Curb your Dog Law?

The other day my DH was walking the dog around the block, as he does often.

They passed a house where an older gentlemen was sitting outside, and he immediately started yelling to my husband "Curb your Dog! Curb Your Dog!"

My husband's response was "She hasn't gone anywhere" because he thought Curb Your Dog meant that if your dog goes to the bathroom, you clean up after it. Our dog is weird and is super shy about stuff like that and will only go in the backyard when noone is looking, so our walks are purely for fun and exercise, not elimination, so it has never been an issue.

Anyway, the guy told my DH that Curb Your Dog means that you can't walk the dog on the sidewalk, you have to walk them in the street.

This is news to us! We never knew that was what it meant. She is small, only 15 lbs, and we always walk her on the sidewalks because we thought it was safer, and our 6yo daughter is often with us when we walk her also.

Anyway, I'm googling it, for clarification, and have found some urbandictionary definitions, etc but nothing official stating the law in NY State---wondering if anyone can help me out with this!

Thanks,
Melissa

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

I'm pretty sure curb your dog means pick up the poop and has nothing to do with a dog walking on a curb.

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

Posted by neener1211

I'm pretty sure curb your dog means pick up the poop and has nothing to do with a dog walking on a curb.

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

My understanding has always been that curb your dog means to walk your dog on the street/let them make on the street and to clean up after them. I know most people don't know that and don't do it. My dog is high maintenance so she won't 'make' on our walks but most of the time I will walk her on the street (right at the curb). If I do walk her on the sidewalk, I move to the street when anyone is walking towards us.

eta: I'm in the city and you don't see as many 'curb your dog' signs. Now they have the 'clean up after your dog' signs. I think that's the most important message - cleaning up after your dog.

Message edited 10/13/2011 10:24:12 AM.

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

it sounds like HE misunderstands what "curb your dog" really means. the curb your dog law covers two things:

1. keeping your dog under control/on a leash

2. cleaning up after your dog. some places that have signs put up around trees, shrubs, etc. put them there because they don't want dogs using that as a place to go to the bathroom, so it can also mean don't let your dog "go" here.

i actually get very annoyed when i'm driving and see someone walking their dog in the street when there's a perfectly safe sidewalk to walk on! it makes me nervous that the dog is going to all of a sudden run in front of my car and i'm going to run over it

i wouldn't listen to that man and continue your SAFE walks on the sidewalk!

ETA: the curb your dog law actually started in nyc in I think the 20s or 30s because people were complaining about the dog mess that people were leaving behind on the sidewalks. some smartazzes started walking their dogs in the street and leaving the mess there, because they were technically abiding by the law that they had to clean up after and control their dogs on the sidewalks and in the parks. that's probably where people get the idea that curb your dog means to walk your dog in the street...

Message edited 10/13/2011 10:16:09 AM.

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

The word curb owes it’s existence to the French word courbe, which refers to a curved piece of wood or iron. In the 1200's, a courbe was used in conjunction with a chain to control the movement of a horse. As a result of this common use, courbe came to be synonymous with control or restraint.

Street curbs are designed to keep cars from driving on sidewalks…and this is where the confusion comes from.

A sign that says “curb your dog” means “control/restrain your dog.” More literally, it means “please don’t let your dog poop on this thing our sign is attached to.”

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

I always thought it meant to pick up after your dog.

I also thought that as a home owner that we do not own the sidewalk or grass by the curb that it is our responsibilty to maintain it. I dont think our town would ask us permission to put up a light post or a fire hydrant by our property. Then again what the hell do I know.


Lucky for me our neighborhood is full of dogs. I swear almost every house has 2 or more

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

I always thought it meant to either pick up after your dog or keep your dog on a leash

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

“Curb Your Dog” and Pooper Scooper Law (1978)
"Curb Your Dog" signs began appearing in the 1930s in an effort to get the "dog dirt" off the sidewalks. In 1978, a "pooper scooper law" was created. Activist Fran Lee's Children Before Dogs organization played a part in the 1978 legislation.



I remember growing up in Queens, pre Pooper Scooper law and we "curbed" our dog meaning walked him the street.

Anyway, to me Curb Your Dog means walk in the street side of the curb.

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

I always thought it meant pet owners should have their dog do their business on the curb side of the street and to pick up the poop.

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

I can see where the confusion comes from.

If there's a sidewalk, I'm walking on it. My neighborhood doesn't really have any though so we're usually walking in the street.

I don't let my dogs do their business on pavement. I think it's worse than letting them relieve themselves on grass. I bring a water bottle with me and douse the area so it doesn't burn the grass and always always always pick up poop if it happens on the walk. But we encourage the dogs to do their business in our yard before we walk them.

You should print out the history of the word curb that a PP posted, the current law, and hand it to him the next time you see him.

Message edited 10/13/2011 12:27:10 PM.

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

This reminds me when I lived in the city and a young boy, prob 5, started yelling at me, just like the old man was.

We were just walking-nothing was "coming out" of my dog. I just laughed at him and asked him if he even knew what that meant.

Re: Curb your Dog Law?

Posted by neener1211

I'm pretty sure curb your dog means pick up the poop and has nothing to do with a dog walking on a curb.