, 2014 10:55:11 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

I live in a suberban area where pretty much all the land is owned by the individual homeowners.  There are a few patches of land that aren't attached to individual homes, but those are a good distance from my property.  There are lots of dogs in the neighborhood and when we are out I see most of them going to the bathroom while on their walks.  People don't seem to be upset about it because if they were I'm sure it would have been brought up by our HOA.

I added an ETA after you quoted - I saw you said your dog won't pee on the sidewalk, so I don't see why there's a problem. Keep him out of other people's yards, and he just won't pee during his walks. Since you have a yard, he clearly doesn't need to relieve himself during walk time, he presumably just wants to mark.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a dog owner and in Santiago do let my dog pee on privately owned grass because we have so many stray dogs here (like, tens of thousands) that it seems a little ridiculous to restrict non-strays. Maybe in your neighborhood this isn't a problem, and as a male dog he's probably not doing much damage anyway. I primarily reacted to your tone of "but then where would he pee?" which sounded a little entitled to me and as though other people have some obligation to accommodate your dog.

[Velvetshady]

Jan 2, 2014 10:50:00 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Jan 2, 2014 10:45:57 GMT -5 Velvetshady said:

Yep, 'because it's those damn birds and squirrels all peeing in the exact same spot and causing the damage...


I live in the woods--I can tell you from much, much experience that while a bear does, in fact, shit in the woods, it doesn't normally shit in the exact same spot over and over again. Neither do most other untamed, untrained animals I see everyday. Including the feral cats we have around.

I'm more referring to the posts saying its gross and that kids play on the lawn. It's not like if a dog stops peeing on it, the lawn is a pristine area. That's all. I agree the damage isn't good, but i don't really have a suggestion to fix it other than re-sodding it.

And you are lucky with the feral cats! The stray cat in my neighborhood is in my garden every freaking night. And don't forget rabbit poop! That's always a joy when my dog rolls around in it.

I agree with kids playing on the lawn part. Nature is not sterile, and that is a good thing! Even for kids to be around.


We try to encourage the feral cats to hang around, in the hope they will feast on the mice and chipmunks. Much rather deal with the random cat poop around than with the bills to keep replacing chewed through wiring harnesses/brake lines in our vehicles.

If your neighborhood stray cat is going in the same place over and over, then it probably isn't truly feral--feral cats are pretty particular about not giving preditors clues to find them easily. While cats are generally creatures of habit, feral ones tend to not have a "regular" pit stop they use so they can't be tracked/ambushed.

[doobeedoo]

I think a sign, if acceptable to your HOA, is perfectly acceptable and not at all obnoxious. But, as others have said, a small tasteful sign is not likely to deter the offenders in this case.

That said, your lawn damage is significant enough that I'd definitely be talking to the HOA about fixing the lawn. And if you do know the offender, I'd have a chat with them or send a note to them directly as well. If that does not work, I'd talk to the HOA about what can be done. Are there fines for that sort of thing? Public shaming?

[y4m]

Couple things…

1. I can throw a rock and hit a Target. This is not bear pee. I also work from home and my office looks out on this lawn--I see everything that happens there, at least during business hours.

2. There's a park right across the street. No shortage of green space, though if the dog runs outside and pees immediately, my lawn would be the closest.

3. The HOA owns all outside care, so ultimately it's their problem to solve. But of course the curb appeal is my problem. My lovely other neighbors (who also have a dog) mentioned how cool I am being about the issue, but I can't help but wonder if that was really code for "can you please do something about this issue you seem to not be noticing"

4. I'm not anti-dog pee. I'm just anti-dead lawn.

I'll reach out to the HOA again regarding one of those small decorative fences (although I fear that would need to be approved by the city), and I think I probably just need to start running outside and talking to people when I see it happening. Maybe a sign too?

Thanks for validating that it's a real concern. It looks terrible to me, and I'm not at all picky about these things.

[kadams767]

Oh, no, my neighborhood cat isn't feral. I should say they, there's more than one, they are strays and one asshole neighbor's outdoor cat. The two regulars hang out in my garden and I think sleep on my covered front porch. I am pretty sure these two used to be pets, they try to come into the house with us all the time and they stare at my dog through the window. I'd love it if they weren't digging in my garden though.

[madringal]

My neighbors have this sign and it makes me gag. The little dangling turd is unnecessary.

[RoxMonster]

Yeah, that looks like it is mainly from female dogs (or one female dog) because their urine is more likely to turn grass yellow, which I am very familiar with as it happens with Roxie in our own backyard. I would be ticked too that it is ruining the grass like that. It's one thing when it's my own dog in my own backyard, but I would not want my front yard looking like that because of dogs that are not even my own. And don't even get me started on people letting their dogs crap in your yard and then refusing to pick it up!

I think a small sign in that area is fine. I would also get the HOA involved and see if they have a solution as well because I am not sure how many people will actually heed the sign when walking their dogs.

[magpie]

I think a sign would be perfectly fine, though I doubt that it'll be effective. I think I'd raise the issue with the HOA and try to get a flowerbed or a picket fence there.

As for dogs peeing on people's lawns, I think it's really terrible if the dog pees in the same lawn/spot repeatedly (as it looks like has been done to the lawn in question here!). Luckily, my dog doesn't like to pee or poop on walks (she prefers to save it all up for our yard, lol). If she did want to pee on lawns, I would definitely discourage her from doing so. We don't even have many lawns in my neighborhood anyway, since I live in the desert and lawns are generally considered wasteful/environmentally unfriendly around here. I had a male dog before and he marked a little on his walks, but we lived in the city then and there were no lawns to worry about.

[karinothing]

Since you work at home I would bang on the window, shake my fist and yell "get off my lawn!" whenever you see people

[doobeedoo]

Are there any natural dog repellants that can be used to deter the dog(s) from wanting to do their business there? I am not a pet owner, but I have to believe that there are natural/not harmful ways to discourage this sort of thing in a particular area.

[y4m]

Jan 2, 2014 11:34:16 GMT -5 @ojo said:

I'd probably look into a motion activated sprinkler. The water will help dilute the urine and possibly startle the dog and owner enough to keep them off your lawn.

Ok now I kind of want other interventions to fail so I can set my lawn up to automatically soak them if they try to use it.

Would kind of suck for my dog (a boy who pees along the side of our walkway--no damage) though.

[scout8]

I am a dog owner in an urban area. If I saw a yard with a sign on it that said no dogs, I would keep my dog out of that yard. My dog does pee in other yards when I take him for a walk. I didn't realize this was bad until I read this post. I see everyone else with dogs letting their dogs pee in other yards. Maybe it is normal around here.

I think a sign is fine, but then again, I have a no trespassing sign hung on my fence to try to keep people from coming into my yard and taking my flowers. Even after I put up a fence with a gate, people still do this. I don't care if it is obnoxious. I am sick of people stealing my hydrangeas.

[dexteroni]

"Keep off lawn" altogether is obnoxious. Or really, more like grouchy and crochety than obnoxious.

But as a dog owner, if you really don't want people on your lawn, I would rather you put up a sign than just seethe in silence while my dog does something I don't know it's not allowed to do. I don't let our dogs pee or poop on the main part of people's lawns anyway, just the part between the sidewalk and the street. But in neighborhoods without sidewalks, the dogs do go on the edge of the yard itself. So if you don't want that, yeah, let people know. I might roll my eyes a bit internally, but I will make sure to keep my dog off your lawn. And a small "no dogs please" sign that's less than a foot off the ground will be sufficient. It doesn't need to be big or stern or dog shaped. And jokey signs, omg, no.