I don't thin you need a tall fence to keep people away. Even one that is only two feet high, and more decorative could work. Unless you have people so rude that they would allow their dogs to jump over it. Anything else, and dogs will pee on it. Or maybe fill the whole area with super spikey cacti ( just kidding)

Any short fence, two feet or more, will protect your law from dogs. Here is one example of what you could use and will cost you only several hundred $ https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-1-2-ft-x-8-ft-Cedar-Spaced-French-Gothic-Fence-Panel

After installing the fence I would plant a hedge inside to replace the fence in the future.

My uncle, an electrical engineer, hot wired all the bushes in his yard. After about 3 days it was funny to watch the dogs cross the street when they got to his house. A few mild shocks in a sensitive spot, and they stopped peeing there or even walking through.

I would plant a row of Barberry bushes. Just stay away from the Japanese Barberry it can be invasive. The barberry bush has short little thorns that animals do not like and is very low maintenance. There is patio home rentals next to my property. I planted bushes and some of the lazy residents of the rentals though it would be easier to take there male dogs to pee on my bushes than to walk them to the area for the dogs to do there business. I put up two signs and haven't had a problem since then. Mine you can't see from the front or from my yard. I think signs might take away from your curb appeal though. Of course no more than urine burnt out grass.

A short fence or row of hedging will in most cases do the trick and certainly would help. Barberry is not a suitable hedge material since it is difficult and very prickly to keep contained but boxwood is a nice choice for a low hedge but I would opt for th fence it is anice reminder to the idiot dog owners that this is private property. As for signs they really never work but supply a chuckle to good dog owners.I also think the fence will up the look of your house too .This one from Wayfair is 100.00 for every 7FT even with some DIY install is quite a decent price.

Fence right up against sidewalk. Don't leave even 6 or 8 inches between fence and sidewalk. Even the budget grade fences will look better with a good gate set with strong fence posts.

Put out lawn chemical treatment warning flags in your lawn, people would pull their dogs away. It worked for my rose garden in the past.

Given your climate, a fence made of sturdy plastic might make sense. No painting. A wood fence will rot, a metal fence wear and rust. A good fencing company can help with the decision, and work within your budget.

The fence is nice. Here's the sign I was going to put on my lawn

Beautiful house!! I would put two feet of river rock in, then grow a boxwood hedge. dogs do not like river rock, it’s hard to walk on and is decorative. But back to your hous, more pictures! My dream home!!

Put signs along the walking way

Are there coyotes in your neighbourhood? Most of the unpicked-up 'dog poo' in our neighbourhood comes from the local coyotes - there's a pack living in a small woodlot nearby. Coyotes are common in urban and suburban areas these days in most of North America. Poo is unpleasant, needs picking up, but doesn't kill out grass the way pee can. If you see someone not picking up after their dog poos, politely ask them to do so (offer to supply a bag if they don't have one....)

As for pee - a lot of 'peeing' while the dog is being walked is scent-marking, not high volume elimination. A fence will be a target for scent-marking :-) Scent-marking pee volume does not do the high-nitrogen burns to grass that high volume elimination peeing does. The only real treatment for grass damage due to high-volume peeing is regular watering (either 'artificially' supplied by hose or irrigation system or by natural rainfall) to dilute the nitrogen.

There are lots of dogs in our neighbourhood but very little damage to lawns beside the street. Coyotes are responsible for most of the poo you find on grass near the street - or on the street and sidewalks.

edited to add....

In case you might doubt that local wildlife could be a contributor to the ‘dog poo’ problem, you might be interested to see DH’s photos of the neighbourhood wild life - https://www.flickr.com/photos/26679916@N03/albums/72157632948923393 There was a large fox population when we first moved here (to this 1960s-era subdivision). About 5 years ago coyotes moved in and either killed off or chased out the local foxes and took over their den (and now deal with mange, as the local foxes did - sometimes the local dogs end up with it too!)

Really the signs are just tacky and this house deserves a classy solution.

Fence...no signs.

Since the house has a geometrically symmetric facade the plantings and other features in front of it should have geometric symmetry also. Otherwise there is no balance, no coordination between the house and the garden in front of it.

Edging ('Suffruticosa') box in particular is being decimated by box blight in North America these days and should therefore not be planted as an architectural feature or used in quantity in any other way, as such use risks that the planting will brown out at some point and have to be replaced with another kind of shrub.

If you do decide on a fence, it needs to be solid (ie slats in a chain link) or the grass will still be killed.

Thank you to all the commenters! I really, really appreciate the feedback and compliments! I got a good chuckle out of a few of the posts as well, which is also always welcome! Especially love the beautiful images from Patricia Colwell and Dig Doug's Design! I agree a fence would probably be best - was just hoping to avoid the outlay of $$. But, it is looking like the best option. The Barberry is an interesting idea, and in the short term I might try out a non-toxic deterrent as soon as the snow melts. Thank you again!

I would post signs that also advise the neighbors that the property is under camera surveillance. Get yourself one of those wireless camera systems like RING you know who allows the dog to mess on your lawn. You'll have photographic proof even at night.

https://ring.com/share/6657445084015625677

If you put in a fence they will just walk their dogs on the parkway which doesn't solve your problem.

https://wtop.com/garden-plot/2017/08/dogs-go-lawn/

Before you invest in a fence that dogs are likely to pee on, I would put pound into the ground some 4' rebar and string fishing line along this and put up signs and see if it deters the animals and their owners at all. If it does, then go ahead with the fence. If it does not, you have your answer without thousands of dollars paid out.

Bare rebar is a hazardous liability. Anybody who trips and falls on it will be impaled. Plus, it's a real hillbilly solution that has no business in front of that house.

Short fences do not need to be that costly. But I'd also put up some direct, to-the-point signs (not cute ones) announcing that it's private property and dogs are not allowed.

Low fence. Anything else is a waste of time, as you are attempting to cure the new RUDE and inconsiderate that exists. Astounding that most dog owners hate the pee and poo in their own yard, but don't mind it a bit in that of another homeowner. I love dogs. ......but. You won't cure this as every urban landscape has the same problem. Get a fence.

We have a split rail fence and the posts at the end of the drive way are the target all the dogs "have to" hit. The higher the mark the more in charge you are as a dog, I guess. The piles are particularly irritating because if they get stuck on the wheels of the mower then the smell is in the garage. I like the idea of a sign in the yard. Could be funny, could be informational but I do think it makes people aware of your needs. Urine is not necessarily a grass killer. We have had dogs and NEVER was this an issue. You didn't really say are these dogs running loose or being allowed to stop at your yard. I think I would be down the yard in a second and have a chat with the owner if the dogs are on a leash.

No advice, but reminded me of a encounter that occurred In our last home years ago...We had one young couple who walked their dog every night to do her business in our yard. Spying them from my front window, I approached and asked if they were going to pick up the mess, explaining I had small children who played in the yard. Their reply was 'no,' because they thought it was okay as long as the dog was pooing within the 5-foot county setback, since that wasn't 'really property I owned.' Took all the strength I had to not give them a good slap upside the head. I told them they were misinformed, and went inside to get them a bag. Can't believe they waited for me to return! They picked up the mess, and walked on the other side of the street from that day forward.

Even if people pick up the solid waste, it still leaves a residue and colonies of microbes on the surface. It is just amazing that we have a population of dogs living in high density residential areas and pooping all over. What is the difference between a dog pooping on your grass or a person pooping on your grass? Some dogs make as much waste as a human and they do eat a meat based diet. It is really a nasty situation when you have dogs pooping everywhere.

Wow - so many similar experiences! Again, thanks to all the commenters. It is rather unbelievable that folks think it's okay to walk their dogs (yes, leashed!) all the way up to the bushes in the front of the house, as if they didn't just trample over 20 feet of private property! So, while it's fortunate, I don't have any stray, wild, or unleashed animals roaming the neighborhood, it's really the (more difficult to control) human animals that are the issue!

I think a lot of the advice is either based on assumptions that are not true, or is jumping from the fire into the frying pan.

No one can site a reference study demonstrating that signs don't work. My observation, based on this exact problem, is that they may work splendidly. My mother owns property in a retirement village where no one has large yards so the dog-walkers frequently pace the streets. There is common property in a couple of places that is marked "No Pets This Area," and people seem to comply with it 100%. There may be some that disregard it after dark; we'll never know. But there is no evidence that that is happening.

If a problem could be cured 90%+ by using an inexpensive method, why would anyone jump immediately to invoking a costly alternative? The difference in cost between any decent fencing and signage is significant. A fence or hedge may also incur a penalty for the owner if one doesn't necessarily want their yard visually cut off from the public right of way.

Personally, I don't care for the idea of signs based on humor unless the joke hits home for everyone that reads it. Otherwise, it's like a comedian doing his routine but no one is laughing. I think a straightforward, brief and businesslike message would be better. Also, signs should be quality, tasteful and permanent so that it looks like they are serious. People would have a greater tendency to ignore a cheap sign that looks like it is hastily posted as the result of someone's frustration.

In order to work properly, signs must be posted so that they are seen. In this case it would require one posted near each corner of the property.

A nice thick layer of rugosa roses (pee and salt tolerant), faced with a good wide band of river rock, (or maybe a very thick layer of mulch) or a low fence behind the roses. Barberry trimmed into a hedge is another good option. It seems like once people become dog owners they become very very selfish, I’ve seen people lift dogs up into elevated gardens to poo when we have a huge park about 20 steps away, and people pull massive rotweiler/pitbull type dogs into tiny pretty lavender gardens (not their own) in well tended yards as a routine part of their day, until all the plants were dead, I even have had people bring their dogs to pee into gardens I am at that moment maintaining, one guy said “It’s my dogs favourite place to pee”. It’s an especially big issue if you have dogwalkers in the area and a park near by, one dogwalker was leaving massive piles of poop in the lane we use everyday to get kids to school. Boxwood is just going to get ugly.

Does your town have a 'stoop and scoop' by-law? Ours does and most people are aware of that. Do a Google Image search on stoop and scoop and you will see the sort of signage that is used in places that have such by-laws. If your town (or somewhere nearby) has such a by-law, they may be able to provide signs for you or tell you where to get them.

Sea oats is another salt tolerant plant that grows pretty freely. In my experience warnings mean very little when weighed against convenience, and what a lot of dog owners (and people in general, I had one garden where people would throw kitchen and lunch garbage into routinely) see as their “right” to use the neighbourhood as they wish. You need physical deterrents.

"Fences and hedges make good neighbors". That imposing house needs more extending out in front of it than a couple smallish patches of grass just to integrate it into its surroundings. A formal garden echoing the design of the house facade would be a huge improvement. Running a fence across the front and enclosing all of the front and sides of the space with clipped hedging would take it completely out of the public domain. If the road is busy at all a couple of fountains could even be installed to mask vehicle noise. As far as the expense of doing such things is concerned it's the same as anything related to buying and owning a house, that is in addition to maintenance or repair projects that always come up if you want more charm and interest than a building standing there by itself on a mostly empty lot you have to provide a landscaped setting for it as well.

"with 100 feet of street front, that'll be about $6k"

I don't quite see why this should be the case. That's exorbitant. Is that the only thing deterring you from a fence?

Also, signs saying "No Pets" may be useful in a public or semi-private area, where it is not obviously the case. Signs saying "No Pet Poo" aren't going to be quite as effective. That is obvious, and it is ignored.

Some suggestions :

https://www.thespruce.com/use-dog-repellents-2132575

On the topic of other repellents, sprays, spices, etc.

These come with constant work of replacement, and may deter birds as well. A bird-less garden is less than pleasant and has more bugs aound.

I feel for you. When we bought our house with a small front yard, it was unreal how many people would come by with their dogs. We found out the lady that owned the house prior to us was blind for the last few years before she passed. It was a free for all for these disgusting people. I finally had enough and started confronting them. I was amazed at all the excuses. Now most people walk on the other side of the street. I probably have a "bad rep" around the neighborhood but I kind of like that..............

I always thought those "no pooping" signs were just begging to be ignored. in my city, the majority of people clean up after their dogs. the rest are perfectly aware of what they're supposed to do, but don't give a F what you think, and a sign is not going to stop them. (same goes for littering, not maintaining sidewalks, etc.)

a barrier is probably your best bet here. a short fence, rocks or plants.

I like the mock up from above-it looks really nice with your building. I'm not sure where you're located but 6k seems like an awful *lot* of money for a simple fence. Do you have handy family/friends that could help put a nice fence up? Box stores have options that aren't crazy expensive. (and even still, having a sidewalk, dog's are going to go on the fence anyway, just hopefully not clear up into your yard.)

When we moved into our house, dogs (and the neighbor's grandkids) liked to mess around in our yard-up went barberry's around the perimeter. First time the dogs walked up the driveway and onto the deck to get around the barberry thorns and we opened up the door to holler and they ran out *through* the hedge, was the last time. Now, the barberry's are gone and the dogs came back--so husband went across the street and informed neighbor if he couldn't control his dog and *we* had to clean it up, it would be deposited on their front step, No messes since. Luckily we don't have a sidewalk.

I don't know what it would cost, but what about a sprinkler system that is activated by motion?

Please no signs with pictures of dogs eliminating. That is the worst yard art ever, and something everyone has to look at 24/7.
A simple request of Please No Pets is fine. If ignored, then move on to creating a wall of plants. Prettier and cheaper than a fence.

I solved that problem by fertilizing the first 5 feet of my yard with a fish emulsion fertilizer (I used Neptune's Harvest). Dogs are almost compelled to roll in it. All it takes is once and that leash gets real short as they pass by our house.

lol

Hi all - again, a lot of great comments - thank you very much. To people inquiring about why the proposed fence costs >$5k - that's 3 quotes from local fencing companies - granted, it was for a 4-foot high aluminum/metal fence with a gate. A lot of suggestions above recommend a shorter fence - which probably would be sufficient. This building happens to be in one of the most expensive towns in the country, hence the high estimates. Even so, the building is located on the "cheaper" side of town with a lot of rental units (including this building). I think the renters in the area, who are typically younger and short-term, are a lot less invested in neighborhood quality. To Revolutionary Gardens - the Neptune's Harvest idea is hysterical - what a rude surprise for the dog owners!!

If you are considering fencing, just be aware that if you are in a high snow area, you might want to leave some room between the sidewalk and the fence for snow piling. A heavy snow bank could easily damage your investment. Also check with your local zoning bylaws and the location of your property line, as some municipalities do not allow fencing or other structures in the right-of-way.

Rev.....I love your idea! The smell of that stuff stays where you put it for a long time. And, a dog just can't help themselves to not roll around in it.

The downside is that it also smells for a good long ways. You have to weigh this factor in.

I still don't understand why people can't let their dog poop in their own yard and then take the dog for a walk.

The former neighbors used to have a dog. He would come out with the dog and take the dog to the col de sac and let him poop, then take him back in. No walk, just a poop on our shared ground. Why could he not let the dog poop in his own yard? It was just a matter of a few yards to cross the street to get to the col de sac. Children play there. There is a bench there and neighbors do use it. Why they thought it was their right to use it as the dog toilet is beyond my understanding. Yeah he picked it up. Most of it. Except for the wet and nasty stuff that clings to the ground and the grass, Then the kids come out to kick the soccer ball around and it is covered with nastiness from the dog poop. What gives dog owners this right?

It really is no different from people pooping all around.

Ever had to bathe a dog who rolled in something delightfully smelly? Been there and done that, plenty.

saccharum has a good point about checking your rights to put up a fence right there and the things to consider with it.

"some municipalities do not allow fencing"

I would never have thought.. though on giving it thought, yes it seems highly likely, but that would be unheard of and impossible in this part of the world. We have 6ft+ fences and walls as the norm in many areas. (for crime prevention)

I so feel your pain. I am spending $4,000 to fence in my yard. I have tried everything (cayenne pepper, smelly liquid fence, signs, neighborhood emails, etc) and failed. I have spent years coming home to human sized dog poo and disheveled landscape ( woodchips, rocks flung onto the sidewalk). I have to clean up after others everyday on top the other stuff I do in my garden. The final straw was a large dog off leash trampling over my flower beds and breaking hydrangea branches. The bottom line is the people in my city are very entitled with their dogs and a fence is the only way to have any peace.

I so feel your pain. I am spending $4,000 to fence in my yard. I have tried everything (cayenne pepper, smelly liquid fence, signs, neighborhood emails, etc) and failed. I have spent years coming home to human sized dog poo and disheveled landscape ( woodchips, rocks flung onto the sidewalk). I have to clean up after others everyday on top the other stuff I do in my garden. The final straw was a large dog off leash trampling over my flower beds and breaking hydrangea branches. The bottom line is the people in my city are very entitled with their dogs and a fence is the only way to have any peace.

When I put my front yard design together , I planned it will water tolerant plants that are almost like a shrub that eventually grows together presenting a pretty good barrier from sidewalk to your actual yard. This worked and is still working to protect my front yard. You have to do something because there are just too many dog owners that don’t respect people property they are all consummed with their pet.