160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
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Dog Questions
Dear Dr. Berg,
A neighbor who lives somewhere down the street walks her dog every morning past our house. It is a male that will
often "mark" our bush at the end of our property. This has made one side of the bush brown and the leaves
will die back. What's even worse, sometimes the same dog has a bowel movement right in the middle of our lawn.
I've only caught him doing this once or twice early in the morning, but the evidence that he's been there continually
reappears. And I don't even have a dog!
What can I do to keep the dog from going on my bushes and lawn? It is aggravating to have to pick up behind his
dog, and even worse when I step in it!
Sincerely,
R.R, Hockessin
Dear R.R.,
There are many other readers that share your predicament, and this tends to bring quite a rise out of most people
who care about their homes. It IS very inconsiderate of owners to allow their dogs to soil other areas that don't
belong to them. Please don't take it out on the dog (and some people do); it is the OWNER that you should vent
your frustration on.
I have heard of many "solutions" to this problem, from putting obnoxious scents down in the areas to
spreading firethorn branches near a bush (they have long stickers that hurt). But I have yet to find a solution,
other than fencing, that will consistently keep dogs out of an area of a yard. What a shame that we feel a need
to fence ourselves in because someone else fails to be a responsible pet owner.
Let's all be honest with ourselves. Pets need to go to the bathroom. And it is up to us, as the leaders of the
pack, to show them where to take care of this necessary chore. We start out their life with great effort getting
dogs to go outside, because we CARE about whether or not they go in our house. Did you ever think of training your
dog to only go in one corner of the yard so that it is easy to clean up? You can, and it will make life better
for all. Unfortunately when "nature calls" with our pets, and we are out on a walk, many people look
the other way as if nothing is happening, then quickly leave the spot where the incriminating evidence lies. And
the dog is doing what he feels a need to do and what he also feels is perfectly "OK" to do.
Please be considerate of others and clean up after your dog. Don't let them urinate on items that people are likely
to care about….railings, chairs, clothing, car tires (who wants to drive around with smelly tires?). The golden
rule really applies here…don't allow your pet to "go" on others where you wouldn't want others to "go"
on you….isn't that how it goes? Because when you "look away" and make a fast exit, you are helping to
create a negative image of all the pets that may live in your neighborhood. Your civic association is likely to
get mad enough to pass laws and regulations and to place video cameras to catch your pet in the act.
Being a responsible pet owner is really an pretty simple thing to do. For the sake of those who don't know just
how easy it is, here's what my wife and I do. We save our plastic bags from the supermarket in a bin, then we throw
a few in our pockets before we go out for a walk that involves going o n property other than our own. A good walk
stimulates our dogs to have a bowel movement, and after praising the dog, we reach into the bag with one hand,
and grab the stool using the bag as a glove. We often joke with each other about the size and consistency of what
we are picking up, but it also can serve as a very good tool to check on the health of your dog. Once the stool
has been grasped, we simply turn the bag inside out, then tie a knot at the top. And there you have it. A package
ready to transport cleanly back to our own trashcan. If we are going on a "round trip" type walk, we
will often leave the bag temporarily near a landmark, then pick it up on our return route.
It's not a favorite thing to do. But it is the right thing to do. People love to look at our dogs, and they love
them even more when the dogs don't become a nuisance to others. Because it is up to us pet owners, the Alpha dogs
in our pack, to make sure that our dogs do the right thing in the right place.
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