Is it legal for dogs to urinate against garden walls?

StormWarrior

I have a 16 year old blind dog with arthritis. As you can imagine, she can't walk far. Several times a day I walk her halfway down our road and back so she can have a sniff and a wee. My next door neighbour complains because she sometimes wees against the wall which seperates his front garden from the pavement. The thing is, tis is a busy road and about 40 other dogs a day walk past here, many others wee against his wall too. I pointed this out to him but he doesn't care, he still wants me to stop doing it. I want to know if it's illegal? It can't be, surely. He can't complain to the council or anything can he? And the next time he complains what should I say? I mean it's a busy public road, it's not his private property. I can't walk her in the opposite direction like he wants me to because the road that way is not safe, there are things that she could fall down.

Grab All Association

Nope. They do **** all about it when a person does against your wall in Nenagh.

Some people have nothing better to do with themselves. He can't stop your dog from peeing against the wall on a public road. If it were inside the boundary wall, he would have the right to complain.

gerrybbadd

Sounds like he's taking the pi$$.

In fairness and seriousness though, how is he going to stop any other unaccompanied dog from doing their business against his wall? It's not like your dog is leaving big piles of poo.

He has little to be worrying about, complaining about dogs peeing

StormWarrior

What else can I say to him? He's complained twice now and today got his elderly dad to try to chase me down the street telling me to stop!

tk123

Apologies if I'm way off but are you a girl? I've had crap like this myself and I know if I wasn't female and 5 foot they'd keep their mouth shut.

When we had dogs/cats pooing outside or in our garden we washed it down with jeyes fluid (rinsed well of course) or used get off my lawn crystals to deter them - our property was our problem. Tell him if he doesn't like it he should wash the wall down with something to stop the neighbour hood dogs using it as a loo.

I'm intrigued that your female dog is peeing against a wall though lol - mine always squats!

Big Nasty

He might be in the wrong but for the sake of keeping the peace would it not be easier to let your dog pee on one of the walls either side of your neighbours?

kylith

Tell him that you've checked with the Gardaí and you're doing nothing wrong, and that if he has any ideas how to stop her going there you'd be happy to hear them. Maybe have your phone in your hand as well as the idea that they may be being recorded tends to give people pause for thought before acting rashly.

StormWarrior

tk123 wrote: »

Apologies if I'm way off but are you a girl? I've had crap like this myself and I know if I wasn't female and 5 foot they'd keep their mouth shut.

When we had dogs/cats pooing outside or in our garden we washed it down with jeyes fluid (rinsed well of course) or used get off my lawn crystals to deter them - our property was our problem. Tell him if he doesn't like it he should wash the wall down with something to stop the neighbour hood dogs using it as a loo.

I'm intrigued that your female dog is peeing against a wall though lol - mine always squats!

Yes I am a 5ft 5 girl who only looks about 14, so I'm told. I'd love to swap bodies with a 6ft 6 beefy Hells angel for a day and take her peeing against their wall then! Even though my dog is female she always lifts up her leg and wees like a male.

Big Nasty wrote: »

He might be in the wrong but for the sake of keeping the peace would it not be easier to let your dog pee on one of the walls either side of your neighbours?

Well, it's not that easy to stop her if she wants to go but I will try. The annoying thing is they aren't even considerate neighbours themselves. They have loud banging all night long parties and things like that so I don't really see why I should go to a big effort to please them.

kylith wrote: »

Tell him that you've checked with the Gardaí and you're doing nothing wrong, and that if he has any ideas how to stop her going there you'd be happy to hear them. Maybe have your phone in your hand as well as the idea that they may be being recorded tends to give people pause for thought before acting rashly.

This is a good idea. I'll try and stop her going there to keep the peace but if that doesn't work I'll try yours.

StormWarrior

Big Nasty wrote: »

He might be in the wrong but for the sake of keeping the peace would it not be easier to let your dog pee on one of the walls either side of your neighbours?

Actually the thing is I get blamed even if she's not doing it. Today when the elderly man harranged me about it she hadn't even weed there. And he came running after me a few seconds after I left my house, it made me think he'd been sitting there by the window just waiting for me.

Big Nasty

I suppose he's seen you letting your dog wee there before so you automatically get the blame.

Miaireland

As long as the dog is not standing in his property I cannot really see him having a case but for the sake of it I would hold on very tight to the leash when passing his house so the dog cannot pee there.

borderlinemeath

To try and keep the peace why don't you bring a bottle of water with you and rinse it down if she goes on that particular wall? At least then you're actively cleaning or at least diluting it away. TBH he sounds like a crank and there's nothing really he can do about it but at least if he lies and calls the dog warden you can say that you've been doing your best but your dog can't hold it or walk very far.

*and maybe get him ranting and acting aggressively on your phone so that you have proof of him harassing you if he tries to bring it further.

Stheno

Sounds like they are blaming you for any dog peeing against the wall

Try to stop your dog doing so and calmly point out that if they start again

Milly33

Sounds like they are a right pain.Maybe you should complain them to the local guards. Say look everytime I go out they harass me which is really what they are doing...

Frigga_92

He sounds like a pain in the ass with nothing better to do with his time. If he continues to harrass you, contact the gardai and they might take a trip out to him and basically just tell him to cop on to himself.

I can understand how upsetting it probably is for you given that your dog is elderly and this is her only walk.

My mum's female dog also cocks her leg

DBB

There's only one person breaking the law here op, and that's the fella chasing you down the road! That is harrassment and verbal assault through and through, and I'd be very tempted to video him doing it the next time. I wouldn't say a single word to him, just video him.
Might not do any harm to rinse your dog's pee down with a bottle of water, but after his behaviour towards you, I'm not sure I'd bother as it's not a requirement... dogs peeing in public is simply not against the law. Neither is pooping, but in that case, not picking it up is against the law.

One of my female dogs often cocks her leg to pee too Not quite as sideways as a male does, she cocks her leg, turns her body sideways in a semi-squat, and pees!

Dubl07

Might elderly dad have a touch of dementia and be obsessing about it a bit and driving your neighbour bonkers as well as you? I've had something similar when the 'culprits' were blameless. Just something to be aware of next time you're chased so that you can suggest it to the guards when you report it.

Manach

While one should never trust legal advice from the web, there is a legal saying "The law does not concern itself with a coin toss". This (to outside observers) is a trivial matter for someone to get worked up about given the clear lack of intent on the OP's part - hence not in the environs of law but of normal civil social interaction : ie better to discuss rather than reach for a solicitor.

Shivi111

I kind of get where they are coming from, although their approach is all wrong and you really can't help what your dog is doing. We live in at the corner of our road and every single dog that walks past my gate pees on it, meaning that the walls are horribly stained even though I wash them down and paint regularly. It looks dreadful and I do sometimes wish people would usher their dogs past and not let them pee against my wall!

I'm a complete animal lover, but it does get to me sometimes as it makes the place look really grubby! That said, I've never raised it with anyone on our street, dogs pee against walls, not a lot to be done about it.

At least your dog is not pooping at their gate (we get a lot of that too!)
Maybe try to bring her past their wall quickly and if they mention it again tell them you will do your best to make sure she pees elsewhere? Also, if your dog is peeing there then chances are that every dog that passes is doing so to! Maybe (gently) point that out to them?