How To Stop Neighbor’s Dog From Peeing In My Yard? 7 Possible Ways

Having a yard with no fence has its pains and aches. We once had this neighbor’s dog that used our yard as his bathroom every morning. As you know, dogs go back to their potty spot and keep eliminating unless you clean it well.

Knowing how to stop a neighbor’s dog from peeing in my yard was the key. No violence is involved here, so read on.

How To Stop Neighbor’s Dog From Peeing In My Yard? 7 Possible Ways

Dogs get attached to the place where they leave their scent. One way to leave their scent is to pee or poo on that spot. The next time a dog needs to eliminate, it will seek the same spot where he went potty the last time.

In this way, you can make your dog pee in a new place

If your yard has been the victim of this, you don’t have to fret. It’s not that hard to fight a dog’s sense of smell. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Talk to the Owner

The first thing you have to do is find the owner and talk to them about the problem. Responsible dog owners will do something if their pooches are peeing on someone else’s yard.

Be polite about it as some pet owners can be pretty defensive about their dogs. Please don’t make it sound like you’re accusing the dog.

Once the owner of the dog is notified, you can proceed to perform the next steps.

2. Eliminate attractants

Ask yourself, what’s attracting the dog in my yard and not to others?

It could be your female dog in heat, dog food, birdbath, or a child’s pool. You should also check if your garbage bins are well covered.

Removing these attractants will not give dogs a reason to stop by and mark your yard. Also, you should clean after your dog so other curious doggos won’t sniff around your lawn.

3. Spray some vinegar

Next, spray undiluted white vinegar around the spot where the neighbor’s dog likes to pee. The sour smell of vinegar is repulsive to dogs, but it’s safe and unlikely to cause irritation.

Besides that, vinegar has an antiseptic characteristic that will help fight off dog urine’s stinky odor. It’s an excellent alternative to soaps and detergents that will damage the plants.

4. Use an enzyme cleaner

If you want a foolproof way to stop the neighbor’s dog from tracking its scent, you can use an enzyme cleaner for a strong odor.

This cleaning agent has live enzymes that will digest all the proteins from dog urine that causes odor. You just have to spray it on the spot and leave it on for a few hours. There’s no need to rinse it off since the enzymes are organic matter that will decompose on the soil.

You can also concoct a homemade enzyme cleaner for dog urine.

However, you should only apply an enzyme cleaner outdoors during the nighttime.

This is because the enzymes on the product are light and heat-sensitive. Applying it in broad daylight will kill the enzymes even before it neutralized the dog’s urine.

5. Grow smelly plants

If you don’t want to keep re-applying any of the items above, you can opt for a semi long-term solution: plants.

Dogs don’t like the smell of some plants like bergamot, citronella, rue, and Coleus Canina. This will help repel dogs from peeing in your yard. 

You can also utilize textures that dogs find uncomfortable to touch. You can put rough gravel that will irritate – but not injure the dog’s paws.

Some suggest planting thorny plants, but I don’t find it safe, especially for curious doggos. A zooming pooch will run through a cactus patch and end up with needles all over its body.

6. Install a perimeter deterrent

A perimeter deterrent like a motion-triggered sprinkler is a safe and effective way to scare off a dog that will pee on your yard.

The moment the sprinkle detects a motion, it will go off and shoot water on the perimeter where it’s programmed. This will surprise the dog and send it running.

However, the challenge here is if you’re dealing with a dog that loves sprinklers. Over time, the pooch will learn that your sprinkler is nothing but water.

Don’t be surprised if you’ll see a neighbor’s dog taking a fun shower in your yard. To be sure, add other deterrents l discussed here.

7. Put up a fence

If the neighbor’s dog doesn’t leave your yard alone, I suggest you put up a fence. This will save you from the hassle of cleaning smelly dog urine over and over again.

Besides, putting up a fence will help keep wild animals at bay. It will also stop your dog from running away. This is an expensive solution, but it offers long-term and guaranteed results.

How do I protect my trees from dog urine?

One of the problems with dogs peeing in your yard is the damage it can do to trees. For example, nitrogen-filled dog urine will burn the leaves of boxwood trees. It acts like an herbicide, which can damage other vegetation as well.

To protect your trees from dog urine, cover the surrounding ground with sharp gravel. This will discourage a dog from standing and peeing against the tree.

Another trick we use is a caution sign saying that our yard is treated with a pesticide. That way, dog owners won’t even let their pooches come near our grass. It works most of the time, except for some oblivious walkers.

Is it illegal for my dog to pee on someone’s lawn?

Yes and no, since it depends on the local ordinances that your area has. Many cities consider it illegal when dog owners allow their pets to pee on someone else’s property without the owner’s permission.

Also, even if there’s an ordinance, it usually covers ‘solid excreta’ or poop. Short to say, the lawn owner may not be able to file a complaint against you.

However, just because you won’t be in trouble with the law doesn’t mean you’re going to let your dog pee everywhere. Can you imagine someone else’s dog peeing in your yard?

If not, then why do it to others, right? 

If your dog can’t hold it anymore and happened to pee somewhere, be prudent enough to knock on the property owner’s door.

Explain to the person that your dog accidentally urinated on their yard and that you’re willing to clean it up. That way, no one gets angry, and you can move on with a clean conscience.

Conclusion

Knowing how to stop neighbor’s dog from peeing in my yard has saved me from the stinky urine smell.

It’s important to talk to the dog owner so your repellent efforts will have higher success rates. As much as possible, approach the problem with patience as some owners might be difficult to deal with.