# Why would a neighbor's dog poop and pee on my doormat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252 "2013-11-06T16:04:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/1 "2013-11-06T16:04:33Z")
The neighbor’s dog is a year old female chihuahua. I am friends with the neighbor and the dog. I don’t understand why she does this. How can I get her to stop? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/2 "2013-11-06T16:08:00Z")
Don’t you have leash laws in your area? How is the dog allowed to roam free, if so? If you do have them, a call to animal control while the dog is roaming free could put an end to your problem quickly by teaching the owner to keep it locked up or leashed. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/3 "2013-11-06T16:13:22Z")
First move your soiled doormat to her house and see if the dog starts using it there instead. If so have her keep it and buy you a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/4 "2013-11-06T17:07:32Z")
Whenever I find dog doo on my lawn, I fling it off into the bushes (I live in the country) and then irrigate the location with human urine. I believe that leaving your own scent there discourages the dog from seeing the spot as “his” and repeating. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/5 "2013-11-06T17:10:20Z")
One possibility is that her owner actually doesn’t like you, and has trained the dog to do this. More likely, the dog was house-trained using pee pads, and that’s what she thinks your doormat is. The solution would be for you to temporarily remove your doormat while her owner discontinues the pee pads and teaches her to use the yard or some other area. Good luck with that. Alternatively, a pet shop may have some sort of noxious repellent that you can apply to your mat to break her of that habit. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/6 "2013-11-06T17:39:40Z")
Would electrifying the mat be an option? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/7 "2013-11-06T17:41:28Z")
Instead of asking us, why don’t you just ask the dog? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/8 "2013-11-06T18:07:41Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Why would a neighbor’s dog poop and pee on my doormat? > > How can I get her to stop? How do you know it’s the neighbor’s dog and not the neighbor? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/9 "2013-11-06T18:20:29Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Would electrifying the mat be an option? You know, if a dog is already in a squat position I bet they can jump a long ways up into the air. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/10 "2013-11-06T18:25:18Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Don’t you have leash laws in your area? How is the dog allowed to roam free, if so? If you do have them, a call to animal control while the dog is roaming free could put an end to your problem quickly by teaching the owner to keep it locked up or leashed. No leash laws or animal control in Mexico. > [@lieu](#): > > First move your soiled doormat to her house and see if the dog starts using it there instead. If so have her keep it and buy you a new one. I like this idea. As long as it is a one time purchase. > [@Yllaria](#): > > Would electrifying the mat be an option? Probably. But I am not into pain and violence. > [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Instead of asking us, why don’t you just ask the dog? Don’t speak Chihuahuaese. > [@doorhinge](#): > > How do you know it’s the neighbor’s dog and not the neighbor? The size of the excrement. Chihuahua’s tend to have a smaller excrement. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/11 "2013-11-06T18:30:23Z")
There is spray that you can get that discourages dogs from peeing in specific spots. [http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/120782410665?lpid=82](http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/120782410665?lpid=82) [http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod\_display.cfm?pcatid=1092](http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1092) ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/12 "2013-11-06T18:42:37Z")
But the big question is where she gets the paper bags, and how she manages to set them on fire. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/13 "2013-11-06T18:53:27Z")
> [@Rocketeer](#): > > Whenever I find dog doo on my lawn, I fling it off into the bushes (I live in the country) and then irrigate the location with human urine. > [@Yllaria](#): > > Would electrifying the mat be an option? If you do both of these, be careful about which you do first. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/14 "2013-11-06T19:00:32Z")
She thinks you’re lost in the house and she’s trying to show you the way out? I actually heard something like that on a pet advice radio show years ago. A woman said her dog started pooping by the front door after her husband died. The host suggested that the dog, not realizing his master was dead, thought he was lost and was leaving markers to show him the way home. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/15 "2013-11-06T19:30:59Z")
Some dogs go off leash Chihuahuas are not typically among those breeds; they’re not really autonomous. Also, don’t you have coyotes down there? That _ **would** _ take care of the problem, quick. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/16 "2013-11-06T19:43:21Z")
Does the doormat say ‘Welcome’? ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/17 "2013-11-06T20:12:27Z")
How long have you had the doormat? When I first moved into my house, I noticed a moderately-sized discoloration on the carpet near the front door. I didn’t think anything of it until two or three years later, when a neighbor came to my front door for some reason, and her dog made a beeline for the spot and started sniffing it. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/18 "2013-11-06T20:21:50Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Some dogs go off leash Chihuahuas are not typically among those breeds; they’re not really autonomous. Also, don’t you have coyotes down there? That _ **would** _ take care of the problem, quick. I haven’t seen any. But it is very tropical here, and they would be hard to spot in the jungle. > [@Kimballkid](#): > > Does the doormat say ‘Welcome’? No, no invitation on the mat. > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > How long have you had the doormat? > > When I first moved into my house, I noticed a moderately-sized discoloration on the carpet near the front door. I didn’t think anything of it until two or three years later, when a neighbor came to my front door for some reason, and her dog made a beeline for the spot and started sniffing it. I have had it a few years, but it has never been visited by dogs until now. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/19 "2013-11-06T20:57:52Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Would electrifying the mat be an option? My dad did that. A neighborhood dog was annointing his trash can, so he wired up the can to 110V, using a sheet of aluminum on the ground as the other pole, and a 60W light bulb as a current limiter. He was sitting inside watching TV that night when he heard a colossal YELP. 😃 And that dog never peed on his trash can again. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252/20 "2013-11-06T22:06:19Z")
Ummm… It likes your doormat? You should talk to your neighbors about keeping a dog on the leash. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-neighbors-dog-poop-and-pee-on-my-doormat/673252.md?page=2)