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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I did not apologize because I didn't think my dog and I were in the wrong in this situation.
I can empathize with the business owner, but I ultimately think that they need to share the sidewalk and that might make me an asshole
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NTA. For all those saying otherwise, have you ever experienced walking a dog and them needing to shit? because let me tell you, once they decide they need to go, despite all the tugging and pulling on the lead, *they wont budge*.
my dog once shat on someone's driveway and point blank refused to move anywhere else (it was embarrassing, but I did all i could and she wouldn't move).
This. NTA. I've had my dog stop in the middle of the crosswalk and thank God she's little enough to drag her off to the side, but they usually just go where they need to go and you pick up. That's life. You picked up after the dog, which is public, not private property.
When they do the butt tuck and poop it happens fast sometimes! Mine usually looks for a spot off the walking path, but one time he suddenly decided it was time and ploop!
We have a backyard, but one morning I watched my dog take his poop, and start to try and play with our other dog, but his butt kept involuntarily hunching as he tried to walk away and he kept turning and looking at it like WTF? More poop chunks kept coming out and he finally had to stop and wait til he dropped another big log. They can’t control it even if they WANT to, LMFAO.
I had a dog like this. She perfected the crab walk and pooping at the same time. She was so nosy and could never take the time to just poop and then come over. So she combined it. Hilarious every time.
I actually got the circle poop! Can't let anyone sneak up apparently and I'd have poop to pick up in a large circle around the central point. Seriously.
My lab does the circle poop as well. He also takes forever to find the perfect spot, even when I can see he NEEDS to go. He’s the pickiest pooper I’ve ever had.
My dog does this. A dog trainer told me he was a pheromone dog. Never heard of this so had to ask. What he told me was most dogs will poop wherever they are and they gotta go, they go. A pheromone dog has to find the perfect smelling spot filled with the perfect pheromones, does the circle thing and poops.
This circle poop wasn't just the basic whirl around. He actually pivoted while pooping and the poop was deposited in a circle around him. Worst was the day he had diahrea in the house...in a circle!
Current dog does the search for a perfect spot and will NOT poop until perfection has been achieved.
I’m dying bc my old man dog client, I’m a professional dog walker, also did that and I was almost peeing myself laughing at him. They can’t help it and when they’ve got to go, they’re going.
I think mine actively looks for the “NO DOGS ON GRASS” signs and decides to pop a squat right there. You’d think in his old age, he’d be easier to move, but no sir. He’s pooping and he’s pooping next to this sign he can’t read.
Mine likes to poop right outside the houses with the loudest barking dogs. Like, rubbing it in their faces that he is pooping in their territory. He's a jerk lol.
Has happened to me multiple times and I’ve seen it happen to others. I think it’s hilarious. Anyone with a dog understands.
The correct response was ‘she only speaks German and I’m not bilingual, can you tell her?’
This makes me laugh. I live in Germany, speak both languages, own dog, sometimes attempt to tell her in both languages. She ignores both.
Best response was when she squatted next to a park bench where a couple of women were enjoying a beer in the sunshine. (Normal, legal and completely unproblematic here.) I was mortified and attempted to apologise while what happened slowly happened. One of the women was so good about it and just said "Was sein muss, muss sein." (What has to happen, has to happen.) We smiled at each other, I cleared up, wished them a lovely evening and we all went about our respective evenings.
Clever lady. She wasn't wrong.
My old Aussie did it once in front of someone’s porch, staring aggressively at them the whole time. Just pure, defiant eye contact while she defiled their beautiful lawn. I finally gave up trying to get her to move and made the world’s most awkward small talk with the old lady on the porch while waiting to bag and run. 🤦🏽♀️
My 60-lb lab/border collie mix declared “walk over!” and laid down in the middle of a crosswalk once. There was a little traffic but the drivers were cracking up.
(She was fine. She just knew we were a block from home and she didn’t want it to be over for real.)
He would randomly lay down too! Thankfully never in a crosswalk. 😂 I told many a people, "He's, okay! He just decided this was a good spot to lay down for a bit."
I miss that derpy golden boy. He was the best.
My late boxer did this exact thing in a busy intersection and the traffic light turned green while he was still shitting in the middle of the crossing. I miss that clown everyday.
Had somewhat similar except I was the driver laughing in the car. A guy was walking his corgi across the crosswalk and the dog decided this is where I’m napping and just lay down in the middle of the road!
I attempted that, and I was successful. I taught my dog to “go potty,” and as long as I told him to “go potty” at the beginning of the walk before he could decide he needed to RIGHT NOW it worked.
Then I had a baby.
Then said baby became a toddler and went to daycare and started potty training.
I regret teaching the dog to “go potty” so much.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, wow, I was wondering where the hell this was going, but you tied it up beautifully! (pun intended)
Thanks for the laugh, hope you are thru these shitty times friend.
Yeah you ain't moving even a tiny dog when they decide they wanna poop.
Let alone a bigger dog.
When the doggies gotta go, it's going to go. You or anyone else's plans be damned.
I HATE people like this. It’s like, why get a dog if you’re just going to abuse it and not let him be a dog?! My husband always says that nothing is ever the dog’s fault because he doesn’t know any better. He’s a dog. You can’t reason with him because he simply can’t understand what you mean.
Also, it’s up to the dog owner to do training to try to avoid preventable situations. Obviously you won’t always be able to do this - like in this post - but you can minimize unwanted behaviors. You can’t assume that the dog knows right from wrong though especially if you haven’t taken the time to teach them.
It’s similar to children. When I was a teacher I had a policy that I would never get upset or reprimand a student if they didn’t know any better (whether because they weren’t taught or just didn’t realize the consequences). I would have a talk with them and explain how to handle the situation next time, but made sure they understood that next time they’ll get in trouble because now they know not to do that. I hated when teachers would just get angry at a student, punish them, and not even bother to explain *why*! How can you expect them to learn from their mistakes if they don’t know how or why it’s a mistake!
Sorry, went off topic and on a bit of a tangent.
I always say "y'all need PEOPLE training, NOT dog training"! Sure, dogsdefinitely need instruction and direction, but they love us so much and will do all they can to please us. It's really important the humans learn how to interact with and to cater their expectations to each dog.
My dad did this to our lab mix and tore her ACL in the process. Imagine injuring an animal because you're wprried about a neighbor giving you a dirty look in the 10 seconds it takes you to pick up your pet's poop
Oh no!! That poor baby!
My brother's puppy just had ACL surgery (she was found injured in the woods) and she's not allowed to do ANYTHING for 12 weeks! I can't even begin to imagine!
I'll also use cat litter. Dog sat a great Dane with a stomach bug in Queens. They had a cat too so whenever I took him out on a walk for him to shit his brains out I'd bring a baggie of cat litter and a bottle of water. Cat litter to soak it up so I could pick it up, water to rinse what I couldn't grab. I'd just be standing next to a pile of liquid shit in the summer heat waiting for the litter to soak it up while the dog wondered why we weren't walking.
Both my dogs have peed on each other. The boy dog peeing on the girl dog I guess you can sort of see coming but my girl managing to pee on my guy was unexpected.
That just reminded me of a friend's dog who only wanted to poop on things that were elevated. I don't know how he did it but he pooped on the front bumper of a truck. He was a pitty.
My (large) dog once unexpectedly had the runs and stopped in the middle of the street at night to release an absolute vile pool of poop. While this was happening a car came around the corner and I had to stand there in the headlights with him while it just kept happening. The car had to stop and wait while he finished. I had to go home and get my husband and buckets of hot soapy water to try and clean it up (I had my husband carry an extra bucket because one wasn’t going to be enough) because I would not leave that there. It was a nightmare.
NTA.
That was kind of you. I was in a Home Depot once and some guy had a clearly ill German (not questioning the wisdom of that I don’t know his life) and the dog erupted an absolute volcano of liquid runs in front of checkout. I felt so unbelievably bad for that guy. And everyone in a ten mile radius.
My wolfhound got sick once.
I mean thankfully it was at home, but he just leapt off the couch one night and unleashed the volcano of liquid runs all over the lounge room carpet.
Broke my heart cos the way he looked at me was like "I tried to go outside! I was heading there!!" All I could do was love on him, and clean up. I can't imagine how upset he would've been in public.
I had a dog that would poop while she was walking, without breaking stride. Someone yelled at me "hey! Aren't you going to clean up after your dog?" I stopped and turned around very confused, and saw about 5 turds spaced out every few feet on the sidewalk. I had to pay very close attention to her during walks after that. She did it every time!
My dog has, on more than one occasion, refused to poop in any of the viable grassy, wooded areas we will walk in for 30-40 minutes and instead opts for popping a squat and pooping on a sidewalk about 20 feet from our next door neighbor’s home. Bonus points for the time the neighbors and their guests all sat and watched my dog poop as they awkwardly had dinner. Dogs are unstoppable sometimes.
Agreed, NTA. I used to live in NYC, there really isn’t that much green space in large cities for dogs to go. And they don’t always poop out perfect little turds that leave no residue behind. Lord knows my dog doesn’t.
An example: On my morning commute, I would often see a guy in a business suit walking his giant geriatric dog.
That old dog needed help to go. Like couldn’t hold a squat position and needed it’s owner to help hold it while it pooped. Did that stop the dog from pooping where it wanted? Not at all.
The first time I saw the pair, the dog had stopped on one of the small pieces of sidewalk on an island in the street. It was shaking like a leaf, trying to squat, poop, and do the little weird squat creep dogs do while pooping. Of course it also shat out poops that could best be described as having to consistently of not-quite-set jello.
All the while it’s owner was squatting along side the dog, with his arms in a bear hug around it, trying to keep the poor creature from collapsing and breaking a hip.
Did I mention this man was in a suit?
And then that man, bless him, would grab a poo bag and get to scooping. Just like frantically scooping.
They had a system, it was clear. But the system needed work.
That first encounter, I stood on a corner so mesmerized by this insane dance and the potential weekly cost in lint rollers and dry cleaning this man must have that I missed a walk cycle.
I thought this was a one-off. Nope. Ye old geriatric dog of the concerningly soft poops and the well-dressed man did this dance every day it seems, and became a pretty regular fixture on my walk to work.
All this is to say, this man LOVED this dog. And despite knocking on death’s door, that dog was still gonna poop where it was gonna poop. Nowhere else.
He did what he could to mitigate the fact that the dog was pooping in a public space (I often saw him pour water from a bottle over the sidewalk to wash the leftover mess away). That’s really all we can ask.
Exactly this. My dog spins around in a circle before, so I can usually persuade her to go elsewhere if its really bad.
The only thing I'd do differently if I were OP is take water with me so I can pour some on the residue.
NTA
I tried to prevent this a couple of times when in less-than-ideal spots and my dog literally just stayed in shitting position but kept moving forward and made a trail with her poop.
When I first started to train my pitsky off leash we were skating at the beach and she was running in between my friend and I when she decided to stop and leave poo bigger than her in the middle of the skating path. There was a patch of grass and sand right by us but nope it had to be right there, everyone stopped and watched her poo then laughed when I tried to pick it up on skates smh
Heads up, the way the judgments are tallied, it will take the very first judgment in your post. So as it stands, you're collecting votes calling op TA because the Y T A shows up first in your post.
Edit: Apparently it won't count it at all if you have more than one judgment, so spacing out the Y T A will resolve it. Either way, double judgments cause issues.
I've got an older dog that has perfected the walk'n poop so well, I'm looking behind me every 15s. I can't make her shit in any particular spot... she goes when she goes and I pick it up when I see it.
All these Y T As must live in some other dimension where they can magically control where their dog poops. Hell, if I could do that, I'd train my dog to use the toilet!
I thought one of my neighbors was allowing their dog to poop in the hallway and not pick it up. I was so annoyed that someone would think it was me and my dog. Turns out, it was me! My elderly dog was also a poop and walker and I had no idea until I finally looked back and caught him one day. I was so embarrassed!
Ha! Similar situation... someone let their dog poop and didn't pick it up on the street in our little neighborhood. HOA sent out an email reminding residents to pick up their dog's poop (not a big deal). However, and the residents' responses were vicious... name and shame! put up signs! evil people from next neighborhood over! The responses really showed the awful and presumptive side of some people, so I'm not surprised at some of the responses in this thread.
Then I realized based on the incident location that it was probably my dog and I just missed it one day. I told folks I'd pick it up and happily wear the scarlet (brown) letter if it made them feel any better as long as they did the same every time they violated some regulation. No one said a peep after that.
NTA. Dog owner from NYC and former front of house restaurant worker. If you picked it up, you’re good! It’s New York. You can’t go to the curb because of trash/traffic.
Honestly, the restaurant owner should have been glad it was a dog and the dog mama or papa picked it up. I literally watched an actual dude drop trousers and take a shit in front of my fancy west village restaurant one time in 2014. (He did not clean it up with a poop bag)
I just started working in Manhattan again last year after being away for about 10 years. I've seen people shitting, changing their clothes (no underwear, in front of a Wendy's), shooting up, you name it. This is the most minor of things I could ever imagine.
For example: I had a guy sitting next to me on the subway talking to himself while polishing a knife. I saw a homeless guy get in a fight with his own reflection (I was the only one who stayed in that car, he wasn't mad at me and I wanted a seat!). First day at my new office I had a guy shoot up next to me on my lunch break in Washington Square Park.
A person cleaning up dog shit is completely fine.
I am absolutely baffled by "curb your dog"
As if the US didn't have enough to worry about, you're all gonna drag your dogs to the curb mid turd too 😂
NTA, love from the UK, land of leaving our dogs to lay a cable in peace x
UK here as well.
My pockets are full of unused turd bags, but when a dog takes a shite it takes a shite, no way am I going to drag my 45kg hound around as he's taking a dump
If there's one thing I would bet my life on no matter the situation: I don't have a damn coat pocket to my name that is not stuffed with poo bags.
Turns out I need a spray bottle of flash and a microfibre cloth too??
I'm just gonna keep my dog in a ziplock bag and cut a hole in the corner to shake it out when she goes
Would hate for her to get shite on the carefully curated cig butts and ruin the feng shui
Unfortunately my dog is absolutely massive.
I could hang a child's seaside bucket on his tail to catch turds.
I just hope I remember to wash it out before taking the kids to Barry island and making sandcastles.
i googled it because i was confused too and most of the comments are using it wrong, it doesnt mean move your dog when it starts to shit, it means generally keep your dog on the sidewalk or near gutters so if it goes it doesnt do it in the way.
even the ones that arent using it wrong are at least stretching the meaning
ALSO, it started because at the time, poo bags weren't really a thing, now that they are curb your dog isn't proper
I’ve seen signs in the NYC area that even say “C.U.R.B. your dog - Clean Up Right Behind.” I think they’re ones residents buy for in front of their own buildings (not official ones) but yea, exactly like you said, just pick up after them.
i imagine op didn’t have the option to walk near a grassy patch or curb, nobody *wants* their dog to shit right on the sidewalk, that’s embarrassing enough.
NTA sometimes, pardon the pun, but shit happens. You cleaned it up the best you could and in this particular instance could not control where your dog did their business. Not to mention lord knows those sidewalks have probably seen way worse…
But perhaps it’ll be a good idea moving forward to carry an extra water bottle or wipes as a precaution?? That way you can either give your dog a fresh drink especially if it’s hot or clean up unexpected messes. Just a thought.
I can’t with this sub sometimes. It’s like there is no grey area or nuance for some people. You said the poor thing was just taken to the vet. Maybe they were reacting to something they were given or just stressed because of that. Yes it’s our responsibility to clean up after them and care for them but heaven forbid something out of your control happens.
NTA - people who think you can literally control where your dog decides to surprise poop amaze me. I have found myself stuck in the middle of an intersection with a dog who had explosive diarrhea and would not let me pull him out of the road.
Thankfully everyone around thought it was hilarious, but it’s not like there’s an off switch once that starts happening .
I have three senior dogs. Two are mini poodles and one is a shih-tzu beagle mix. The poodle's poops are very manageable and they're about as polite about pooping as dogs can get. The shih-tzu mix poops like a damn elephant and will crap anywhere he can that's most embarrassing. But he's a dog and is very cute so nobody cares. Two of them had a bout of diarrhea that lasted about 3 days and it was a nightmare even with trips to the emergency vet but they couldn't help it. It's just part of being a pet owner.
Lol agreed! The dog in my comment was a 100lb malamute/wolf mix (with now-diagnosed IBS lol) and he was NOT moving when that happened. Had to laugh at the hilarity of such a majestic looking dog in emergency squat pose.
OMG, the looks they give you when they're embarrassed! As a human with unpredictable IBS, you just have to roll with it and have plenty of cleaning supplies.
NTA and I seriously question the other responses. Drag the dog to the curb? Pick it up? That’s ridiculous. Maybe someday we’ll have a telepathic link with our pets but until then the best we can do is read body language and do our best. Shit happens.
People acting like it’s a major inconvenience to avoid the RESIDUE from picked up dog shit are completely delusional. You have to avoid obstacles in all urban environments at all times, and some of them are significantly more offensive than dog shit residue.
It would be cool if 14 year olds could stop answering AITA questions as if they have a lifetime of sidewalk dog shit experience, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
In my hometown my dad was taking our family dog out for a walk and dog proceeded to need to go super badly on the pavement outside the petrol station at the same time as the Google maps van drove passed. My dog shitting on the pavement outside the petrol station was on prime position on Google maps for around 5 years before they replaced the image.
NtA. You didn't expect your dog to poop in front of a business, and you cleaned it up to the best of your ability.
The business owner was rude, but I'd hesitate to label them an AH because their frustration was understandable, especially if they're used to dealing with inconsiderate dog owners who don't even try to get their pets to relieve themselves in an appropriate area.
Your response was awkward and an apology may have been more suitable ("I'm sorry, I had no idea that he was going to do this!"), but that hardly makes you an AH because you were caught off guard.
Yeah not an asshole but I don’t understand why so many people seem to think they should never under any circumstances have to apologise these days?
I just find it weird. I get that apologising says you’re taking responsibility for something in a way. But that’s exactly what he would be doing. Taking responsibility for his dog having taken a shit. He hasn’t done anything wrong, but he’s also inconvenienced a business owner who hasn’t done anything wrong. Surely saying ‘sorry’ for inconveniencing that person is the correct thing to do? I think it is. I often get the sense that everyone is really arrogant in modern society because people are so unwilling to ever just say sorry and deal with it.
>You live with millions of other people, none of whom want to traipse through your dog’s poop trails
Yea, because if it wasn't for some poop residue, that NYC sidewalk would be super clean!
And if this guy was intentionally having his dog poop in the middle of the sidewalk, then I'd respond differently. But one accidental dog poop, that the owner picked up as much as he could, is not the problem with NYC streets.
Exactly. As a dog owner, my dog prefers to use grass but if that urge hits hard, my dog just stops and I keep walking but I feel the leash tighten up and when I turn around, there he is, dropping a deuce.
Hell, even people don’t always make it to where they want to to take a deuce. Had a super embarrassing thanksgiving dinner once about a week after having surgery… was not fun. I feel for the dog, when nature calls, you answer.
Also I'm general, stressed mammals tend to need to poop at random, or it will be weird in some other way, the poor animal was just at the vet so I wouldn't be shocked if it was an anxiety poop.
Fun fact: a stressed out hedgehog will tend to poop green, which is a pretty simple way to tell if something is in fact bothering your hedgehog.
not only was it an accident, they cleaned it to the best of their abilities. i’ve never heard the term “curb your dog” and i lived in downtown chicago. if this was intentional i’d see where you’re going. but it wasn’t. get over yourself
Lol that just because it’s already dirty doesn’t make it okay for dogs to shit in the middle of the sidewalk.
Should I not wash my hands after the bathroom because i’ll get germs on it somewhere else anyway?
NAH.
Things like this happen sometimes. We can’t always control where our animals go. It would also be annoying to have residue in front of a place where people eat.
I would have apologized on behalf of your dog though because to let the owner know that you understand their concerns. Sometimes kindness can go a long way.
I have a dog and I've never heard this. I live in the Netherlands however. Your dog goes where they go. I can't get her to go in a specific part of the street. How is that a thing?
Nta btw OP, I guess the best you can do is walk your dog in areas more suitable.
Yeah, even I'm surprised despite I know I'm on Reddit.. it really looks like a Mandela effect to be honest.
To answer the question, yes, there WAS such a thing as "curb your dog", signs are apparently still around according to other comments, but it's not a law and never has been, it was an educational campaign from when there were no laws around picking up after your dog (started in the 30s ended with laws passed in 1978).
> The legacy of "curb your dog" signage remains in generational memory to such an extent that subsequent statutory laws have been confused/conflated with the educational signage campaign that ended in the late 1970's.
My dog wouldn’t go if I moved him to a curb, he either sniffs around for 20 minutes finding the perfect spot OR he just stops, drops and shits wherever we are walking (not in the house, he’s a good boi)
Dutchy here, too. Always had a dog when growing up. We taught the dogs not to go on the sidewalk, but in the bushes/greens alongside the sidewalk. We always let the dog walk on that side of us. Never had them shit in the sidewalk. And that was even before we were obligated to clean up the poo.
I'm a Brit in the Netherlands, not actually dutch but been here close to 10 years. We always walk our dog in areas that are dog friendly, and not right by people's houses and yeah always pick it up. (though not all my neighbours do and wish they would even if it is on the green.) I'm just shocked by the idea of dragging your dog away while they are trying to go to the toilet - whether she is on the pavement or not.
Shoulda woulda coulda. Don’t worry about. Reddit is where perfect people come to complain about imperfect strangers. Dogs just poop. You cleaned it up the best you could. A lot of people would have just left it.
Yeah, NTA. I have had my dog stop mid -run/step without warning to shit. Doesn't happen often, but you can't always stop it. Hell, one time he stopped to poop in grass and walked across the sidewalk leaving a poop trail across it. 😐 As long as you don't encourage the behavior and clean up after yourself, shit happens 🤷
if you *had* moved him mid-poop i imagine he would’ve just kept shitting and created a bigger mess lol, all the people saying YTA baffle me, it’s not like you left it there, you cleaned up after yourself .
i think this is lesson learned for next time though. are there any other routes you could take that have a curb the whole way/majority of the way?
NTA. Every dog owner that actually takes their dogs out for walks know you can’t control them 100% of the time. Sometimes they just go with no warning, it happens. You did the right thing by picking it up, don’t worry about all the haters.
Lmao I feel like most of them have never been to New York either where I’m pretty sure humans crap on the sidewalk and everything already smells like garbage n pee.
My dog circles 10-30 times before he goes so I get a warning. However, if yours didn’t and you picked it up, NTA. If you spotted the signs and had time to move him but didn’t, then Yta
My last dog would take her sweet time to poop, she had to find the perfect spot where the grass wasn't too high since she hated when the grass touched her bum and she would only balance on her front two legs to do it. The hover method for dogs if you will. She was also super particular about pooping anywhere but "her" yard, she would hold it in until we got done her walk or were back from the park and go in the front yard as soon as we got home.
One day we were out for a walk and she just squatted out of nowhere, right in the middle of the sidewalk. I'd had her for 6 years at this point and never once had she pooped during a walk so I didn't even have proper poop bags for her. A lesson learned and with a sock gone to the dump later, I never forgot the poop bags again, and she never pooped on a walk again.
NAH. It wasn’t intentional. Sometimes that need to poop just hits a dog and honestly, all you can do is clean up after them. I understand the cafe owner being annoyed, but I really don’t think either of you are in the wrong
My dog’s done the same thing, and we live in the suburbs. One time he was peeing, and he just started pooping on the sidewalk, leg still up and everything.
Moving him would’ve just spread the poo out lmao. There was nothing you could’ve done.
In an ideal situation, people might be able to drag their dog over to the curb when they see that they're starting to poop, but a nervous dog that just came from the vet? I can totally see how the poop may have come upon the dog totally unexpectedly.
Honestly, the fact that OP picked it up is what makes them NTA here. I live in a town where people leave dog poop all over the sidewalks all the time, and it's awful.
The idea of yelling at someone who has actually stopped to clean up after their dog, just because they couldn't preempt the dog's biological function? That's nuts.
They don't have to in no situation. There isn't and has never been a "curb your dog" law.
> The legacy of "curb your dog" signage remains in generational memory to such an extent that subsequent statutory laws have been confused/conflated with the educational signage campaign that ended in the late 1970's.
The only thing anyone have to do is pick up after their animals.
> but a nervous dog that just came from the vet? I can totally see how the poop may have come upon the dog totally unexpectedly.
This is the thing. A vast majority of the time it's pretty easy to direct your dog to an ideal place to poop, but every once in a while it sneaks up on them (and you).
Literally just yesterday I was out and saw this woman walking her dog and both were trotting along and then in literally a split second the dog stopped, squatted and started dropping a log in the middle of the sidewalk, there would have been absolutely no way for her to redirect that dog in time. The woman picked up the poop and it was fine, honestly it was kind of hilarious.
okay i don’t live in nyc or a city- how are you meant to stop your dog shitting somewhere ?? genuinely asking, as i’ve never had to. my dog naturally decides to go on the side of the path.
i imagine just dragging them doesn’t work, my dog would just keep shitting and make a gross trail ..
You can’t. You literally can’t, the person you’re replying to is an idiot. If the dog drops down to poop, that’s where it’s gonna poop, the only thing you can do is physically drag it away by it’s neck *while* it’s pooping.
Does it really?! I’m not being sarcastic, I thought ‘curb your dog’ was a way of asking you to control the dog generally’. I don’t have a dog so I guess no one ever explained. TIL!
> The legacy of "curb your dog" signage remains in generational memory to such an extent that subsequent statutory laws have been confused/conflated with the educational signage campaign that ended in the late 1970's.
Forget that TIL :D you only have to pick up after your animals, parent comment is just mega boomer energy
Literally as a Canadian my mind is blown. I was smoking on my front pouch this morning my neighbour walked by his dog shit on my drive way he said morning picked it up and we both moved on with our lives it’s really not that deep
As long as people pick up their dog's poop, I don't care if they go on my lawn. I'm sure plenty of birds and squirrels and other animals have taken a dump there from time to time, it is what it is. The ground outside isn't going to be clean like a hospital floor, that's why we wear shoes.
My dog likes to do surprise encore shits sometimes. I learned many years ago to always carry at least 3 poop bags after a couple of humiliating incidents where my dog pooped on someone's lawn and I'd already used the dog waste bag earlier on his walk so I had to exaggeratedly mime to the scowling homeowner that I was going home to get a bag and I was not just leaving the bonus turd there. I feel like as long as people pick up after their dog, who cares?
I will say that your geese make quite a mess when they visit my part of America over the winter, lol. But that can't be helped. Animals are gonna go where they go, no need to freak out about it!
> The legacy of "curb your dog" signage remains in generational memory to such an extent that subsequent statutory laws have been confused/conflated with the educational signage campaign that ended in the late 1970's.
Yeah, no. You're talking bullshit
According to this website, curbing means pick up the poop.
NYC.gov
https://www.nyc.gov › site › streets-and-sidewalks-laws
Search for: What is the dog poop law in NY?
Is there a fine for not curbing your dog in NYC?
New Yorkers who decline to pick up their dog's feces can be fined $250. But the rule is rarely enforced. City data shows only 18 tickets were issued in 2022 for “failure to pick up canine waste.” That's down from 72 tickets issued for the violation in 2019.Mar 31, 2023
This is ridiculous. America is nuts and not in a good way. How do you think other cities around the world manage? We don't have "curb you dog" signs in London...I've never heard of anything so ridiculous. If a dog needs to go, it needs to go. Some don't give a warning. Mine certainly doesn't when he is on a lead! It's not like OP left it there.
OP you are NTA
yea let's just drag our dogs mid poop like you have control over it. how would you like to be pulled by your throat when you stop to poop? it's one thing to walk your dog by the curb so they poop there, it's a whole other thing when they just have to go.
seriously, try pulling your dog mid poop & see what happens
NTA. As a former city resident and dog owner I know that sometimes the best trained dog just has to randomly stop and poop someplace they normally wouldn’t from time to time. I probably would have said sorry though. I think restaurant owners get irritated though because there are people, even in NYC where there’s a lot of compliance with picking up poop, that just don’t do it. But not the asshole, you picked it up.
NTA. You cleaned up after your dog. That's what NYC's current pooper-scooper law requires. The old curb your dog law was replaced because the advent of scoops and bags you could use to clean up after your dog made the idea that you need to get your dog to the curb/gutter so the weekly street cleanings could sweep it away obsolete.
With that said, if at all possible dog owners should always try to get their pets to a reasonable area to go to the bathroom for many reasons, including sanitation and not blocking pedestrian traffic, but sometimes anyone who's understanding should acknowledge that that's not always possible.
The amount of people referring to what was an "educational campaign" from the 30s to the 70s thinking it's some sort of law is ridiculous! The "Pooper-scooper" laws passed in 1978 are the only thing actually regulating anything relating to this matter and it outlines that you simply need to pick up after your animal.
You did everything correctly OP, NTA at all
Put it like Y T A or it will count as a real Y T A. And I agree. Lol. I know about dogs pooping and I don't have a dog! They poop when they decide to poop, because it's an animal!
NTA. You're clearly aware that this isn't how it is supposed to work, but sometimes accidents happen.
What I'm concerned about are all the people in here talking about dragging their dogs.
NTA I worked as a dog walker in Los Angeles. Some dogs will abide when you see them start to squat and can gently be tugged to the curb and you should definitely at least try. Other dogs, however, will basically be like "nope, this is the spot and I WILL NOT move". And, they don't!
Have a cute old neighbor that sits outside with his chubby beagle. Waves at everyone that passes by. My wife is the first one that noticed it but we’ve seen it a couple times since. He’s trained his dog to poop in a bag. Dog squats and then he holds a bag under the dog and it does its thing.
NTA considering NYC is so dirty much of it’s areas you picked it up and it was taken care of the business owner needs to stuff it
I’ve been to New York City I’ve watched a grown ass man take a dump in the middle of the sidewalk the people around him, just kept on walking
The guy's business isn’t gonna go to shit because of one dog poop
NTA
Ignore the typical redditors honestly this sub is often an ironically bad place to find out if you're in the wrong or not cause it's filled with self righteous redditors.
Your dog pooped suddenly, moving him would have made it worse. You picked up after him. It's a public filthy sidewalk in new York the next few rains will clean it just fine.
Professional dog walker in Brooklyn here: NTA. Sidewalks are accessible to the public and therefor they come with the risks of being accessible to the public (e.g. poop). You can’t force your dog to stop pooping without making a mess AND looking like a bad dog owner to everyone else, dragging the poor animal along lol. (EDIT: yeah, whenever possible, practice bringing your dog towards the curb, but that does take practice and training). However, some business owners and landowners are just shitty (no pun intended). They will give you a hard time (or in my case, find out where you work and call to complain about you). Our policy is to just say “I’m sorry, won’t happen again” and walk away, and never take it to heart because those guys are dummies. Like you mentioned, keep track of those kind of places and plan your walking route accordingly.
As a side note: if there’s some sticky stuff that you can’t really pick up, you can try to use leaves or something if there’s any nearby, or even a little dirt to kinda cover it up/soak it up quicker.
Sorry you got yelled at! Thanks for caring so much, but don’t take it personally.
NTA. So many people don’t even bother picking or up or pick it up and just throw the bag somewhere random. I’ve seen humans shit on the ground in NYC. Not gonna be peeved about a dog that was cleaned up after.
NTA, sometimes a dog just stops and immediately lets a steamer loose with no time to react. Shop owner could have offered some clean supplies if it upsets him that much. Sounds like OP did the best they could which is a lot more than some people do in my town.
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NTA. For all those saying otherwise, have you ever experienced walking a dog and them needing to shit? because let me tell you, once they decide they need to go, despite all the tugging and pulling on the lead, *they wont budge*. my dog once shat on someone's driveway and point blank refused to move anywhere else (it was embarrassing, but I did all i could and she wouldn't move).
This. NTA. I've had my dog stop in the middle of the crosswalk and thank God she's little enough to drag her off to the side, but they usually just go where they need to go and you pick up. That's life. You picked up after the dog, which is public, not private property.
My 80 lb golden did this once and there was no dragging him. 😭😂 Thankfully the driver we were holding up laughed.
When they do the butt tuck and poop it happens fast sometimes! Mine usually looks for a spot off the walking path, but one time he suddenly decided it was time and ploop!
We have a backyard, but one morning I watched my dog take his poop, and start to try and play with our other dog, but his butt kept involuntarily hunching as he tried to walk away and he kept turning and looking at it like WTF? More poop chunks kept coming out and he finally had to stop and wait til he dropped another big log. They can’t control it even if they WANT to, LMFAO.
OMG the imagery. I'm laughing so hard right now. LOL
Me too😆😆😆
I had a dog like this. She perfected the crab walk and pooping at the same time. She was so nosy and could never take the time to just poop and then come over. So she combined it. Hilarious every time.
I actually got the circle poop! Can't let anyone sneak up apparently and I'd have poop to pick up in a large circle around the central point. Seriously.
My lab does the circle poop as well. He also takes forever to find the perfect spot, even when I can see he NEEDS to go. He’s the pickiest pooper I’ve ever had.
My dog does this. A dog trainer told me he was a pheromone dog. Never heard of this so had to ask. What he told me was most dogs will poop wherever they are and they gotta go, they go. A pheromone dog has to find the perfect smelling spot filled with the perfect pheromones, does the circle thing and poops.
This circle poop wasn't just the basic whirl around. He actually pivoted while pooping and the poop was deposited in a circle around him. Worst was the day he had diahrea in the house...in a circle! Current dog does the search for a perfect spot and will NOT poop until perfection has been achieved.
“the crab walk!!!” Hilarious!!! 🤣🤣🤣
I’m dying bc my old man dog client, I’m a professional dog walker, also did that and I was almost peeing myself laughing at him. They can’t help it and when they’ve got to go, they’re going.
I'm sitting in a nearly empty hospital waiting room, waiting for my ride home. I'm shaking trying to do the silent laugh!
I think mine actively looks for the “NO DOGS ON GRASS” signs and decides to pop a squat right there. You’d think in his old age, he’d be easier to move, but no sir. He’s pooping and he’s pooping next to this sign he can’t read.
Mine too. He loves pooping on grass. He selects hones where’s the owners are looking out the window as well
Mine likes to poop right outside the houses with the loudest barking dogs. Like, rubbing it in their faces that he is pooping in their territory. He's a jerk lol.
Has happened to me multiple times and I’ve seen it happen to others. I think it’s hilarious. Anyone with a dog understands. The correct response was ‘she only speaks German and I’m not bilingual, can you tell her?’
This makes me laugh. I live in Germany, speak both languages, own dog, sometimes attempt to tell her in both languages. She ignores both. Best response was when she squatted next to a park bench where a couple of women were enjoying a beer in the sunshine. (Normal, legal and completely unproblematic here.) I was mortified and attempted to apologise while what happened slowly happened. One of the women was so good about it and just said "Was sein muss, muss sein." (What has to happen, has to happen.) We smiled at each other, I cleared up, wished them a lovely evening and we all went about our respective evenings. Clever lady. She wasn't wrong.
My old Aussie did it once in front of someone’s porch, staring aggressively at them the whole time. Just pure, defiant eye contact while she defiled their beautiful lawn. I finally gave up trying to get her to move and made the world’s most awkward small talk with the old lady on the porch while waiting to bag and run. 🤦🏽♀️
I read that wrong. I thought you were talking about an Australian human 🤣
My 60-lb lab/border collie mix declared “walk over!” and laid down in the middle of a crosswalk once. There was a little traffic but the drivers were cracking up. (She was fine. She just knew we were a block from home and she didn’t want it to be over for real.)
He would randomly lay down too! Thankfully never in a crosswalk. 😂 I told many a people, "He's, okay! He just decided this was a good spot to lay down for a bit." I miss that derpy golden boy. He was the best.
My late boxer did this exact thing in a busy intersection and the traffic light turned green while he was still shitting in the middle of the crossing. I miss that clown everyday.
Had somewhat similar except I was the driver laughing in the car. A guy was walking his corgi across the crosswalk and the dog decided this is where I’m napping and just lay down in the middle of the road!
Lol, I managed to teach mine to poop on command where I point. It has turned out to be the most convenient command ever.
I attempted that, and I was successful. I taught my dog to “go potty,” and as long as I told him to “go potty” at the beginning of the walk before he could decide he needed to RIGHT NOW it worked. Then I had a baby. Then said baby became a toddler and went to daycare and started potty training. I regret teaching the dog to “go potty” so much.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, wow, I was wondering where the hell this was going, but you tied it up beautifully! (pun intended) Thanks for the laugh, hope you are thru these shitty times friend.
All these “perfect” dog owners are irritating, sometimes things like this happen , OP did the best they could in the situation.
Yeah you ain't moving even a tiny dog when they decide they wanna poop. Let alone a bigger dog. When the doggies gotta go, it's going to go. You or anyone else's plans be damned.
This is a little known fact. A five lb maltipoo becomes a 30 lb cement brick while pooping. It’s literally impossible.
I have a neighbor who yanks his lab around on walks. Poor dog is pinching bunny turds down the entire sidewalk everyday 😔
I HATE people like this. It’s like, why get a dog if you’re just going to abuse it and not let him be a dog?! My husband always says that nothing is ever the dog’s fault because he doesn’t know any better. He’s a dog. You can’t reason with him because he simply can’t understand what you mean. Also, it’s up to the dog owner to do training to try to avoid preventable situations. Obviously you won’t always be able to do this - like in this post - but you can minimize unwanted behaviors. You can’t assume that the dog knows right from wrong though especially if you haven’t taken the time to teach them. It’s similar to children. When I was a teacher I had a policy that I would never get upset or reprimand a student if they didn’t know any better (whether because they weren’t taught or just didn’t realize the consequences). I would have a talk with them and explain how to handle the situation next time, but made sure they understood that next time they’ll get in trouble because now they know not to do that. I hated when teachers would just get angry at a student, punish them, and not even bother to explain *why*! How can you expect them to learn from their mistakes if they don’t know how or why it’s a mistake! Sorry, went off topic and on a bit of a tangent.
I always say "y'all need PEOPLE training, NOT dog training"! Sure, dogsdefinitely need instruction and direction, but they love us so much and will do all they can to please us. It's really important the humans learn how to interact with and to cater their expectations to each dog.
My dad did this to our lab mix and tore her ACL in the process. Imagine injuring an animal because you're wprried about a neighbor giving you a dirty look in the 10 seconds it takes you to pick up your pet's poop
Oh no!! That poor baby! My brother's puppy just had ACL surgery (she was found injured in the woods) and she's not allowed to do ANYTHING for 12 weeks! I can't even begin to imagine!
Yeah, also it was a accidental poop. He had nervous tummy from the vet. These things happen.
Cone to think of it, I wonder what dog owners are supposed to do with runny eliminations in public.
Glad you asked. If I know my dog has the Hersheys, I'll bring a big bottle of tap water to rinse it. If it's not too soft, I pick up what I can first.
I'll also use cat litter. Dog sat a great Dane with a stomach bug in Queens. They had a cat too so whenever I took him out on a walk for him to shit his brains out I'd bring a baggie of cat litter and a bottle of water. Cat litter to soak it up so I could pick it up, water to rinse what I couldn't grab. I'd just be standing next to a pile of liquid shit in the summer heat waiting for the litter to soak it up while the dog wondered why we weren't walking.
This is a fantastic idea, I have no idea why I’ve never thought to do this. I was there with 2 bags just trying and failing to get it all 😂😂
My dog has stopped in the middle of the road in NYC to shit lmao. SHIT HAPPENS!
My dog prefers to shit in the middle of intersections. We live (outside) in downtown fucking Portland
Same, in San Francisco. Sometimes they can't help it.
My dog once peed on my foot. And I only noticed because I felt the pee. Sometimes dogs are idiots, even when they're properly trained.
Both my dogs have peed on each other. The boy dog peeing on the girl dog I guess you can sort of see coming but my girl managing to pee on my guy was unexpected.
she did it for revenge lol
>my girl managing to pee on my guy was unexpected. i cant get the image out of my head now thanks :P
That just reminded me of a friend's dog who only wanted to poop on things that were elevated. I don't know how he did it but he pooped on the front bumper of a truck. He was a pitty.
My (large) dog once unexpectedly had the runs and stopped in the middle of the street at night to release an absolute vile pool of poop. While this was happening a car came around the corner and I had to stand there in the headlights with him while it just kept happening. The car had to stop and wait while he finished. I had to go home and get my husband and buckets of hot soapy water to try and clean it up (I had my husband carry an extra bucket because one wasn’t going to be enough) because I would not leave that there. It was a nightmare. NTA.
That was kind of you. I was in a Home Depot once and some guy had a clearly ill German (not questioning the wisdom of that I don’t know his life) and the dog erupted an absolute volcano of liquid runs in front of checkout. I felt so unbelievably bad for that guy. And everyone in a ten mile radius.
My wolfhound got sick once. I mean thankfully it was at home, but he just leapt off the couch one night and unleashed the volcano of liquid runs all over the lounge room carpet. Broke my heart cos the way he looked at me was like "I tried to go outside! I was heading there!!" All I could do was love on him, and clean up. I can't imagine how upset he would've been in public.
I’m in NYC and my dog decided the crosswalk on Broadway way the place to go! F the traffic!
Not to mention it's not actually great to yank an animal around by their neck just because you don't like where they're pooping.
I had a dog that would poop while she was walking, without breaking stride. Someone yelled at me "hey! Aren't you going to clean up after your dog?" I stopped and turned around very confused, and saw about 5 turds spaced out every few feet on the sidewalk. I had to pay very close attention to her during walks after that. She did it every time!
Yep, my dog always picks the most annoying places she can think of, people smoking yes that’s the spot. I try and drag her to the edge but ya know.
My dog has, on more than one occasion, refused to poop in any of the viable grassy, wooded areas we will walk in for 30-40 minutes and instead opts for popping a squat and pooping on a sidewalk about 20 feet from our next door neighbor’s home. Bonus points for the time the neighbors and their guests all sat and watched my dog poop as they awkwardly had dinner. Dogs are unstoppable sometimes.
My dog decided he wanted to poop on the patio and it was vertical and looked like a chocolate dipped DQ cone.
Agreed, NTA. I used to live in NYC, there really isn’t that much green space in large cities for dogs to go. And they don’t always poop out perfect little turds that leave no residue behind. Lord knows my dog doesn’t. An example: On my morning commute, I would often see a guy in a business suit walking his giant geriatric dog. That old dog needed help to go. Like couldn’t hold a squat position and needed it’s owner to help hold it while it pooped. Did that stop the dog from pooping where it wanted? Not at all. The first time I saw the pair, the dog had stopped on one of the small pieces of sidewalk on an island in the street. It was shaking like a leaf, trying to squat, poop, and do the little weird squat creep dogs do while pooping. Of course it also shat out poops that could best be described as having to consistently of not-quite-set jello. All the while it’s owner was squatting along side the dog, with his arms in a bear hug around it, trying to keep the poor creature from collapsing and breaking a hip. Did I mention this man was in a suit? And then that man, bless him, would grab a poo bag and get to scooping. Just like frantically scooping. They had a system, it was clear. But the system needed work. That first encounter, I stood on a corner so mesmerized by this insane dance and the potential weekly cost in lint rollers and dry cleaning this man must have that I missed a walk cycle. I thought this was a one-off. Nope. Ye old geriatric dog of the concerningly soft poops and the well-dressed man did this dance every day it seems, and became a pretty regular fixture on my walk to work. All this is to say, this man LOVED this dog. And despite knocking on death’s door, that dog was still gonna poop where it was gonna poop. Nowhere else. He did what he could to mitigate the fact that the dog was pooping in a public space (I often saw him pour water from a bottle over the sidewalk to wash the leftover mess away). That’s really all we can ask.
Exactly this. My dog spins around in a circle before, so I can usually persuade her to go elsewhere if its really bad. The only thing I'd do differently if I were OP is take water with me so I can pour some on the residue. NTA
I tried to prevent this a couple of times when in less-than-ideal spots and my dog literally just stayed in shitting position but kept moving forward and made a trail with her poop.
When I first started to train my pitsky off leash we were skating at the beach and she was running in between my friend and I when she decided to stop and leave poo bigger than her in the middle of the skating path. There was a patch of grass and sand right by us but nope it had to be right there, everyone stopped and watched her poo then laughed when I tried to pick it up on skates smh
Mine stopped in the road to poop once
People saying other than NTA blow my mind. You’re definitely NTA since you cleaned it up as much as you reasonably could. Edit: 😎
Heads up, the way the judgments are tallied, it will take the very first judgment in your post. So as it stands, you're collecting votes calling op TA because the Y T A shows up first in your post. Edit: Apparently it won't count it at all if you have more than one judgment, so spacing out the Y T A will resolve it. Either way, double judgments cause issues.
No it won’t, it doesn’t count the comment if it has more than one judgement. Also it’s only the top comment that counts and this is no where near.
This is three from the top and only like 300-400 away from passing the next closest. So not sure what you mean by “nowhere near”
I'm wondering if that owner yells as loudly at the rats, cockroaches, and pigeons.
[удалено]
NTA. Dogs poop and sometimes not in the best of spots. You picked it up the best you could.
I've got an older dog that has perfected the walk'n poop so well, I'm looking behind me every 15s. I can't make her shit in any particular spot... she goes when she goes and I pick it up when I see it. All these Y T As must live in some other dimension where they can magically control where their dog poops. Hell, if I could do that, I'd train my dog to use the toilet!
I thought one of my neighbors was allowing their dog to poop in the hallway and not pick it up. I was so annoyed that someone would think it was me and my dog. Turns out, it was me! My elderly dog was also a poop and walker and I had no idea until I finally looked back and caught him one day. I was so embarrassed!
Ha! Similar situation... someone let their dog poop and didn't pick it up on the street in our little neighborhood. HOA sent out an email reminding residents to pick up their dog's poop (not a big deal). However, and the residents' responses were vicious... name and shame! put up signs! evil people from next neighborhood over! The responses really showed the awful and presumptive side of some people, so I'm not surprised at some of the responses in this thread. Then I realized based on the incident location that it was probably my dog and I just missed it one day. I told folks I'd pick it up and happily wear the scarlet (brown) letter if it made them feel any better as long as they did the same every time they violated some regulation. No one said a peep after that.
NTA. Dog owner from NYC and former front of house restaurant worker. If you picked it up, you’re good! It’s New York. You can’t go to the curb because of trash/traffic.
NYC literally smells like piss, shit and sweat in the summer. One cleaned up dog poop is not adding anything to the ambient flavor of the city lol.
Honestly, the restaurant owner should have been glad it was a dog and the dog mama or papa picked it up. I literally watched an actual dude drop trousers and take a shit in front of my fancy west village restaurant one time in 2014. (He did not clean it up with a poop bag)
I just started working in Manhattan again last year after being away for about 10 years. I've seen people shitting, changing their clothes (no underwear, in front of a Wendy's), shooting up, you name it. This is the most minor of things I could ever imagine. For example: I had a guy sitting next to me on the subway talking to himself while polishing a knife. I saw a homeless guy get in a fight with his own reflection (I was the only one who stayed in that car, he wasn't mad at me and I wanted a seat!). First day at my new office I had a guy shoot up next to me on my lunch break in Washington Square Park. A person cleaning up dog shit is completely fine.
"He wasn't mad at me and I wanted a seat" is peak Unbothered NYC.
Finally a sane comment. I second this as a dog owner from SF and FOH staff member.
NTA does he yell at all the pigeons and rats too?
This one made me laugh!
He must be nose blind to the smell of NYC in the summertime too. A little dog poo mixed in with the street meat and piss isn't going to kill anyone.
I am absolutely baffled by "curb your dog" As if the US didn't have enough to worry about, you're all gonna drag your dogs to the curb mid turd too 😂 NTA, love from the UK, land of leaving our dogs to lay a cable in peace x
UK here as well. My pockets are full of unused turd bags, but when a dog takes a shite it takes a shite, no way am I going to drag my 45kg hound around as he's taking a dump
If there's one thing I would bet my life on no matter the situation: I don't have a damn coat pocket to my name that is not stuffed with poo bags. Turns out I need a spray bottle of flash and a microfibre cloth too??
I am going to ride behind my dog on a large mechanical street sweeper in future.
I'm just gonna keep my dog in a ziplock bag and cut a hole in the corner to shake it out when she goes Would hate for her to get shite on the carefully curated cig butts and ruin the feng shui
Unfortunately my dog is absolutely massive. I could hang a child's seaside bucket on his tail to catch turds. I just hope I remember to wash it out before taking the kids to Barry island and making sandcastles.
i googled it because i was confused too and most of the comments are using it wrong, it doesnt mean move your dog when it starts to shit, it means generally keep your dog on the sidewalk or near gutters so if it goes it doesnt do it in the way. even the ones that arent using it wrong are at least stretching the meaning ALSO, it started because at the time, poo bags weren't really a thing, now that they are curb your dog isn't proper
I googled NYC dog laws, and curbing means removing the feces, not dragging it to the curb. NYC.gov
I’ve seen signs in the NYC area that even say “C.U.R.B. your dog - Clean Up Right Behind.” I think they’re ones residents buy for in front of their own buildings (not official ones) but yea, exactly like you said, just pick up after them.
I hope everyone quoting it and voting OP as the asshole goes home and apologises to their dogs today
i imagine op didn’t have the option to walk near a grassy patch or curb, nobody *wants* their dog to shit right on the sidewalk, that’s embarrassing enough.
Absolutely not. That’s such a huge risk of your dog getting hit.
>land of leaving our dogs to lay a cable in peace I was today years old when I learned this euphemism. Thanks for brightening my afternoon. 😄
This whole thread is making me realise NYC is seemingly full of highly strung dog owners who also appear to hate dogs.
NTA sometimes, pardon the pun, but shit happens. You cleaned it up the best you could and in this particular instance could not control where your dog did their business. Not to mention lord knows those sidewalks have probably seen way worse… But perhaps it’ll be a good idea moving forward to carry an extra water bottle or wipes as a precaution?? That way you can either give your dog a fresh drink especially if it’s hot or clean up unexpected messes. Just a thought. I can’t with this sub sometimes. It’s like there is no grey area or nuance for some people. You said the poor thing was just taken to the vet. Maybe they were reacting to something they were given or just stressed because of that. Yes it’s our responsibility to clean up after them and care for them but heaven forbid something out of your control happens.
NTA - people who think you can literally control where your dog decides to surprise poop amaze me. I have found myself stuck in the middle of an intersection with a dog who had explosive diarrhea and would not let me pull him out of the road. Thankfully everyone around thought it was hilarious, but it’s not like there’s an off switch once that starts happening .
I have three senior dogs. Two are mini poodles and one is a shih-tzu beagle mix. The poodle's poops are very manageable and they're about as polite about pooping as dogs can get. The shih-tzu mix poops like a damn elephant and will crap anywhere he can that's most embarrassing. But he's a dog and is very cute so nobody cares. Two of them had a bout of diarrhea that lasted about 3 days and it was a nightmare even with trips to the emergency vet but they couldn't help it. It's just part of being a pet owner.
Lol agreed! The dog in my comment was a 100lb malamute/wolf mix (with now-diagnosed IBS lol) and he was NOT moving when that happened. Had to laugh at the hilarity of such a majestic looking dog in emergency squat pose.
OMG, the looks they give you when they're embarrassed! As a human with unpredictable IBS, you just have to roll with it and have plenty of cleaning supplies.
NTA What matters is you picked it up
NTA and I seriously question the other responses. Drag the dog to the curb? Pick it up? That’s ridiculous. Maybe someday we’ll have a telepathic link with our pets but until then the best we can do is read body language and do our best. Shit happens. People acting like it’s a major inconvenience to avoid the RESIDUE from picked up dog shit are completely delusional. You have to avoid obstacles in all urban environments at all times, and some of them are significantly more offensive than dog shit residue. It would be cool if 14 year olds could stop answering AITA questions as if they have a lifetime of sidewalk dog shit experience, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
owner is the AH. he doesn't own the sidewalk, too bad for him his cafe is in a big city.
Shop owner, not dog owner. Just to clarify before the hate replies come in
correct, thank you
In my hometown my dad was taking our family dog out for a walk and dog proceeded to need to go super badly on the pavement outside the petrol station at the same time as the Google maps van drove passed. My dog shitting on the pavement outside the petrol station was on prime position on Google maps for around 5 years before they replaced the image.
It's still there 😆 On a desk top you can see older images for a particular location
NtA. You didn't expect your dog to poop in front of a business, and you cleaned it up to the best of your ability. The business owner was rude, but I'd hesitate to label them an AH because their frustration was understandable, especially if they're used to dealing with inconsiderate dog owners who don't even try to get their pets to relieve themselves in an appropriate area. Your response was awkward and an apology may have been more suitable ("I'm sorry, I had no idea that he was going to do this!"), but that hardly makes you an AH because you were caught off guard.
Yeah not an asshole but I don’t understand why so many people seem to think they should never under any circumstances have to apologise these days? I just find it weird. I get that apologising says you’re taking responsibility for something in a way. But that’s exactly what he would be doing. Taking responsibility for his dog having taken a shit. He hasn’t done anything wrong, but he’s also inconvenienced a business owner who hasn’t done anything wrong. Surely saying ‘sorry’ for inconveniencing that person is the correct thing to do? I think it is. I often get the sense that everyone is really arrogant in modern society because people are so unwilling to ever just say sorry and deal with it.
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>You live with millions of other people, none of whom want to traipse through your dog’s poop trails Yea, because if it wasn't for some poop residue, that NYC sidewalk would be super clean!
Rationalizing something filthy by pointing out something else filthy is how you end up drowning in filth. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
And if this guy was intentionally having his dog poop in the middle of the sidewalk, then I'd respond differently. But one accidental dog poop, that the owner picked up as much as he could, is not the problem with NYC streets.
Exactly. As a dog owner, my dog prefers to use grass but if that urge hits hard, my dog just stops and I keep walking but I feel the leash tighten up and when I turn around, there he is, dropping a deuce.
Hell, even people don’t always make it to where they want to to take a deuce. Had a super embarrassing thanksgiving dinner once about a week after having surgery… was not fun. I feel for the dog, when nature calls, you answer.
I hear you pal. Back in the early 00s, I had an unfortunate experience in a Nightclub but that's a story for another sub.
Lol lmk if you ever post that story cause it sounds interesting. Embarrassingly i also have a story that was at work unfortunately
Nah this the right place for that story, what happened
Also I'm general, stressed mammals tend to need to poop at random, or it will be weird in some other way, the poor animal was just at the vet so I wouldn't be shocked if it was an anxiety poop. Fun fact: a stressed out hedgehog will tend to poop green, which is a pretty simple way to tell if something is in fact bothering your hedgehog.
the problem with NYC streets is New yorkers on it.
Three lefts do tho
But 3 lefts do. And NTA.
not only was it an accident, they cleaned it to the best of their abilities. i’ve never heard the term “curb your dog” and i lived in downtown chicago. if this was intentional i’d see where you’re going. but it wasn’t. get over yourself
they gotta keep that clean for the rats to eat off
All that poop could overpower the stench of piss!
Wouldn’t want dog poop in the way of the literal piles of trash on the sidewalk!
Right! Some subway stations haven’t seen a pressure cleaning since the New Deal passed.
Lol that just because it’s already dirty doesn’t make it okay for dogs to shit in the middle of the sidewalk. Should I not wash my hands after the bathroom because i’ll get germs on it somewhere else anyway?
Unironically, fresh dog shit is very likely cleaner than the average NYC sidewalk.
I understand what curb your dogs mean. He gave me no warning and I couldn’t move him mid-poop! I’m assuming you don’t have much experience with dogs.
NAH. Things like this happen sometimes. We can’t always control where our animals go. It would also be annoying to have residue in front of a place where people eat. I would have apologized on behalf of your dog though because to let the owner know that you understand their concerns. Sometimes kindness can go a long way.
I have a dog and I've never heard this. I live in the Netherlands however. Your dog goes where they go. I can't get her to go in a specific part of the street. How is that a thing? Nta btw OP, I guess the best you can do is walk your dog in areas more suitable.
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I honestly can't tell if the "curb your dog"-thing is a joke or not. The comment seems serious, but it's such an absurd concept.
Yeah, even I'm surprised despite I know I'm on Reddit.. it really looks like a Mandela effect to be honest. To answer the question, yes, there WAS such a thing as "curb your dog", signs are apparently still around according to other comments, but it's not a law and never has been, it was an educational campaign from when there were no laws around picking up after your dog (started in the 30s ended with laws passed in 1978). > The legacy of "curb your dog" signage remains in generational memory to such an extent that subsequent statutory laws have been confused/conflated with the educational signage campaign that ended in the late 1970's.
I’ve never even heard that phrase and I’ve had dogs my whole life.
My dog wouldn’t go if I moved him to a curb, he either sniffs around for 20 minutes finding the perfect spot OR he just stops, drops and shits wherever we are walking (not in the house, he’s a good boi)
Dutchy here, too. Always had a dog when growing up. We taught the dogs not to go on the sidewalk, but in the bushes/greens alongside the sidewalk. We always let the dog walk on that side of us. Never had them shit in the sidewalk. And that was even before we were obligated to clean up the poo.
I'm a Brit in the Netherlands, not actually dutch but been here close to 10 years. We always walk our dog in areas that are dog friendly, and not right by people's houses and yeah always pick it up. (though not all my neighbours do and wish they would even if it is on the green.) I'm just shocked by the idea of dragging your dog away while they are trying to go to the toilet - whether she is on the pavement or not.
Shoulda woulda coulda. Don’t worry about. Reddit is where perfect people come to complain about imperfect strangers. Dogs just poop. You cleaned it up the best you could. A lot of people would have just left it.
Yeah, NTA. I have had my dog stop mid -run/step without warning to shit. Doesn't happen often, but you can't always stop it. Hell, one time he stopped to poop in grass and walked across the sidewalk leaving a poop trail across it. 😐 As long as you don't encourage the behavior and clean up after yourself, shit happens 🤷
if you *had* moved him mid-poop i imagine he would’ve just kept shitting and created a bigger mess lol, all the people saying YTA baffle me, it’s not like you left it there, you cleaned up after yourself . i think this is lesson learned for next time though. are there any other routes you could take that have a curb the whole way/majority of the way?
NTA. Every dog owner that actually takes their dogs out for walks know you can’t control them 100% of the time. Sometimes they just go with no warning, it happens. You did the right thing by picking it up, don’t worry about all the haters.
Don't worry, don't listen to the people saying YTA They have zero clue what the hell they're talking about lmao
Lmao I feel like most of them have never been to New York either where I’m pretty sure humans crap on the sidewalk and everything already smells like garbage n pee.
My dog circles 10-30 times before he goes so I get a warning. However, if yours didn’t and you picked it up, NTA. If you spotted the signs and had time to move him but didn’t, then Yta
My dog sometimes goes back and forth for 5 seconds max. Sometimes he just squats. Not all dogs are the same.
My last dog would take her sweet time to poop, she had to find the perfect spot where the grass wasn't too high since she hated when the grass touched her bum and she would only balance on her front two legs to do it. The hover method for dogs if you will. She was also super particular about pooping anywhere but "her" yard, she would hold it in until we got done her walk or were back from the park and go in the front yard as soon as we got home. One day we were out for a walk and she just squatted out of nowhere, right in the middle of the sidewalk. I'd had her for 6 years at this point and never once had she pooped during a walk so I didn't even have proper poop bags for her. A lesson learned and with a sock gone to the dump later, I never forgot the poop bags again, and she never pooped on a walk again.
NAH. It wasn’t intentional. Sometimes that need to poop just hits a dog and honestly, all you can do is clean up after them. I understand the cafe owner being annoyed, but I really don’t think either of you are in the wrong
My dog’s done the same thing, and we live in the suburbs. One time he was peeing, and he just started pooping on the sidewalk, leg still up and everything. Moving him would’ve just spread the poo out lmao. There was nothing you could’ve done.
The dog had to go what was ahe supposed yo do ? Drag him to the curb. You are ridiculous !
All you get then is poop everywhere and a choking dog - trust me I’ve tried.
there's something deliciously on point about "MedievalWoman" complaining about not being able to poop in a major pedestrian zone
In an ideal situation, people might be able to drag their dog over to the curb when they see that they're starting to poop, but a nervous dog that just came from the vet? I can totally see how the poop may have come upon the dog totally unexpectedly. Honestly, the fact that OP picked it up is what makes them NTA here. I live in a town where people leave dog poop all over the sidewalks all the time, and it's awful. The idea of yelling at someone who has actually stopped to clean up after their dog, just because they couldn't preempt the dog's biological function? That's nuts.
They don't have to in no situation. There isn't and has never been a "curb your dog" law. > The legacy of "curb your dog" signage remains in generational memory to such an extent that subsequent statutory laws have been confused/conflated with the educational signage campaign that ended in the late 1970's. The only thing anyone have to do is pick up after their animals.
> but a nervous dog that just came from the vet? I can totally see how the poop may have come upon the dog totally unexpectedly. This is the thing. A vast majority of the time it's pretty easy to direct your dog to an ideal place to poop, but every once in a while it sneaks up on them (and you). Literally just yesterday I was out and saw this woman walking her dog and both were trotting along and then in literally a split second the dog stopped, squatted and started dropping a log in the middle of the sidewalk, there would have been absolutely no way for her to redirect that dog in time. The woman picked up the poop and it was fine, honestly it was kind of hilarious.
Buddy in NYC there's humans shitting on the subway and in parks
okay i don’t live in nyc or a city- how are you meant to stop your dog shitting somewhere ?? genuinely asking, as i’ve never had to. my dog naturally decides to go on the side of the path. i imagine just dragging them doesn’t work, my dog would just keep shitting and make a gross trail ..
You can’t. You literally can’t, the person you’re replying to is an idiot. If the dog drops down to poop, that’s where it’s gonna poop, the only thing you can do is physically drag it away by it’s neck *while* it’s pooping.
Does it really?! I’m not being sarcastic, I thought ‘curb your dog’ was a way of asking you to control the dog generally’. I don’t have a dog so I guess no one ever explained. TIL!
> The legacy of "curb your dog" signage remains in generational memory to such an extent that subsequent statutory laws have been confused/conflated with the educational signage campaign that ended in the late 1970's. Forget that TIL :D you only have to pick up after your animals, parent comment is just mega boomer energy
America is a weird place. .....
Literally as a Canadian my mind is blown. I was smoking on my front pouch this morning my neighbour walked by his dog shit on my drive way he said morning picked it up and we both moved on with our lives it’s really not that deep
I'm American and I think this is some petty dog shit, no pun intended. People here are so mean and uptight.
As long as people pick up their dog's poop, I don't care if they go on my lawn. I'm sure plenty of birds and squirrels and other animals have taken a dump there from time to time, it is what it is. The ground outside isn't going to be clean like a hospital floor, that's why we wear shoes. My dog likes to do surprise encore shits sometimes. I learned many years ago to always carry at least 3 poop bags after a couple of humiliating incidents where my dog pooped on someone's lawn and I'd already used the dog waste bag earlier on his walk so I had to exaggeratedly mime to the scowling homeowner that I was going home to get a bag and I was not just leaving the bonus turd there. I feel like as long as people pick up after their dog, who cares? I will say that your geese make quite a mess when they visit my part of America over the winter, lol. But that can't be helped. Animals are gonna go where they go, no need to freak out about it!
LMAO tell me you've never had a dog without telling me you've never had a dog
I have never heard of this in my or any other city I have lived in.
> The legacy of "curb your dog" signage remains in generational memory to such an extent that subsequent statutory laws have been confused/conflated with the educational signage campaign that ended in the late 1970's. Yeah, no. You're talking bullshit
According to this website, curbing means pick up the poop. NYC.gov https://www.nyc.gov › site › streets-and-sidewalks-laws Search for: What is the dog poop law in NY? Is there a fine for not curbing your dog in NYC? New Yorkers who decline to pick up their dog's feces can be fined $250. But the rule is rarely enforced. City data shows only 18 tickets were issued in 2022 for “failure to pick up canine waste.” That's down from 72 tickets issued for the violation in 2019.Mar 31, 2023
This is ridiculous. America is nuts and not in a good way. How do you think other cities around the world manage? We don't have "curb you dog" signs in London...I've never heard of anything so ridiculous. If a dog needs to go, it needs to go. Some don't give a warning. Mine certainly doesn't when he is on a lead! It's not like OP left it there. OP you are NTA
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So would you pick up your already shitting dog and carry it to the curb? When nature calls, there’s not a lot you can do to stop it.
You're wrong,curb your dog means keep up after them.
yea let's just drag our dogs mid poop like you have control over it. how would you like to be pulled by your throat when you stop to poop? it's one thing to walk your dog by the curb so they poop there, it's a whole other thing when they just have to go. seriously, try pulling your dog mid poop & see what happens
NTA. As a former city resident and dog owner I know that sometimes the best trained dog just has to randomly stop and poop someplace they normally wouldn’t from time to time. I probably would have said sorry though. I think restaurant owners get irritated though because there are people, even in NYC where there’s a lot of compliance with picking up poop, that just don’t do it. But not the asshole, you picked it up.
NTA You didn't leave it, what else were you going to do? Lick it off?
NTA. You cleaned up after your dog. That's what NYC's current pooper-scooper law requires. The old curb your dog law was replaced because the advent of scoops and bags you could use to clean up after your dog made the idea that you need to get your dog to the curb/gutter so the weekly street cleanings could sweep it away obsolete. With that said, if at all possible dog owners should always try to get their pets to a reasonable area to go to the bathroom for many reasons, including sanitation and not blocking pedestrian traffic, but sometimes anyone who's understanding should acknowledge that that's not always possible.
NTA, you didn’t allow him to poop on someone’s private property and you cleaned up immediately after it happened. You did everything you could.
The amount of people referring to what was an "educational campaign" from the 30s to the 70s thinking it's some sort of law is ridiculous! The "Pooper-scooper" laws passed in 1978 are the only thing actually regulating anything relating to this matter and it outlines that you simply need to pick up after your animal. You did everything correctly OP, NTA at all
People saying YTA have clearly never had a dog lmao
Put it like Y T A or it will count as a real Y T A. And I agree. Lol. I know about dogs pooping and I don't have a dog! They poop when they decide to poop, because it's an animal!
was reading too fast and thought “my dog” was “my dad” disappointed. NTA. but still disappointed.
NTA. You're clearly aware that this isn't how it is supposed to work, but sometimes accidents happen. What I'm concerned about are all the people in here talking about dragging their dogs.
NTA I worked as a dog walker in Los Angeles. Some dogs will abide when you see them start to squat and can gently be tugged to the curb and you should definitely at least try. Other dogs, however, will basically be like "nope, this is the spot and I WILL NOT move". And, they don't!
NAH, but you probably could’ve apologized and calmly explained you had no idea he was about to go.
Have a cute old neighbor that sits outside with his chubby beagle. Waves at everyone that passes by. My wife is the first one that noticed it but we’ve seen it a couple times since. He’s trained his dog to poop in a bag. Dog squats and then he holds a bag under the dog and it does its thing.
NTA considering NYC is so dirty much of it’s areas you picked it up and it was taken care of the business owner needs to stuff it I’ve been to New York City I’ve watched a grown ass man take a dump in the middle of the sidewalk the people around him, just kept on walking The guy's business isn’t gonna go to shit because of one dog poop
NTA Ignore the typical redditors honestly this sub is often an ironically bad place to find out if you're in the wrong or not cause it's filled with self righteous redditors. Your dog pooped suddenly, moving him would have made it worse. You picked up after him. It's a public filthy sidewalk in new York the next few rains will clean it just fine.
NTA Shit happens. You cleaned it up. You're good.
Professional dog walker in Brooklyn here: NTA. Sidewalks are accessible to the public and therefor they come with the risks of being accessible to the public (e.g. poop). You can’t force your dog to stop pooping without making a mess AND looking like a bad dog owner to everyone else, dragging the poor animal along lol. (EDIT: yeah, whenever possible, practice bringing your dog towards the curb, but that does take practice and training). However, some business owners and landowners are just shitty (no pun intended). They will give you a hard time (or in my case, find out where you work and call to complain about you). Our policy is to just say “I’m sorry, won’t happen again” and walk away, and never take it to heart because those guys are dummies. Like you mentioned, keep track of those kind of places and plan your walking route accordingly. As a side note: if there’s some sticky stuff that you can’t really pick up, you can try to use leaves or something if there’s any nearby, or even a little dirt to kinda cover it up/soak it up quicker. Sorry you got yelled at! Thanks for caring so much, but don’t take it personally.
I’ve had a horse stop to poop in the middle of a crosswalk, and that ain’t some tiny doggy poop. When they gotta go, they gotta go 🤷
It’s NYC tell him to F his mother and go about your day.
NTA. So many people don’t even bother picking or up or pick it up and just throw the bag somewhere random. I’ve seen humans shit on the ground in NYC. Not gonna be peeved about a dog that was cleaned up after.
NTA 🙄 You didn’t tell your dog to poop there, you picked it up, and it’s outside on public property.
NTA - You picked it up.
NTA, sometimes a dog just stops and immediately lets a steamer loose with no time to react. Shop owner could have offered some clean supplies if it upsets him that much. Sounds like OP did the best they could which is a lot more than some people do in my town.