By Sam Mazotta
DEAR PAW’S corner: I read
your recent column about the
homeowner who was struggling
to find out which owner was al-
lowing their dog to poop on their
lawn. Your ideas were pretty
good, but I have another one that
they might consider.
I run a small bed and break-
fast, and dog poop on the front
lawn is a huge concern to me.
No guest wants to see that, much
less accidentally step in it! I in-
stalled cameras and caught a
couple of neighbors’ dogs in the
act, but the problem continued.
Then I noticed something. My
landscaper applies a fertilizer and
pest control to the lawn in the
spring and fall, and he puts up a
little sign that warns people not
to allow pets or children onto the
grass until the application dries.
When that sign is up, no neigh-
bors come near my property. I
asked the landscaper to leave the
sign up year-round. I haven’t had
a single “deposit” since! I hope
this sneaky idea helps. — Vince in
Saratoga, New York
Dear VINCE: That is a genius
idea. And while it’s a little sneaky,
it controls the pet waste problem
in a non-confrontational way.
Another option is to periodi-
cally treat your front lawn with a
dog-repelling scent. These prod-
ucts, both sprays and granules,
are available at pet and home-im-
provement stores and online.
Spritz the borders of the lawn
and plants or spread the granules
around on a dry day that isn’t
windy.
You can even make homemade
repellent by mixing one part cay-
enne pepper with 10 parts water
and spraying around the yard.
(Do not spritz these repellants di-
rectly at a neighbor’s dog!)
