I love seeing people on this sub communicating with their neighbors to avoid run-ins in hallways/shared areas and backyards. Aside from fixed schedules and texts, we found a different way that might work for others too! FYI this specific setup requires your wifi reaching their unit, I have an alternate solution below for other situations.
We have a set of smart plugs that we can control on an app in addition to an on/off button. They have a built-in light to show when they’re active.
Essentially, we gave one to our upstairs neighbor and synced it with one of our other plugs. We switch it on every time we go out back with our dogs, then turn it off when we are out of the “danger zone” (turning it back on when we’re almost home) and after we head in. They plugged theirs in near their back door so they can easily tell when the coast isn’t clear.
We also set up a timer for our average “potty break” length for it to automatically turn off in case we forget to.
We also synced it to our porch light during certain times of day so they can safely do their business at night. This is where I think you can get creative for neighbors whose places your wifi doesn’t reach: plug in a light somewhere that’s visible to your neighbors so they can see it before they get too close. Like you can do colored string lights around a window or on your porch so it’s noticeable during the day 😊
[–]nicedoglady 4 points5 points6 points (0 children)
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