Simple question that my girlfriend and I had conflicting views on.

Is it ok to let your dog use the bathroom on private property not belonging to you?

The distinction between the last two choices in each category is that the second to last one is fine with the dog walking through someone's grass or whatever whereas the last option wouldn't allow the dog on the property at all.

um pick it up afterwards

It's fine provided you pick up the poop. Maybe control where they pee so it's not straight on a plant in the landscaping vs grass.

yes but only if you pretend to not see it

Yes, so long as you scoop the poop, is an almost universally accepted answer, except for the occasional cranky old man who believes you will hurt his grass if your dog walks on it.

yes but only if you dog doesn't shed

yes but only if the front door is open and no one is home

yes but only if their yard is poorly kempt

you dog the man now

No. Even if you pick it up there is the distinct possibility of leaving some smear behind, etc. which is gross. Find a strip of grass along the sidewalk or something.

Your use of "use the bathroom" is confusing

I wouldn't call anyone out for it, provided they scoop the ****, but if it's even reasonably avoidable, you should avoid it.

then that cranky old douchebag should erect a fence ( even a 12" high wire one will do) around his precious patch of grass.

dog owner here, and the only place it doesn't get picked up is if the dog heads into the woods to crap, off trail.

I have drifted towards the not letting my dog go to the bathroom on other people's lawns camp.

I pretty much let my dog go anywhere (picked up after her of course) but started to get some dirty looks from the neighbors. The walk does have some common areas for my dog to go, so I have started to make a concerted effort to have her go there or in my side yard before the walk proper starts.

I don't much care if someone goes in my yard AS LONG AS THEY PICK UP, which sadly some of my fellow dog owners do not do.

If all it's poops were solid poops then I think it would be fine.

But dogs have bad stomachs too occasionally and sometimes it's impossible to pick up so I have to say no.

This. If I notice a really nice lawn I'll keep my dog off of it and I generally try to keep her off the main lawn and on the side strip by the road.

When I ran a K9, I used to let him go in people's woods all the time. Peeing in someone's front yard is acceptable I guess, I'd never let a dog **** in someone's yard, even if I were gonna scoop it.

I don't see a problem with it. If the lawn is good enough for me to **** in then it's good enough for my dog.

if a dog can be trained to use the bathroom, it can be trained to flush. no problemo.

it depends on the frequency. a few times and picking it up, sure. but everyday? I might be a nit and ask to not **** on my property everyday. And the only way I'd know it was everyday is if I noticed, in which case that's enough merit to have the neighbor stop, imo.

If your dog is going to go, hes going to go, not really much you can do about it. So of course its fine provided you pick it up.

Now if you are letting your dog out specifically to **** or piss on someones lawn, then you are an ass

Here was the scenario that triggered the question. I work in a small office building on a side street in a major city. Directly beside my office is a high rise condo building. Further down the street are houses and apartments so its somewhat residential, but less than 100 yards from a major road. My office has an obviously well taken care of lawn in front and is clearly private property. There are sidewalks on most of the street and it isnt really used as a through street, but it is more of a city street than a suburban neighborhood.

I was on the phone with my girlfriend in my office tonight and look out the window as some lady walks over from the condo building (which has grass in front of it as well) and gives her dog extra leash as it walks into our grass and takes a piss. Then she sees me looking at her and just looks up and waves. One thing to note is that she was no more than 20 feet from the edge of her condo's property. I thought this was really unnecessary, but my girlfriend seemed to think that dog's should be permitted to use the bathroom wherever as long as the owner cleaned up any crap.

I, of course, turned too OOT to settle the debate whereas she turned to google. She did find this link and a bunch of stuff citing that dog urine is damaging to grass:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/WorldNews/l...3#.T8bbfNVrNQF

In your case I think it's up to your office building to put up a sign - in which case it would be a dick move to have the dog go anyway.

In a city, right next to a condo, I would never imagine a corporate lawn would be off limits for my dog to pee on.

Is a "private property" sign sufficient because we have one of those? I think something explicitly saying not to let your dog on our grass would look a little tacky.

Try kicking dog?