To douse, or not to douse

[holliscx]

I'm curious about urban dog owner etiquette if owners could chime in: I had a man scold me yesterday morning for not dousing my puppy's pee-pee in the street with water. He peed in the middle of a quiet street; not on a storefront or building. I know as the pup grows bigger I will have to decide whether to carry a water bottle every time I go outside or not. I'm developing my opinion but I feel pouring water over a dog's pee is window dressing versus ridding the sidewalk or street of stench. I have a problem schlepping water around to pretend it makes a difference. If I had a pressure washer strapped to my back and blasted my pup's urine to kingdom come then we're talking, but sprinkling water on a puddle of urine is a sideshow. City dwellers, where do you stand on this issue?

[sk_tle]

You like it or not you might want to check with your local laws. A number of spanish municipalities have started to give recommendation to douse with water mixed with white vinegar or bleach. I don't have a dog but there are now signs in my street about it and I see people doing it. In some cities it is only a recommendation, in others you can be fined. I think the main reasonning is to avoid the stains in the sidewalk. I think in Málaga it is only a recomendation. In Valencia you can get fined 50€ for example. I think these recommendation came alongside laws that prohibit the use of sulphur to repel dogs. It was quite common from some property owners used to do that to protect their walls/corners.

[holliscx]

While we're on the subject this is a Spanish phenomenon below that I just learned when you see errant water bottles they are to deter dogs from peeing



In Barcelona I think it's only recommended owners douse but I'm not 100% sure tbh. The first word that comes out of Spanish cops' mouths is how much the fine they're going to give you is. It's never good day or hello or about teaching but always a swift display of power.

[Too Tall]

Tell him to never visit France and have a nice day.

[j44ke]

Dog urine destroys the lower 2' of the facade of our apartment building, it corrodes the sidewalk transom door and freezes the lock, it eats away our iron railing around the tree well in front of our building, it kills any plant we put in the tree well except for the Bradford pear tree the city planted there, it removes the anodization on the aluminum frame on our front door and transom. Plus when one dog pisses on a spot every fcking dog in the city has to go over a piss on the spot. And it costs the owners in our building money because we are required by city regulation to keep most of those things repaired and in good condition.

[holliscx]

I had an urban forestry teacher in college who gave this lecture about dog pee killing trees. I didn't believe her, so I conducted an experiment: I was living in a basement converted garage that I rented from a retired professor. Every day when I got home from class I went outside and pissed in the same green spot. I don't remember if it was a plant, shrub, or tree but I rendered it as dead as a doornail in a few weeks.

[NYCfixie]

A few times a week my wife and I walk my (aging) parents dog to give them a break.

One early morning we saw their building staff pouring white vinegar over most of the lower area of the building nearest the lobby door. When we asked why, he said to keep dogs from peeing on the building and in the area because the urine is very corrosive. He then shared the building management gave up trying to get dog owners to be more responsible so they decided to find a way to deter the dogs. Apparently, in the long run it costs less to provide the white vinegar and pay the workers to do it than the damage the dogs will cause.

[KonaSS]

I had to reread this whole thread to understand what it was about. You learn something new every day. I have never in my life lived in a place where there isn't green space for your pets. Not sure I ever want too...

[j44ke]

Rant deleted. No one cares obviously. Most people would live in filth even given the choice not to.

[holliscx]

I had to reread this whole thread to understand what it was about. You learn something new every day. I have never in my life lived in a place where there isn't green space for your pets. Not sure I ever want too...

Outside of New York this probably isn't an issue anywhere in the USA. Barcelona is probably an outlier in this sense. Spain has very little green to offer in its cities. This is why I posted about a dog trailer for I want to get my dog up to the mountains as soon as possible.

Urban dog ownership is a new game for me. I learn something new every day. The sociability is insane. There are misfit dogs at every turn. Then you have to be friendly with other dog owners.

I just got back from a playdate with someone I met in the street who adored my puppy. I've also gotten lunch with her partner. Kind of the opposite of Covid in that regard for as sheltered as lockdown and the pandemic was it's nice to just grab a bite to eat with someone for no other reason than they seem like a nice person.

[Too Tall]

I've been to the City several times with my dog. It's not easy being a dog when everything looks like a tree.

[vertical_doug]

My wife and I were just discusses owning a dog in Tokyo and how everyone is expected to douse. It's common sense.

On the other hand, with all the post pandemic dog owners in London, the city is really horrible with poo and pee at least on the west end.
And people have bought some really big ass dogs.

[j44ke]

I've been to the City several times with my dog. It's not easy being a dog when everything looks like a tree.

Dogs as per always are not the problem.

[j44ke]

...

I just got back from a playdate with someone I met in the street who adored my puppy. I've also gotten lunch with her partner. Kind of the opposite of Covid in that regard for as sheltered as lockdown and the pandemic was it's nice to just grab a bite to eat with someone for no other reason than they seem like a nice person.

Careful there Elroy. You may be a happily married man with a cute puppy who likes nice people. Dog parks and dog walking society are full of wolves in sheep's clothing. There's a blog somewhere done by someone documenting the social goings-on at the dog park on 80th and Central Park West at the Natural History Museum. Read it and beware.

[bigbill]

My HOA wants to build a dog park in our current park which has a four acre open space with grass (irrigated). The wailing, gnashing of teeth, and pearl clutching are off the charts. "I have a small dog, will smaller dogs have a separate area?" "Who will clean it up?" "my dog doesn't like other dogs, will there be times for single dogs to run around?" Dog people don't clean up after their pets now. Otherwise this is the Mohave Desert, the whole thing is a litter box.

[Mark Kelly]

I had an urban forestry teacher in college who gave this lecture about dog pee killing trees. I didn't believe her, so I conducted an experiment: I was living in a basement converted garage that I rented from a retired professor. Every day when I got home from class I went outside and pissed in the same green spot. I don't remember if it was a plant, shrub, or tree but I rendered it as dead as a doornail in a few weeks.

I had a professor who was a specialist in the physiology of herbicides. He noticed that one particular spot of the university lawns was dead and that a particular dog pissed on it every day so he got out there and captured some of that dog's urine and tested it for herbicidal activity.

Nope, it was just piss, which in high enough concentration kills anything.

[thollandpe]

Dogs as per always are not the problem.

I'd invite dogs into my yard to pee. I'm AOK with having to pick up the occasional fox turd in my driveway.

The drivers who go by on the road? I'm not too keen on their habits. Yes, some of these were trucker bombs.









And occasionally one of these idiots will dispatch a dog. Last summer and less than two miles from my house, a human friend was hit by a driver and left for dead. They've recovered from the broken neck and TBI and are riding again. We don't deserve dogs.

[darkmother]

I wonder if that Smirnoff bottle collection is courtesy of one person.

Thread drift: Is the dropout on your Rock Lobster(?) modified to allow the wheel axle to sit lower? Or did it come that way? I was thinking you might lowered the axle for more tire clearance.

[vertical_doug]

I am sure the smirnoff bottles are the work of one person. Nitrous Oxide cartridges (aka Hippy Crack) are a road hazard in London.

It is almost spring which means Fly Tipping season will soon be upon us out in Surrey Hills and the Downs.... You want couches, I have couches, You want tires, I have tires, You want used mattresses, I have used matresses. Book cases, shelves, pots and pans.... you name it, I got it. Everything must go...

[Too Tall]

Hey now denigrate NO2 at the risk of defaming my Alma Mater who had the worst football team in all of college sports and we have the Sports Illustrated interview to prove it. One of our more infamous cheers "Nitrous Oxide Inert Gases All OUR players go to classes".

Back to your regular program.