Dogs in back yard

[pjslawncare/landscap]

Im raising my price on this customer this year. He has two small yappy dogs he lets run in his back yard. They dont bite, but try to get out when we open the gate. Last fall one got out and ran down the street. If it wasnt for this girl grabbing it, I dont know if we ever would have gotten his dog back. I've tried calling him and sent him a note in his invoice, but last time we were there nothing different. I would just dump him but I do all his neighbors that are his buddies as well. Do you guys charge extra for this stuff or dump them. How much do dog catchers make any how?:cry:

[sharpcut]

i have come across this same situation.
the only thing i would do is don't cut the back yard one time you will get a reaction then !!!
just tell him that you don't want the responsibility of losing one of his dogs , he should understand this and start working with you . but not mowing will get him to call back faster than writing him a letter

[pjslawncare/landscap]

Good point Sharpcut, I think I'll try that.

[troblandscape]

Get rid of that account, If one of those dogs gets out and gets hit by a car... you could get sued and you might find yourself working for someone else.

[pjslawncare/landscap]

In what way could I get sued? I dont beleive that I would be neglegent or would I be. Wouldnt the home owner be at least partially responsible for the conditions he created knowing a service provider would have to enter his back yard. I do think I will dump him if he cant do something with his dogs however.

[troblandscape]

If you have enough time in your scheduale to chase dogs down , I would say keep the account.

[sharpcut]

you can be held responsible I'm afraid. i hate dumping accounts though moneys money ...does this guy work when you service the lawn? maybe you can hit his lawn later on in the evening to make sure hes home .

[captken]

I have a customer that has a 90lb. golden retriever, Rosie. When I did the estimate for fall cleanup, she kept jumping up on me and the lady of the house. I wondered the same thing as you, is it worth it. Later, doing the fall cleanup a helper was opening the gate and Rosie hit it at full speed, knocking him flat on his rear, running down the drive. He jumped up and yelled for me to go get her. So what? I was billing by time and the customers weren't at home. So I figured we had better get that dog back ASAP and not say anything about it. She took off down the street. This is a very exclusive neiborhood of the estate variety, where neighbors look out for one another, and some dogs just wander from one 3 acre estate to another. I knew she wouldn't run far, we just kept her in our sights. Soon she treed a squirrel, barking and stretched out amost her entire length, with her front paws up the tree. I squatted and called her name playfully, hoping she would come. Come Rosed did, and at full speed! I braced myself for the impact that never came. She ran right up to me and laid down. I got up to encourage her to follow me back, she rolled over, belly up and would not budge. This was in a neibors front lawn. Since this was just a day or two before Christmas, there were a lot of kids outside and friends and family from out of town, almost all the other neighbors were at home.
It was about this time I started noticing the people watching. What could I do? I petted the dog and it went limp, like a big ole pillow and would not get up. I dared not drag Rosie by her collar, what would the potential customers say?
I did the next best thing. I got my friend to help me sling her over my shoulder, and we started walking back. 90 lb. Rosie was happy, barking and licking me. People were laughing and pointing at us as we made out way back to the yard. By that time my customers mother showed up with a Christmas package for her daughter. After putting Rosie up, we took the gift and promised to give it to her when she returned. I sat it inside a screened area and went back to work. Later taking a break, I noticed that the screen porch had been torn, there Rosie was, eating some home made cobbler, packaging strown every where, pictures scattered ect. I just knew I'd get fired.
When my customer showed up I asked them if they wanted the good news or the bad news first. They expected the worst and when I told them they thought it was the funny. They didn't get mad, instead I got the job of building Rosie a pen so I could put her when I came back, they gave me the contract to do their lawn year round. The man of the house wants me to look at his parents yard to do it, and the neighbor asked me to start taking care of his 3 acres all year long.
I have a totally different out look today, practicing patience and tolorence. Respecting pets as members of the family and treating them that way. Professional attitudes and taking responsibility and telling the truth no matter what pays off in dividends. Quit crying and accept the inconviences of our job. Don't hustle your customer if bothers you to do his yard, move on. Some one else will take it if you don't want it.
Back yards are made for kids, family and pets.

[J&R]

Don't sweat the dogs. it's the old ***** in the house that will give you more grief than any dog ever will.

[MY PUPPY]

Captken your right I agree because of my company name I get a lot dog owners and I have chased a few myself , I have two golden retrievers I told customers I have a pen off of my deck for my dogs and have built 4 pens for them.

[Rhett]

Have a yard that is occupied by a large boxer. Found that if you open the gate with a weed wacker in your hand Jr will make a beeline for the back porch instead of making an escape. The only problem is that Jr likes to watch and he has figured that the best point of view can be had by sticking his big ole head thru the screen windows. After the first time mowing I let the lady know about the dog, thinking boy am I going to catch it for the three ruined screens. She thought it was hilarious and pointed to her shed which was full of replacements. She buys them in bulk. So now I just replace the ones he ruins after I am done. She says can you imagine what he does when I leave him in the house by himself.

[imalandscper]

When i first started landscaping and lawncare i worked for a guy that had alot of high end accounts. One that we did had one of those buried dog fences. The dog was about 140lbd rot and man was she sweet. She would just roll over and let you pet her belly. One of the days we were cutting i went to the back with the 52" scag walk behind and started cutting. The next thing i new there was Nala (the rot) Right on my ***** ready to take a chunk out!!!! I whipped the mower around so i had it between me and nala and she was going nuts. i backed her up as far as i could and then just let the mower go and ran like hell! The mower went about 5 feet the died but i was 30 feet gone by then! Once i got into the truck i looked back! Figured that fence would not stop that big ***** dog! Called the owner and since then everytime we came she has been in the garage!

[bushwoods1]

Ideally the dog should be in the house when your there for there own protection.

I have lots of clients with dogs. I also take my springer spaniel to work with me, so I always have dog treats in my pocket. Dog treats are cheap, and the dog in the yard will get used to looking for a treat from you when you do the yard, and not run away when you open the gate. Try that and see if that helps.

[paponte]

Tell the customer what day you have him scheduled to cut. Let him know that it is his responsibility to have the dogs either in the house, or in a pen. If they are not in either or, the back yard will not be cut. put the responsibility on the owner. And tell him if you do skip a week, he's gonna get charged extra when you go back because it will be twice as high.
Not only can the dogs get lose, they can get hurt, or bite someone. I have found that a dog can be as nice as can be. The minute I start a weed whacker, they HATE those things and go after them.

[Mickhippy]

I got bit by a Border Collie the other day. Luckily, sock protects, thick socks and good boots saved my ankle. F####N thing was mental. I mean, I have had Rotties for years but this little bit#h,,,,,, well what more can I say! The owners of the house are Chinese Restraunt owners so hopfully someone will be howin down on it soon!
Then the owner turns around and complains that I didnt mow that part of the yard to well.
If he says another word to me about it I'm gonna,,,,,,,,,,,,,?

[Gravely_Man]

I would strongly suggest that you talk with the owners of the home again. You don't want to be playing dogcatcher and what happens if the mower throws something or the trimmer and the dog gets hurt? The will definitely think it is your fault. I always have the owners put the dogs inside for everyone's protection.


Gravely_Man

[pjslawncare/landscap]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Im' a dog lover, but I have a job to do as well so Ive instructed my guys that if the dogs are running loose behind the gate, gate wont get opened. I just sent a letter to home owner explaining that and my reasoning. I do have another home that has three dogs in there back yard, but they dont try to get out. In fact we sometimes plat fetch with them and they have become quite freindly with us. Oh yea, that home owner has a fence AND a shock coller deal.

[MCGRAIL LAWN]

My policy about dogs and humans is they must remain 75ft back while we are working.

I went out and purchased weed wacker harnesses with
"CAUTION KEEP CLEAR 75 FT" signs on them.

2 Years ago we had a home owner start to walk up to us wile trimming along his fence with the weed wacker.

Well a peice of the strimg whent flying and hit the home owner. Nothing ever happened. He still stayed with us.

But it took me less than 1 month to get the worning signs and policy in act.


Also most people dont leave there dogs out when they are not home. (Knock on the door and ask them to bring in the dog)


And if you are realy scared of the dogs carry a small can of mase with you like the utility companyies

[FrankenScagMachines]

Only have/had one with a dog in the backyard. A 40-50lb black lab. Pretty shy girl, she never got near me or tried to get out. Not a problem with her, just that there are potholes, doo-doo piles and doggy toys on the lawn! Like little hollow rubber balls. If I'm in a gracious mood I kick the balls aside so when I make the next pass they dont' get chopped. If I'm not in a gracious mood I mow 'em and hope they aren't there next time. They usually are. LOL.

[bob]

Tell him your NOT cutting the lawn if the dogs are out back. You'll skip his lawn that week. It's not worth it. I had the same situation with a lawn that was fertilizing. It basically came down to her telling me when I could show up to treat her lawn. I dropped the customer after two months.

[fblandscape]

I have worked for many people with LARGE dogs in their back lawns that run free during the day with little or no problems. Off hand I can think of one place with 2 rotties... no problems there (both dogs were pushovers and I was glad to do it) one place with 2 LARGE German Sheppards, again both dogs were pushovers and I was glad to do it. 1 guy though... 3 Great Danes, 2 of them were trained to attack :( That one, I had to call the house from outside a fence so that the dogs could be put inside by the owner. That was a strange account and I wound up only doing it for a few years.

[martyman]

Before I sign up a customer I ask if they have a dog. If they do I ask them to please make sure that there isn't any waste in the yard and If the dog is afraid of strangers to keep it in the house on the day I cut. So far I have had only one customer that constantly didn't pick up the poop so I told her and cancelled her cutting.

Marty