Doug Kanter wrote:
Apparently, people can't help being people, either. Even the so-called "good
dog owners" are usually skanks who have no business living within miles of
other people.

Doug, you seem to be having a bad day. I'm sorry to hear it. If you're
going to be a pessimist, at least use it as a reason to be pleasantly
surprised more often.

... Example: I was out working in the garden once when a guy
stopped to let his dog crap on my lawn where it meets the street. He had the
equipment to pick it up afterwards, but as everyone knows, that doesn't
matter. Other dogs find those spots interesting because of the scent. So, I
politely asked him to not stop his dog on my property in the future. He said
he planned to clean it up. I said "Great, but even so, please don't stop
here any more". His next response was something like "That's some attitude
you have toward your neighors", to which I responded "Would it be OK with
you if I haul my trash cans down to your place and dump them on your lawn?"
He said "That's not the same". My final comment was "If you'd like to
continue having a dog, you'll not stop here in the future". He didn't. But,
why should anyone need to go through this hassle? He should've gotten right
to the correct response to my request: "Sure...no problem".

To a large extent I agree, and don't let my dogs crap on other peoples
lawns indescriminately, but OTOH is it that big a deal? Did you get a
written guarantee when you bought your house that NO dog (or any other
living being, for that matter) would ever leave anything on your
property that you didn't want? Would you kill a dog, who was otherwise
better company and has more to contribute than most humans, just for
pooping on your lawn?

If it really is that big a deal, move to an exclusive no dogs allowed
neighborhood. They exist. Several of our neighbors want to outlaw dogs
in our neighborhood... they want to outlaw boats in the driveway, too,
and pass rules about what kind of Christmas decorations you can have.



He's not the exception, either.

"I don't know how he gets out of my yard - really, I don't". (Hole in fence
big enough for a horse to walk through)

"You must be doing something to MAKE him want to visit your garden". (Right.
I grow steak bushes.)

"Oh come on....it's not THAT hard to clean doggy poo off your shoes. I do it
all the time." (A perfect example of coprophilia!)

Like I said, you have a neighbor problem.


We finally got a real dog catcher who behaves like a jack-booted thug. After
the legally required third complaint, he doesn't even knock on the dog
owner's door - he just takes the dog if he sees it, and sends them a letter
in the mail. Spooky. Nasty. Priceless. :-)

Sounds like a good deal, especially if he also rounds up unwanted cats.

Our dog catcher is a young woman who is nice but not really effective at
much except soothing irate elderly women.

Regards
Doug King