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A Straight Dope Classic from Cecil's storehouse of human knowledge
29-Sep-1989
Dear Cecil:
Out here in the northwest, it's becoming increasingly common to put gallon milk jugs half
filled with water on the perimeter of your lawn. Supposedly this discourages dogs from
relieving themselves and they move along to a jugless lawn. Can this possibly be true? Or
is this the pink flamingo of the 90s? --Ralph Goldstein, Oregon City, Oregon
Dear Ralph:
And Oregonians think people from California are flakes? This silly practice has been
floating around since the late 1970s, and by now has spread all over the world. Folklorist
Jan Brunvand, who tells the whole story in his book, Curses! Broiled Again!, says
he saw plastic bottles on lawns everywhere during a trip to New Zealand, and apparently
they were common in Australia, too. Where the idea started nobody knows, but numerous
early instances have been reported from California.
"Explanations" for it include: (1) dogs won't foul their own drinking water; (2)
they get spooked seeing their reflections and/or the glitter of the water; (3) it ain't
the water, it's the bottles--the water just keeps the jugs from blowing over; (4) you have
to put ammonia or mothballs in the water--the smell is what repels the dogs.
With the possible exception of (4), all are unlikely. As one of Brunvand's correspondents
notes: "I was not completely convinced of the efficacy of such a system [upon first
hearing of it]. My skepticism proved justified when, a block later, my dog backed directly
onto one of the plastic bottles and left one large turd delicately balanced on top of
it." Next case.
--CECIL ADAMS
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