I was surprised the other day, to observe a guy (who I believe to be Swiss) walking his dog on an area of land close to my home.

The man in question watched his dog doing what dogs do best, i.e. create a small heap and he then continued to walk on his merry way and made no attempt to clean up after the dog.

So what is the rule here in Switzerland? Does it depend on the location, the canton, the day of the week, breed of dog, age of owner or perhaps even the time of day!!!

I wouldn't be so bothered by this, but I have observed kids playing on the same piece of ground.

I say this as a dog owner: There is no excuse for not picking up, ever.

There are pick-up laws in every Gemeinde and canton. The only thing that may vary is the size of the fine that could be levied.

The guy was a jerk - call him on it. I can assure you that all responsible dog owners (which by the way is most dog owners) would agree.

When I see this I - very loudly and publicly - say: 'Oh, have forgotten your robidog sack? Here, take one of mine, I always have extra. It would be awful if someone stepped in that, wouldn't it?'

Nothing like putting a little peer pressure on the idiots who ruin it for the rest of us.



ETA:

Actually there is one excuse: a blind or disabled person who is being helped by a guide or service dog. Obviously that person cannot pick up - but I believe guide/service dogs are trained to use gutters. (Argus, can you comment?) I would urge fellow dog owners who see a guide/service dog in action to lend a robi-sack clad hand and pick up for someone who is unable to do so.

Thats one of my biggest pet peeves even as a dog owner. These people give us a really bad name.

I've spotted people who've nonchantly walked away after their dogs have done a number thinking that there's no one around. I dont know their nationality, but I've encountered a lot of owners who when they think they can get away with it, they will.

I've actually ran after them with a poo-bag many times asking them to pick up after their dog (hubby finds it most amusing).

Most of the time, they'll feign surprise, apologise and look sheepish. Try it some time.

These people need to be embarassed (and you'll get an incredible sense of satisfaction).

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Remember when someone annoys you, it takes 42 muscles to frown, BUT it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and b****-slap the mother-f***er upside the head.

I agree completely. I've also handed over a bag pretending I think people have forgotten theirs. It's happened a handful of times since I moved to Switzerland, and funny enough, it's always been to what appear to be locals (based on their fluid Swiss German when taking the bag).

I do wonder sometimes if they're cursing and calling me a busybody... but since I can't understand any Swiss German I smile and go on walking my dogs.

No excuse, ever, as said before. Most communes actually have bag distributors and bins dotted about the place anyway. One thing I just don't get is those people who DO pick up, then leave the bag by the side of the road or toss it into trees or fields. Surely this is even worse - as bags will stay there for weeks, months, years. WT...! I must say that I hate the 'warm' bags, so if I am on a walk where I'll come back the same way, I'll leave the bag in situ, and make sure I pick up and bin on return.

In Frick we have these : (note the bag dispenser and bin are not from CH on this picture, just used to illustrate )

Not sure if it is depending as much on the Canton or the Town you are in.






Some say dogs insufficiently trained..or is it the owners (meaning the ones that refuse to pick up after their dog did the doo..)

If you own a pet be responsible. I scoop my cat's litter, and the wife picks up after the pup. It's courtesy, responsibility, and common human decency all in one.

And no, it's not negotiable.

Now if we could just get cats to pick up after themselves. They don't all bury it outside.

Our cat spends all her day outside - then casually walks in and does 'her business' in the tray - then goes out again. We have a huge garden surrounded by fields.

There is a dog owner that lets his/her dog do his job in front of our apartment without cleaning up but no one knows who.

The funny thing: one of the Swiss neighbors has hung a wanted-sign on a very central place offering 50 CHF for the name of the dog owner

Although I grew up with (and have nothing against) cats, they can create a similar problem, because they're free to roam, unchecked.
In our fully fence enclosed garden, our dog spends much of the day (weather permitting), and naturally marks his territorial boundaries (but knows where not to - i.e. around or close to the house).
The problem arises, normally at night, when some/all (who knows?) of the many cats in the area, feel they have to compete for the same already marked territory (but don't follow the same rules as our dog). As soon as I open my front door there is this stink (worse in summer) on everything - walls, bushes, seat benches, car, covered (fortunately) bar-b-q, kids outside toys, etc, etc.
I don't know if the problem is the same for all living nearby, or is exasperated by the fact we have a dog? But I do know one of the cats belongs to our opposite neighbour - who is the first to complain about dogs fouling on the 50cm verge between his fenced boundary and the roadside kerb (not even his land, or his side of the fence).
I always pick up after our dog, but may have to make an exception if he craps on the local farmers' land. After the snow melted, the farmer took the opportunity to muck (pigs) the field adjoining our garden. For whatever reason he chose to deviate off his years-worn track, closer to our garden (which he's always missed 'til now), and "accidentally" give our grass some unneeded fertiliser - which our dog subsequently took pleasure in rolling in (why do they get off on rolling around in crap?) - then after a couple of squirts, returned to his normal track.
Strange - I didn't think I'd upset anyone recently.

I have been reading these Threads and I am also a dog owner who gets mad when others do not bother to pick up after their dogs. For some reason SOME people think its ok if there dog does its poop by the dog bins and that its ok just to leave it there! Then other dog owners come along such as myself and have to be careful when putting the poop bags into the bin while avoiding stepping in the poop on the floor, and somehow stopping my dog from walking in it too!

Things about dogs depend on the Canton and not the union. An attempt to pass a union law through the federal parliament recently collapsed. In the Canton of Zurich, to clean up behind your dog is mandatory.

Twice now since the snow i've managed to step on a buried land mine - another reason why I hate snow. At least in non snowy weather I've a chance of avoiding said payload. One would have hoped that the munitions would be frozen solid, unfortunately that appears not to be the case.

A different problem: I always clear up, but someone in our neighbourhood has decided I'm responsible for all the dogs in the area! Periodically I find bagged dog pooh placed carefully near the back window.

We had a cat the started going his business in the landscaped area by our front door between the time the previous owners moved out & we moved it. It was a HUGE pain the behind to get rid of this cat! I love animals but I can tell you I was tempted to buy a bb gun. Turns out sprinkling orange peels did the job. No more cat.


As I was reading this thread I was thinking of exactly that. People who "pick up" after their dog by bagging up the poop and leaving the baggie anywhere they feel like it. PUT IT IN THE TRASH! Honestly, if you are going to just leave the bag in the forest, you might was well not "pick up" at all. At least the poop will bio degrade. The baggie & the poop won't.

And other people are not responsible to pick up your poop filled baggies!

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I've think you'e hit the nail on the head here.

Many think they can get away with it in snowy weather - I'm sure they just kick a bit of snow over the top rather than bagging it.

The problem comes when the snow melts and all is revealed. It's all over the place on the paths here.

I don't know why in areas where folks normally clean up they abandon that once it snows . It seems like it would be slightly easier to scoop the poop with a bit of snow in tow than to pick it up off a sidewalk... and like you said, once the next dusting falls it's a minefield. The pish, well, fair enough, daughter's learned now "Tata, don't walk there it's yellow!".

Every 1 or 2 days I always find a "deposit" on my footpath between my apartment and the bus stop, in basically exactly the same spot, which is"cleverly" positioned on a curve in the footpath where people coming from both directions cannot see it until they are almost on top of it. It's almost as if the dog owner gets his/her dog to do its business in that exact spot just to ensure they don't have to pick it up - the nerve of some people is amazing!

Problem is, that this is now a "marked" spot - every passing dog will sniff there and feel obliged to claim that spot as his own, by posting his calling card. Although I have a dog myself, and wouldn't suggest doing anything unpleasant or harmful, maybe as you pass the spot, daily, make a small sprinkling of pepper, to put them off sniffing --- c'mon folks, it ain't that bad - I sniff p-p-p-pepperrrrr, and it hasn't done me any harm.