Dogs and public parks

June 20, 2010 8:06 AM

I was just called an A-hole for letting my dog pee on a bush in a public park. Is this a typical reaction?

The guy saw my dog while driving by, honked twice at me, pulled over, got out of his car, and advised me that I should let my dog pee on my own bushes. I thanked him for his input and he called me an A-hole as I walked away. I can deal with this, but if the majority of people driving/walking by are thinking the same thing but just not saying anything, I'd like to know.

There are dozens of other dogs who use this park, though I don't have good data on where they pee. I'll have to start watching for this.

posted by deadweightloss to pets & animals (54 answers total)

That guy is insane. It's ok for dogs to pee in parks.
posted by thirteenkiller at 8:10 AM on June 20, 2010 [34 favorites]

I think that guy was the A-hole.

You can't pick up pee with a plastic baggie, nor will it stick to your shoe.
posted by Alison at 8:11 AM on June 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

I work for a municipal Parks and Recreation department. As long as your dog isn't peeing on the playground or a bench or picnic table, I don't care where he goes. Now, if he's leaving solid waste, then I'm gonna need you to clean up after him. That's actually the law in Plano, TX as well as other places. I'm not aware of any ordinances regarding doggies going number one.
posted by Shohn at 8:11 AM on June 20, 2010 [8 favorites]

Well, that is interesting. I have jogged with my dog(s) for 30+ years ( most often in a nearby public park) and never experienced this. I can imagine minor annoyance if it was clearly a tended and decorative bush--otherwise--enjoy the park. Regardless, this does not even come close to A-Hole status in my book. However, his behavior does.
posted by rmhsinc at 8:11 AM on June 20, 2010

He's nuts.
posted by smorange at 8:12 AM on June 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

Pee evaporates. Poop doesn't. You're fine.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 8:13 AM on June 20, 2010

Dude, I get yelled at for letting my dog poop on public streets while I am picking it up. There are people who really, really do not like dogs, and their owners.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:14 AM on June 20, 2010 [8 favorites]

The alternative is not having a dog, or having a dog and not taking it off your property.

Yeah, the guy is crazy and you are not an asshole.
posted by Danf at 8:15 AM on June 20, 2010 [1 favorite]

The guy is nuts. As long as you're not leaving poop there's nothing to worry about.

As far as I'm concerned, the same applies for you as well as your dog.
posted by ellenaim at 8:18 AM on June 20, 2010

I get super-annoyed at inconsiderate pet owners, and... this guy seems kind of nuts.

Some people down the street have some edible plants and signs posted saying please don't let your dogs pee on our herbs, we eat them, but that's a little different, isn't it?
posted by grouse at 8:19 AM on June 20, 2010 [1 favorite]

Agree with other posters - you are not an asshole.

I do think it's rude to allow your dog to wander through flowerbeds, trampling and urinating on the flowers, whether they are private or public. It doesn't sound like you were doing that, though.
posted by pecanpies at 8:20 AM on June 20, 2010

Our dogs create dead spots in our lawn with their pee, and I'd be pretty upset if someone's dog was consistently wrecking my landscaping. That said, he did have a pretty extreme reaction. Maybe he just got done reseeding his own lawn for the millionth time and was a bit tense. I wouldn't worry about the rest of the world thinking you're an a-hole. Most people don't notice or care what your dog does.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 8:21 AM on June 20, 2010

Ahhhh, the tragedy of the commons. I have a dog (2 in fact) and live near a park which we use everyday for our daily constitutionals. As far as urination onto public park property I use a couple of rules. I don't let my male dog pee on newly planted trees or shrubs- only established ones. I don't let my male dog or female dog pee or poop in 'formal' or 'decorative' gardens or areas of the park. I always pick up after my dog- unless we are hiking completely off trail in brush. Just me- YMMV of course. Bottom line- think of the shrub/garden. Think of the park users. Think of the dog. In that order.
posted by bytemover at 8:23 AM on June 20, 2010 [10 favorites]

As a dog owner who plants trees and bushes in parks, dog pee does harm young, freshly planted trees and bushes. I try to avoid those with my dog.

What he was probably reacting to is the assholes who let their dogs run loose, while being passive aggressive or downright aggressively nasty if asked to leash their dog. A lot of those assholes say thank you, ignore you and continue to let their dog do whatever he likes (up to and including attacking mine). They don't pick up after their dogs, either, usually.
posted by QIbHom at 8:44 AM on June 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

There are dozens of other dogs who use this park, though I don't have good data on where they pee. I'll have to start watching for this.

No, you don't have to start watching for that, seriously.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:45 AM on June 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

It sounds like it was probably unusual for Lexington, KY. On the other hand, like DarlingBri said, there are people who will scream at you and your pooch anywhere for any imagined infraction. Some people do despise dogs and dog-owners. And no, you are not an asshole.

I like bytemover's advice, personally.
posted by blucevalo at 8:49 AM on June 20, 2010

Some people are really weird about pets. I was walking my dog in a park and I actually heard a lady say aloud, "They ALLOW dogs in this park?!" To which my partner and I looked at each other and said, "They DON'T allow dogs in some parks?!"
posted by CwgrlUp at 8:56 AM on June 20, 2010

deadweight, it is the me-me-me-me generation. They think it is acceptable to "voice" whatever stupid thought crosses their mind . Apparently that person feels dogs are vile creatures that should wear diapers. He's completely full of himself. For every dog-hater there are a thousand dog lovers. Forget it, but if you ever see him again, tell him for me he's a Prick.
posted by naplesyellow at 9:02 AM on June 20, 2010

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. My thoughts before the incident were consistent with what is here, but I needed the sanity check.
posted by deadweightloss at 9:08 AM on June 20, 2010

If it helps, I live in Lexington myself and that guy is out of his freakin' mind.
posted by dilettante at 9:14 AM on June 20, 2010

honked twice at me, pulled over, got out of his car

This = bugfuck crazy. Like, actually a little unhinged and best viewed as a mild danger.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:20 AM on June 20, 2010 [9 favorites]

What does he expect? Doggie diapers? The guy's nuts.
posted by brundlefly at 9:57 AM on June 20, 2010

When I had a dog, I had a stadium buddy which I had custom built to fit around his doggie winky. Wait, no, I didn't do that.

Indeed, you were verbally assaulted by a nut.
posted by dobbs at 10:08 AM on June 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

Not that I'd ever pull over and yell at anyone for it, count me as someone who doesn't care for the smell of dog piss in parks or public urination in general.
posted by gjc at 10:58 AM on June 20, 2010

He's a nutter.

But nothing stops you carrying a bottle of water to hose things down afterwards. I understand dogs don't have anywhere else to go but I'm never that enamoured to walk down a street where fresh dog pee trickles long the pavement.
posted by MuffinMan at 11:08 AM on June 20, 2010

Doesn't this guy know that driving a car pollutes the environment and is complicit in things like the BP oil spill?
posted by Obscure Reference at 11:11 AM on June 20, 2010

Well, I think people are a-holes for letting their dogs pee in highly trafficked areas of highly trafficked parks in urban areas (Central Park, Prospect Park) or in any park right where people like to sit or children like to play, or right in front of a big apartment building door on a tiny strip of grass or in a planter, or right on a sidewalk where everyone is walking. Dog pee smells. Make them do it in a gutter or in the alley or in your own backyard or something.
posted by yarly at 11:35 AM on June 20, 2010

"it is the me-me-me-me generation."

I think a lot of people think similarly of many dog owners, bringing their dogs everywhere, not being considerate in shortening the leash when walking on trafficked sidewalks or parks, unleashing dogs and letting them run freely in a public park (that is not designated specifically as a dog park). The fact that many (certainly not all) dog owners think that others ought to just get over it and accept that you and your dog are BFFs.

This guy totally overreacted, but if I saw a guy letting his dog urinate in a public park, in an area that is meant for human enjoyment, I admit I would think to myself: "ugh, asshole." But it would just be a thought in my head, and it's not worth getting aggressive over it like the guy you encountered. It does smell, (particularly in the summer heat), I don't really care to see anyone urinate (human or canine), and it's your pet - I would wish dog owners would let their pets relieve themselves on their own property, or in places that people aren't going to be walking or playing.
posted by raztaj at 11:53 AM on June 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

raztaj, you know that wild animals pee all over parks too right?

The the OP- this guy was nuts, not to mention aggressive and threatening. If he doe sit again note his license number and call the cops. He is not the park police and does not have the right to hassle you.
posted by fshgrl at 12:12 PM on June 20, 2010

fshgrl,

Yes, I realize that of course. But there aren't (usually) a ton of wild animals in urban-ish areas. Squirrels generally don't pee all that much, and it's not as obvious as the guy letting his dog piss on a bush a few feet away from you while you're enjoying your lunch on a lovely afternoon.
posted by raztaj at 12:17 PM on June 20, 2010

raztaj, you know that wild animals pee all over parks too right?

You know, they also poop all over parks too, right? We can't make laws or social norms against that because they're ... wild animals. We holds pets to a higher standard than wild animals because pets are controlled by human beings.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:19 PM on June 20, 2010 [1 favorite]

Yea... Nutcase.

A) Animals are always peeing in parks anyway, and B) how in the hell are you meant to stop your dog peeing? I mean, it's going to do it to mark territory every two minutes anyway, and it's hard enough to persuade them not to take a dump somewhere.
posted by opsin at 12:54 PM on June 20, 2010

To a lot of people, any kind of peeing or shitting on public property is shocking, disgusting behavior, and it's easy to be unaware of this because dog owners are so continually exposed to it and so numbed to it that it is as normal as rain within in that group. There is a culture gap here.

Your guy took things too far, and was out of line, but you should also be aware that a huge chunk of the passers-by every day who are NOT saying anything (because they recognize that you don't really have much choice), and are carefully looking the other way, are put-off and trying to suppress it, if not outright disgusted.

We live in a society where many people consider it unacceptable for people they work with to fail to use soap when washing their hands after going to the office bathroom. Bringing animals into shared recreational areas so that they can piss on those areas, has tension with that culture. So be aware there is tension, and be considerate when you can.
posted by -harlequin- at 1:58 PM on June 20, 2010 [4 favorites]

B) how in the hell are you meant to stop your dog peeing? I mean, it's going to do it to mark territory every two minutes anyway, and it's hard enough to persuade them not to take a dump somewhere.

The traditional method has been to simply ban dogs from a particular public area, and let it be the owner's problem to either provide a private area for their dog, or travel to a designated area.
An attitude of "I can't do anything about it, so your complaint is baseless" is the kind of thing that contributes to wider society eventually getting fed up enough to call that bluff and implement animal restrictions.
posted by -harlequin- at 2:08 PM on June 20, 2010

I can deal with this, but if the majority of people driving/walking by are thinking the same thing but just not saying anything, I'd like to know.

The majority?
Probably not, but a fairly significant minority (myself included) would really rather you took your dog elsewhere.

Pulling over and insulting you though? That's a bit much.
posted by madajb at 2:12 PM on June 20, 2010

I remember one of my law school classmates ran afoul of a neighbor who objected, quite profanely, when the classmate let his dog pee on the neighbor's yard. Our conclusion about that neighbor applies as well to the gentleman you encountered: a nut.
posted by jayder at 2:35 PM on June 20, 2010

Bringing animals into shared recreational areas so that they can piss on those areas, has tension with that culture. So be aware there is tension, and be considerate when you can.

Do these people also shout at the shitting birds as they fly by, or at the squirrels as they scamper away into the trees?
posted by jayder at 2:37 PM on June 20, 2010 [1 favorite]

Try to avoid playgrounds, vegetable or flower gardens, eating areas, new trees, and rocks/pavement where it won't sink in and will continue to smell. Plain grass or shrubs are fine, unless there's someone sitting right there. People advocating for no dogs in public, even if they follow the rules above, are pretty much advocating for no domestic dogs (or outdoor cats) in society. That's probably not going to happen.

One thing I've noticed, though, is that sometimes non-dog people cannot tell the difference between female dogs squatting to poop and squatting to pee. Other non-dog people honestly don't seem to know that dogs don't just pee once on a walk. If that were the case, I could see the point about peeing in your own yard, but....yeah. That's not how it works.
posted by wending my way at 2:40 PM on June 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

I was walking my dog once in downtown Seattle and a police officer told me "you can't let your dog go here" when she attempted to squat to pee on a little piece of grass. I was able to pull her away and keep walking, but have always wondered what would have happened to me if she had actually peed there. I'm still a little mystified by the whole exchange (I don't live in Seattle so I'm not sure if there is some kind of law I'm missing).
posted by katy song at 2:52 PM on June 20, 2010

My dog "marks" frequently but often nothing comes out, it's almost a reflex with him. I someimes see people watching and want to tell them, "Relax, it's all in his head."
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 3:12 PM on June 20, 2010

Do these people also shout at the shitting birds as they fly by, or at the squirrels as they scamper away into the trees?

They mostly don't shout at shitting dogs (they ban them) so shouting at other animals would be unlikely.

If someone was intentionally bringing those animals to a public area to do it, then taking them away once business is done, then yes, expect that person to encounter resistance, regardless of whether they're bringing squirrels, dogs, horses, rats, or cats.

But it's irrelevant to what extent non-domestic animals are tolerated, because you don't want a direct comparison - a direct comparison means that if the problem is considered annoying enough, the offending animals are simply shot or poisoned, or relocated if they're lucky enough to be cute or rare.
posted by -harlequin- at 3:30 PM on June 20, 2010

Cuckoo. Don't worry about it.
posted by HotToddy at 3:58 PM on June 20, 2010

i had a woman once yell at me bc my dog ran past her in the off-leash section of a park. i told her if she had a problem with the dogs running around in the dog park, then she needed to move 10 yards over to the section that wasn't off-leash.

so yeah, ppl will yell at you for anything if they just don't like animals.
posted by violetk at 4:26 PM on June 20, 2010

I dislike when people don't clean up after their pets in public places humans are expected to walk around, but dude, if someone can't handle the thought of dogs peeing in public places, then they're not well-equipped for life. All sorts of animals are pooping and peeing right this moment. The outdoors is pretty much the one place they have for that.
posted by Nattie at 5:03 PM on June 20, 2010 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I have a new yard. I spent a lot of money to get it resodded. If you let your dog pee on my yard on your walk, I would ask you to please do it on the sidewalk, the street, pretty much anywhere besides my new, fragile lawn. Your dog's markings will attract many other neighborhood dogs who want to join the pee party, and a burn will show up in the yard after not too long.

But in a public park? Totally fair game. Just don't be a dick and do it near other people.
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 6:11 PM on June 20, 2010

You can train your dog to pee only in the gutter or your yard. My friends have done the former, my family, the latter. The dude yelling was rude but yr dog peeing all over isn't exactly awesome.
posted by dame at 7:28 PM on June 20, 2010

Do you have coyotes in your area. (We do.) If so, then it's very likely your dog isn't the first to pee on anything. Common ground (parks, telephone poles, etc.) are all fair game as long as you clean up the poop. Just respect private property and it's all good.
posted by azpenguin at 7:53 PM on June 20, 2010

It's not the dog's behavior that's really the problem, it is the owner's problem. If you can't pee there, neither should a domesticated animal under your control.

It's kind of like spitting on the sidewalk. Public urination is uncivilized. And, if nobody sees it, it never happened.
posted by gjc at 8:57 PM on June 20, 2010

I remember one of my law school classmates ran afoul of a neighbor who objected, quite profanely, when the classmate let his dog pee on the neighbor's yard.

This, I can sort of understand. Dog urine can cause burn spots on grass, and if there's one thing that will drive a suburban homeowner apeshit, it's a perceived assault on their lawn. And you know, with land ownership having been whittled down over the years from forty acres to a little rectangular patch of sod, I can respect someone being protective of his space. (I once came home to find that the guy in the condo across the way had gifted my roommate and me with a bucket holding all the shit our cats had apparently been leaving in his patio. It was accompanied by a long, heartfelt letter about neighborliness.)

That said, getting all huffy about a dog peeing in a public park is pretty ridiculous, not to mention futile. That bush has already seen urine from a vast assortment of species, human included. I agree that this guy probably dislikes dogs in general and the pee tantrum is just the easiest form of protest for him to justify. (He also may not have eaten all day. I know I sure get cranky when I haven't eaten all day! Maybe you could helpfully suggest this to him next time. Be sure to appear intensely sympathetic and terribly concerned about the fragile state of his blood sugar.)
posted by granted at 2:01 AM on June 21, 2010

(Bonus points if you use a Kenneth the Page voice.)
posted by granted at 2:08 AM on June 21, 2010

Another data point: My HOA's policy is that dogs are only allowed to pee in the dog park area of the park and not in the rest of the park or around the community grounds. It's because no one wants to walk around smelling dog pee everywhere.
posted by Jacqueline at 5:44 AM on June 21, 2010

I had a random passerby pull over and yell at me for letting my dog pee in my own yard. (Incidentally, the corner of my yard where she pees is the greenest corner of my yard. Maybe she's magical...)

So pretty much yeah, some people just hate dogs.
posted by somanyamys at 6:59 AM on June 21, 2010

I once had a guy yell at me because my dog was sniffing a bush. Yes, that's right. Merely sniffing it. It was a really surreal experience, but ultimately? The guy was weird. Your guy was weirder. Pulled over and got out of the car? That's indicative of problems, that is.
posted by stoneweaver at 11:59 AM on June 21, 2010

I just had to chime in and say that my dog very regularly marks his spot by lifting his leg and nothing comes out. I never let him pee or poo on personal property, but on boulevards or parks he can. I, of course, pick up his poo. I have never had anyone yell at me for letting him pee on public property though. That appears just crazy to me!
posted by cleo at 9:52 PM on June 21, 2010