Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
Post Reply
Digity
Posts: 1445
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:13 am

Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Digity »

I have a new neighbour whose dog poops on my lawn and he doesn't clean it up. I've put up a sign to say to clean it up. I'll see how it goes. Would it be un-buddhist if I started taking the poo and dumping on his lawn if they don't clean it up from mine?
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13460
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Sam Vara »

Digity, I had exactly the same problem! I thought it might be useful to bag it up and present it to them if I could catch them at the time. ("Excuse me, you seem to have left this. You can keep the bag just this once!")

If I saw dog walkers lingering near the house I would get my shoes on and get a bag ready.

Until I identified the culprit. A very old, frail lady who walked painfully slowly with a frame, and an elderly greyhound which paused to do what it had to do. The owner was clearly incapable of bending to pick up anything. My wife knows her from the local church, and this poor lady has mental health issues and is very concerned that she can't care properly for her dog, who she loves inordinately.

I waited until she was gone, bagged up the problem, and put it in our bin.

In your case, yes, I think you would be entirely justified in dumping the problem on your neighbour's lawn. I'm not sure if it counts as "taking the not given", but you certainly don't want it on yours! Have you had a word with the neighbour first, though? If he is unaware of the problem, he might be embarrassed and exercise more control over the dog. If he just doesn't care, then if I were you I would transfer it to his lawn. Or even take laxative and go over there myself under cover of darkness!
User avatar
Polar Bear
Posts: 1348
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:39 am

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Polar Bear »

Digity wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:33 pm I have a new neighbour whose dog poops on my lawn and he doesn't clean it up. I've put up a sign to say to clean it up. I'll see how it goes. Would it be un-buddhist if I started taking the poo and dumping on his lawn if they don't clean it up from mine?
Nah, it’s his dog, so his poo. You should definitely return his property to him. :tongue:
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by User1249x »

perhaps tell him that it pisses you off and that you are considering throwing the shit over to his lawn and worse
then hope that he cares, i don't think there is much of an endgame here and it will end up in conflict if he does not
i think it is very rude of him to expect you to be dealing with his dogshit as in throwing it over to his side as if you have nothing better to do
Last edited by User1249x on Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13460
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Sam Vara »

Polar Bear wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:01 pm
Digity wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:33 pm I have a new neighbour whose dog poops on my lawn and he doesn't clean it up. I've put up a sign to say to clean it up. I'll see how it goes. Would it be un-buddhist if I started taking the poo and dumping on his lawn if they don't clean it up from mine?
Nah, it’s his dog, so his poo. You should definitely return his property to him. :tongue:
I was reminded of this:
the Blessed One spoke to the brahman Akkosa Bharadvaja: 'Well, brahman, do friends, confidants, relatives, kinsmen and guests visit you?"

"Yes, Gotama, sometimes friends, confidants, relatives, kinsmen and guests do visit me."

"Well, brahman, do you not offer them snacks or food or tidbits?"

"Yes, Gotama, sometimes I do offer them snacks or food or tidbits."

"But if, brahman, they do not accept it, who gets it?"

"If Gotama, they do not accept it, I get it back."
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .budd.html
Digity
Posts: 1445
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:13 am

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Digity »

I've yet to even meet/speak with the neighbour but I put a sign up very recently that says to clean up. I'm curious to see if that changes anything.

I may just put up a fence, but we'll see how it goes. I hope this person is reasonable and just isn't aware of the issue. I'm skeptical though.
dharmacorps
Posts: 2298
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2015 7:33 pm

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by dharmacorps »

I'm not sure its very dhammic, but I have seen a person online who took pictures of a man who let his dog poop on his lawn all the time, printed them out (big blown up photos) and posted them on his lawn and gave free copies to his neighbors who had the same problem from the same culprit. Apparently after a few days, the guy never showed up again.
User avatar
Polar Bear
Posts: 1348
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:39 am

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Polar Bear »

Sam Vara wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:08 pm
I was reminded of this:
the Blessed One spoke to the brahman Akkosa Bharadvaja: 'Well, brahman, do friends, confidants, relatives, kinsmen and guests visit you?"

"Yes, Gotama, sometimes friends, confidants, relatives, kinsmen and guests do visit me."

"Well, brahman, do you not offer them snacks or food or tidbits?"

"Yes, Gotama, sometimes I do offer them snacks or food or tidbits."

"But if, brahman, they do not accept it, who gets it?"

"If Gotama, they do not accept it, I get it back."
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .budd.html
That’s a great sutta. :thumbsup:
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
binocular
Posts: 8292
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by binocular »

Digity wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:33 pmI have a new neighbour whose dog poops on my lawn and he doesn't clean it up. I've put up a sign to say to clean it up. I'll see how it goes. Would it be un-buddhist if I started taking the poo and dumping on his lawn if they don't clean it up from mine?
Have the same problem for years, except that the dog from our neighbors also dug holes under the fence to get through. A nasty small black creature, a mini Doberman of sorts.

As for the fence, I started a considerable project and for now, I put woodden boards at the bottom of the fence, so that the dog can't dig through. (Fortunately, I have a cousin who tore down an old shed, and gave me the boards, otherwise, the expense would be enormous.) I have propagated a great number of sturdy plants suitable for a hedge and will plant them right next to the fence as soon as they are big enough. They grow so thick that no dog can get through.

Talking to our neighbors is useless. They just giggle and start blaming us. As far as I can tell, they are also very vindictive people, and would revenge themselves severely if we took any firmer steps.

One of our neighbors have a new dog, a young German Shepherd. My plan is to get on really good terms with this dog, so that when he grows up and becomes dangerous, he'll chase the nasty small black creature away.
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13460
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Sam Vara »

binocular wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 9:27 pm
One of our neighbors have a new dog, a young German Shepherd.
Relevant English joke, which my children think is highly amusing:

I kept finding fresh piles of poo on my lawn every morning. To find the culprit, I set my alarm very early and peeped through the bedroom curtains at dawn. To my disgust, there was a huge German Shepherd squatting in the middle of my lawn, leaving the most appalling mess. Enraged, I shouted and banged on the window, and he ran away.

The next morning I waited again, and once more at dawn the German Shepherd trotted into my garden, squatted, and left a huge steaming pile. Again, I shouted at him and he raced away.

The same next morning. So I decided to put a stop to it once and for all. The next morning, I armed myself with a big stick and got up even earlier, positioning myself just inside the front door so I could rush out and teach him a lesson he wouldn't forget.

At the appropriate moment, I flung open the door and there was the big German Shepherd, taking a dump right in the middle of the lawn. But I couldn't do anything, because this time he'd brought his dog with him.
User avatar
DNS
Site Admin
Posts: 17169
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:15 am
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
Contact:

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by DNS »

:rofl: That's good.

This dog poo business is everywhere. I heard on the news several years ago that many places have started taking DNA samples of dogs and then they determine who left the mess and then charge the owner a fine for the clean up. Now some apartment complexes have started doing that too. We don't do that yet so everyday my cleaning lady picks up some 10 + piles that the dog owners don't pick up like they are supposed to do.

At one property I had in California, we put up a short fence around the front yard. The city wouldn't let us go higher than 3 feet, so we went exactly that high. And then one day, I saw a dog owner place their dog over the fence so that the dog could poo on the yard. I couldn't believe it! They just defied the fence and placed the dog over. I ran out and the owner picked the dog back up and as far as I know, did not come back.
User avatar
seeker242
Posts: 1114
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:01 am

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by seeker242 »

Think of it like this. Your neighbors dog is an emanation of Buddha and he's teaching you how to have patience and kindness, even in situations where you're getting crapped on. :D
User avatar
Polar Bear
Posts: 1348
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:39 am

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Polar Bear »

seeker242 wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 10:29 pm Think of it like this. Your neighbors dog is an emanation of Buddha and he's teaching you how to have patience and kindness, even in situations where you're getting crapped on. :D
Reminds me of this sutta:
Paṭhavīsamaṁ Rāhula bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi,
Develop the meditation, Rāhula, that is to be even as the earth, 03

paṭhavīsamaṁ hi te Rāhula bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato
for, Rāhula, from developing the meditation that is to be even as the earth,

uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.
appealing and unappealing contacts that have arisen in the mind will not take a hold there.

Seyyathā pi Rāhula paṭhaviyā sucim-pi nikkhipanti,
Just as, Rāhula, they throw what is clean on the earth,

asucim-pi nikkhipanti, gūthagatam-pi nikkhipanti,
and they throw what is unclean, and they throw what has become dung,

muttagatam-pi nikkhipanti, khelagatam-pi nikkhipanti,
and they throw what has become urine, and they throw what has become spit,

pubbagatam-pi nikkhipanti, lohitagatam-pi nikkhipanti,
and they throw what has become pus, and they throw what has become blood, 04

na ca tena paṭhavī aṭṭīyati vā harāyati vā jigucchati vā,
but the earth is not distressed, or ashamed, or disgusted by it,

evam-eva kho tvaṁ Rāhula paṭhavīsamaṁ bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi,
just so do you, Rāhula, develop the meditation that is to be even as the earth,

paṭhavīsamaṁ hi te Rāhula bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato
for, Rāhula, from developing the meditation that is to be even as the earth

uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.
appealing and unappealing contacts that have arisen in the mind will not take a hold there.

- Mahārāhulovādasuttaṁ

:anjali:
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
User avatar
Mkoll
Posts: 6590
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:55 pm
Location: USA

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Mkoll »

Digity wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:33 pm I have a new neighbour whose dog poops on my lawn and he doesn't clean it up. I've put up a sign to say to clean it up. I'll see how it goes. Would it be un-buddhist if I started taking the poo and dumping on his lawn if they don't clean it up from mine?
If the sign doesn't work, try talking to the person.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
User avatar
Mr Man
Posts: 4016
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:42 am

Re: Neighbours dog pooing on my lawn

Post by Mr Man »

Mkoll wrote: Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:09 am
Digity wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:33 pm I have a new neighbour whose dog poops on my lawn and he doesn't clean it up. I've put up a sign to say to clean it up. I'll see how it goes. Would it be un-buddhist if I started taking the poo and dumping on his lawn if they don't clean it up from mine?
If the sign doesn't work, try talking to the person.
:goodpost:
Post Reply