Dog walking - Is this reality?

[okanaganchoppers]

I am honestly quite suprised how many people walk their dogs without plastic bags to pick up their pets waste. Our family lives on a street with a fantastic lake/valley view. It is a street many enjoying walking on due to the location and view. My wife runs a daycare from our home. She sees many of the regular "dog walkers". The trouble is - some intentionally speed walk ahead of their dogs, so as not to notice. Others claim they "forgot" or "ran out" of plastic bags. But when they are politely asked to pick up after their pets they conveniently forget on every occasion, then suprisingly they find another walking route.

So it is the same people (I would guess 60-70%) that do this regularly. The remainder walk their dog(s) and pick up after them responsibly. What is the thinking of not picking up after your pet? I know it's not the most pleasant experience, but you chose to have a dog.

Our trouble is the youngsters we have in our daycare. They will often step, fall, play etc. in the grassy area (only on 1 side of our street) where these people allow their dogs to poop. Is this fair? Should children be kept away from public areas because of some adult's irresponsibility? Why are so many people in Vernon so selfish? I wonder how they would feel if I scooped all the fecal matter from our grassy boulevard and threw it on their lawn or doostep?

I find the same attitude in town with people driving, parking (in private or company lots they are not patronizing etc.) I moved here 10+ years ago from just outside Vancouver and have never seen this self entitled, who cares, screw everone else, attitude anywhere I have previously lived. What is with this Vernon attitude?

Please try to be a little more caring for one another. It makes a city so much more of a town.

Any thoughts on this would certainly be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

[Grizzly550]

The trouble is - some intentionally speed walk ahead of their dogs, so as not to notice. Others claim they "forgot" or "ran out" of plastic bags. But when they are politely asked to pick up after their pets they conveniently forget on every occasion, then suprisingly they find another walking route.

I think you are crazy. How can you speedwalk away and not notice when you are walking your dog on a leash? Because everyone keeps their dog on a leash in a residential neighbourhood, don't they?

What exactly do you say when you ask them to pick up after their pets? I'd like to know, because I have many who need to find another route! I don't know how to use a gun, and I'm not too good at verbal sparring, so I think I might not be able to "politely" speak to some of these people.

[Meeko666]

When I "politely" asked a young woman if she was going to pick up what her dog left... she got so angry with me that she was yelling. She stomped off and then, to my surprise, she came back and asked if it was only "MY" house that I didn't want her dog pooping in front of. I just said that I really didn't care where it went, but she should carry something to pick it up with. I was more than surprised at her reaction.

[Bsuds]

There is a fine for not picking up after your dog, so tell her to please give you her address so you can send by-law. lol
Went for a walk the other day and in one small area there was major dog droppings which seemed to all be from the same dog. Would like to catch that person/dog in the act!

[grammafreddy]

My mom used to make note of whose dog deposited on her lawn. She would pick it up and gift wrap it in a small box. Then the next day when they did the route again, she would stop them and give them a very pretty present - bow and all. She'd tell them to save it until they got home and unwrap it then. If they thanked her (they always did), then she would say, "Hey, it's nothing - just the least I could do and one good turn deserves another. You have a nice dog. Have a nice day." and walk away.

[Grizzly550]

My mom used to make note of whose dog deposited on her lawn. She would pick it up and gift wrap it in a small box. Then the next day when they did the route again, she would stop them and give them a very pretty present - bow and all. She'd tell them to save it until they got home and unwrap it then. If they thanked her (they always did), then she would say, "Hey, it's nothing - just the least I could do and one good turn deserves another. You have a nice dog. Have a nice day." and walk away.

People used to have manners. I'm pretty sure if I did this to any of the nasty renters (there is a revolving door on a pet friend rental home about half a block from us), it would be smeared on my living room window the next morning.

[mamabee]

You are right Okanaganchoppers. It is the attitude. I've been here for 5 years, from Vancouver as well, and I used to think Vancouverites were selfish and non-community minded. But it is way worse here. It's "ALL ABOUT ME" here....not many people give a hoot about anything....I have no idea why that is. Maybe the rednecks from Alberta brought that here...

[Runs_With_Scissors]

Not far from where I live in a gated community where EVERYBODY except the dogs have dogs, one funny gent has a tombstone-shaped sign stuck in the ground in his front yard that says:

Here he lies,
Cold and hard,
The last damn dog
That pooped in my yard.

Everybody's pretty good about picking up after their dogs but there must have been a time, before the sign, where it was a problem. Try posting a sign that states that children play there...

[james-d]

I'm gettin real tired of having to go and poop on peoples lawns late at nite, Cause I don't have a dog, Then I have to go back and do the same thing in their flower beds, cause I don' have a cat. I know I know, it's a terrible thing, But someone has to do it? I wonder If I could be charged with littering because of the toilet tissue ???

[okanaganchoppers]

Thanks to all of you who have replied. At one point I thought I was becoming anal retentive. Also I was becoming quite irrated and you have spun a humurous light on this subject. It is a problem which some people need to wake up to reality though. My hopes are this forum has created some awareness for those whom choose not to pick up after their pets. It obviously does create troubles for others, so be responsible.

If not, it's.............................
Here he lies,
Cold and hard,
The last damn dog
That pooped in my yard.


Thanks for the enlightenment.

[dg3]

the neighbour's pet trees are the real problem, dropping leaves, nuts,and seeds all over my yard.

[bumblepixie]

I'd rather step in dog crap than put more plastic waste on our earth.

I am honestly quite suprised how many people walk their dogs without plastic bags to pick up their pets waste. Our family lives on a street with a fantastic lake/valley view. It is a street many enjoying walking on due to the location and view. My wife runs a daycare from our home. She sees many of the regular "dog walkers". The trouble is - some intentionally speed walk ahead of their dogs, so as not to notice. Others claim they "forgot" or "ran out" of plastic bags. But when they are politely asked to pick up after their pets they conveniently forget on every occasion, then suprisingly they find another walking route.

So it is the same people (I would guess 60-70%) that do this regularly. The remainder walk their dog(s) and pick up after them responsibly. What is the thinking of not picking up after your pet? I know it's not the most pleasant experience, but you chose to have a dog.

Our trouble is the youngsters we have in our daycare. They will often step, fall, play etc. in the grassy area (only on 1 side of our street) where these people allow their dogs to poop. Is this fair? Should children be kept away from public areas because of some adult's irresponsibility? Why are so many people in Vernon so selfish? I wonder how they would feel if I scooped all the fecal matter from our grassy boulevard and threw it on their lawn or doostep?

I find the same attitude in town with people driving, parking (in private or company lots they are not patronizing etc.) I moved here 10+ years ago from just outside Vancouver and have never seen this self entitled, who cares, screw everone else, attitude anywhere I have previously lived. What is with this Vernon attitude?

Please try to be a little more caring for one another. It makes a city so much more of a town.

Any thoughts on this would certainly be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

[grammafreddy]

I'd rather step in dog crap than put more plastic waste on our earth.

Sooooooooo ... avoid the "more plastic waste" ... empty the damn plastic bag out into your potty when you get home and wash the plastic waste bag out and reuse it next time yer dog poops.

or

use rags from recycled clothing and bedding and toss it all when you get home.

*removed/Jo*

[superbee]

The whole mentality of community has changed, and not just in Vernon, and not just by young people. Some of these dog poop crimes are done by older folks whom I believe don't feel connected and responsible to their new area. My Vernon mum lives up the road from a gated community. It is not so bad now, most of the guilty ones and their dogs have gone to the great beyond, but a few still persist. They walk their dogs up the country road, letting them do their business as they go. Some, but not all, clean up, and take the deposit away.

And these are not young punks, these are seniors, who are not cleaning up what their dog leaves. I am sure if the country people took their dogs into the gated community and let the country dogs crap on the fine lawns, there would be a big commotion. What is the mind set? I think these gated seniors feel no connection to the ones living on the country road so they think it is okay to not clean up after their dog. And of course that thinking is totally wrong. It got so bad a few years ago the old fellow across from my mum put up a very direct sign saying 'No Dog S**t Wanted Here'. That helped alot. I think if a person suspects they are being watched it is a good deterrant. I would use my front or side door alot more. If there are certain times of the day when dog walkers go by, be out in the yard. Even use reverse pyschology and wish them a good day. They may not say anything and hustle off, but I bet they won't be as brazen about letting their dog crap on your front lawn. Most people don't want to 'get caught'.

In the old days alol of Vernon homes had front porches and front steps where folks sat out. When a person walked by with a dog and it did its business, that person would clean it up, because there would be beady eyes from those porches watching. So they learned from a young age to get it done. Then the whole scene changed. Instead of front porches, where folks could keep an eye on the front of their place, and the neighbourhood kids riding around under watchful eyes, the focus was now on the backyard, the patio, the deck, and to stay inside in a/c, the home theatre, kids plopped down in front of machines.

So there is a whole generation of people who are disconnected from their front yard and their street, they are disengaged and just don't care what they do in other people's neighbourhoods, and probably their own, because there has been nobody out there to challenge them. And now if they are renters, that could be bad too, if they are not connected to that house either. I have thought for a long time that we need to get homes with front porches again and people sitting out there. There is alot less monkey business when it is known that eyes are watching.

[Grizzly550]

[quote="bumblepixie"]I'd rather step in dog crap than put more plastic waste on our earth.[quote]

I buy the biodegradable bags. Yep, I buy them. I'm not one of those people who empties the entire box of bags from the dogpark cause I'm too cheap to buy my own. Go after the bag stealers - I bet most of the ones they just took end up muddy in the back seat of the car and just get thrown out unused.