Dog poo - what do you do?

[SKL]

What do you do with your dog's poo in your own yard?  How often do you clean it up?  What do you use?  Where do you put it?

[cjzimmer1]

I have small dogs and a fenced yard. Their piles are small enough that they pretty much disappear in a week so we just leave them. If we had a bigger mess to deal with, we would put it in poop bags and dropped in the outdoor garbage cans just like we do with anything from their walks.

[Carrie12345]

In my own “yard” (we have designated areas, not a total free for all) we just leave it. But we have a tiny dog with tiny presents that are no match for all the deer, bear, and other animal poop that only gets cleaned up when it’s in our heavily used areas.

That was not the case when we had big dogs, except in winter, followed by a spring clean up.

On a walk off our property, it does get picked up and thrown out in the trash. We’ve had special poo bags, but we’ve got more grocery bags than we could ever find use for. Just gotta double up and be serious about checking for holes!

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

I have 3 golden retrievers. If we don’t clean it daily….Yuck. 
We just put it all in a garbage bag and toss it in the trash.

[teachermom2834]

I have a 10 pound dog and we actually clean up all her poo even in our own yard. For this, we have been mocked by all the other dog people in our life.

Thing is, we are not animal people. My 13 yo dd has begged for an animal since she could talk. When she was 12 yo we relented and cleaning up after all doggie messes was one of the conditions. She uses plastic grocery bags and puts it in a dedicated small garbage can in the garage that goes out with the garbage on garbage day. Her poops are so small it isn't a big deal and I could picture leaving them. But no one is going to be patient with walking through the yard or going out to mow and stepping in dog poop. And doggie isn't well trained enough to go in a specific spot that the humans know to avoid.  So we clean up 95% of the dog poos in our yard. The other 5% would be when dd isn't home and someone else takes the dog out and forgets a bag and neglects to go back out. Her poops are so small you actually can hardly find them after the fact. Unless you aren't looking. Then you are guaranteed to step in them. 

So, we are the weird people that clean up every tiny dog turd. Part of dd getting her pup was minimizing the pup annoyances for the rest of the folks that were reluctant. Like I said, people pick on us for this. But once it was the habit it really is not a big deal for dd to just scoop it up with a bag and stick it in the garbage can. The dog isn't out roaming herself. She is being taken out with the express purpose of relieving herself so there is always someone right there with her to scoop it up. 

 

Edited September 8, 2021 by teachermom2834

[mommyoffive]

2 large dogs in a small yard.  We pick up right away, plastic bag, in the trash.  I think I read something about worms when I dog had them and one thing was to pick up the poop right away.  I really don't want to go through having worms again so we do this.  Plus my kids play in the yard everyday so we don't want them to step in it.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Well, I have two 50 pound dogs and I'm supposed to pick it up daily. It's more like every other day, sometimes every three days (I'm being honest). When I walk them twice a day and they take care of business on the walk, I won't necessarily go looking for bombs in the backyard. If I haven't waked them, I have to go clean up the yard. I put it all in a grocery bag or small trash bag and throw it in with the trash. I used to put it in the yard waste (unbagged, of course) but the yard waste pick up guy not-so-kindly informed me that dog poo is not considered yard waste, so off with the rubbish it goes.

My puppy has soft stools and picking it up is not a fun job. 
 

[Pawz4me]

 Two small dogs, large yard, lots of wild small animals running around. So we don't worry about picking up when they go in our yard. They almost always go out in the mulched/wooded areas anyway, there are no small children running around here, the yard men ride on a big mower, and the dogs don't "go" in any of the areas they need to do trim work. On our daily walks--which is where they "go" about 95 percent of the time--we pick it up. I keep a heavy, lidded, small stainless steel trash can in the garage that's only used for dog poop or other smelly things (onion scraps, fruit/veggies past their prime, etc.). The poop bags go into it until trash day. Then I grab the liner and put all of it in the big trash bin. I know that's using more plastic than necessary, but our garbage people have a habit of dropping small bits, and I don't want bags of my dogs' poo ending up in someone else's yard. 

When we had larger dogs and a smaller yard I kept a big kitty litter scoop and a wooden spoon. I gathered the poop up daily, put it in a grocery bag and into the trash.

[SKL]

My pup (who is 70+ lbs) normally goes in a certain area where nobody does anything else.

My normal intention is to bag the poop once a week and put it in the outdoor garbage bin, but I don't always "doo" it.  If it's been raining or I don't make it out there before dark on "garbage night," I let it slide.  I notice that after some time, it decomposes enough that there's almost no point.  That made me wonder whether others just leave theirs or pick up less often.  😛

My pup has loose motions somewhat often, so I don't try to pick up his poo right away.  That's too gross.  😛  I try to make him poop before we leave our yard for a walk, and if he won't, then we walk on the street.  (He won't poo unless he's on grass, yay!)  I just can't with the mushy poo.  😛 

[Spryte]

We scoop once a week, in theory. But now we have a huge yard that’s partially wooded, so they go in the woods more often and it’s not necessary.

We used to use a company that came weekly. Pooper Scoopers. 🤣 However, there’s no one offering that service here. So we have those long handled scoopers leaning against the fence strategically (but somewhat hidden) so we can easily grab them. If I’m scooping on the wooded side of the yard, I have been known to toss it into the woods on the other side of the fence, which is still our property.

[Pawz4me]

6 minutes ago, SKL said:

My pup has loose motions somewhat often, so I don't try to pick up his poo right away.  That's too gross.  😛  I try to make him poop before we leave our yard for a walk, and if he won't, then we walk on the street.  (He won't poo unless he's on grass, yay!)  I just can't with the mushy poo.  😛 

Have you tried anything to help with the mushy poo? Like trying different foods, adding some psyllium husks to his diet or anything like that? I do not accept mushy poo as normal in my dogs. If it happens -- something's wrong that I need to fix.

[ktgrok]

Three dogs, average of 70lbs probably. I pick it up a few times a week, I should do daily. The yard is fenced off in a way so that the "kid side" on the right of the pool has nice grass and the play equipment. The "dog side" is an L shape that runs on the left and behind the pool (yes, dogs have the bigger area). The left side of the pool has beat up grass (because the dogs tear it up running and pooping and peeing on it), and then a strip of mulch that ends in the back part of the L. The back part is oak leaves and weeds (currently basket weed that actually mows great and looks great, wish the stuff would grow year round as it holds up to the dogs AND likes the shade from the oak trees - grass will NOT grow there. And it doesn't attract bees  - my dogs have had some bad reactions from bee stings)

I pick up the poop on the grass and the mulch side but don't usually bother back in the area under the oak trees. It blends in too much with the oak leaves anyway, and no one walks back there. They mostly go in the grass part of their yard, by the gate, so I get most of it anyway. I use a disposable glove and a paper shopping bag that my Amazon/Wholefoods groceries come in, most of the time. Or a plastic small garbage bag or grocery bag. Then walk it to the trash can on the side of the house. I honestly should put some kind of odor sealed trash can in the back yard as one of the reasons I procrastinate picking up poop is I don't want to walk all the way around the side of the house and deal with the gate that tends to stick. But I don't want a regular trash can on the back patio or yard that will stink up the pool area. Hmm...maybe a diaper genie type thing?

[ktgrok]

I am not getting this now, since we are going to move, but at whatever house we buy I'm thinking of putting one in. https://amzn.to/3BUSsVQ

[Spryte]

1 minute ago, ktgrok said:

I am not getting this now, since we are going to move, but at whatever house we buy I'm thinking of putting one in. https://amzn.to/3BUSsVQ

Great minds! I was just coming to post this: https://www.chewy.com/doggie-dooley-septic-style-dog-waste/dp/134179?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Doggie Dooley&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjwvuGJBhB1EiwACU1AiRtenQ4wsv83_x01i8GgA1u30fAfmMYw1LBqguvig8Uthvv1KU9ajBoC_j0QAvD_BwE

DH has been plotting to put one in, and I think it would be easier with a large yard than scooping and walking it around to the trash cans.

[Tap]

I have a dog poop scoop and rake that work great. There is a plastic bag in the scoop so I scoop and toss in the trash twice a week. The day before so yard work and the morning before trash gets picked up. 

[ktgrok]

Just now, Tap said:

I have a dog poop scoop and rake that work great. There is a plastic bag in the scoop so I scoop and toss in the trash twice a week. The day before so yard work and the morning before trash gets picked up. 

ooh....that sounds intriguing!

[SKL]

4 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I am not getting this now, since we are going to move, but at whatever house we buy I'm thinking of putting one in. https://amzn.to/3BUSsVQ

Interesting!

[Scarlett]

17 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I am not getting this now, since we are going to move, but at whatever house we buy I'm thinking of putting one in. https://amzn.to/3BUSsVQ

I keep wanting to get one of these.  We have a shovel in the back yard, and we do pick up but we haven't had a great way to dispose of it.  Dh is convinced putting it in plastic bags will just breed maggots, so we put it in a bucket and pour a bit of bleach in it.  We do need a better system.

[Selkie]

Ours gets picked up multiple times a day and disposed of out in our woods. Horse poop is the bigger issue here. 200+ pounds a day!

[mmasc]

We have a small fenced yard, along with medium and large dogs. Our yard poop gets picked up with a poop bag and placed into a larger grocery bag, tied up, and tossed into the outdoor garbage bin. We do this several times a week to keep our yard clean so we can be outside and enjoy it. 

[itsheresomewhere]

Daily pick up.  Between our dogs and the fosters, I couldn’t handle it not being picked up daily. 

[EKS]

We just throw it over the fence.

(Daily and more often if something is something obvious out there.  150 pound dog.)

Edited September 8, 2021 by EKS

[pinball]

1 hour ago, SKL said:

My pup (who is 70+ lbs) normally goes in a certain area where nobody does anything else.

My normal intention is to bag the poop once a week and put it in the outdoor garbage bin, but I don't always "doo" it.  If it's been raining or I don't make it out there before dark on "garbage night," I let it slide.  I notice that after some time, it decomposes enough that there's almost no point.  That made me wonder whether others just leave theirs or pick up less often.  😛

My pup has loose motions somewhat often, so I don't try to pick up his poo right away.  That's too gross.  😛  I try to make him poop before we leave our yard for a walk, and if he won't, then we walk on the street.  (He won't poo unless he's on grass, yay!)  I just can't with the mushy poo.  😛 

do it daily. If you keep to daily as much as possible, your dog will keep using that same area. But as it gets filled up with poop, the “area” will get bigger and bigger as she finds a clean place to poop.

You can use a hose to water down the pieces that get left or that are too mushy to pick up.

[Laura Corin]

Every couple of days - but she tends to prefer to poo during walks.  In a bag in the nearby litter bin, which is designate to take poo too.

[mmasc]

Also, as @Pawz4me mentioned, it’s definitely easier if the poop is bulkier. When I changed my dog’s food, it has been SO much better! Nice, formed turds to easily pick up now.😂

[zimom]

We generally pick up twice a week, before the lawn guys mow and the day we take out the trash.  Gets bagged and goes in the trash can.  Was looking at a dog septic system mentioned above until we found out that our home septic system takes up our whole backyard due to poor drainage.   I doubt I will try one now since putting it into the trash is working   Poops are small and firm due to the type of food we use.  

[twovetteslater]

Two dogs, one small (13#) and one medium (25#). They go out to a small fenced in area that is now rocked due to the grass being destroyed by them. I pick up DP at least twice a day. I use a garage trash can with liner and I use a gardening trowel to pick it up. 

[Spy Car]

2 hours ago, Selkie said:

Horse poop is the bigger issue here. 200+ pounds a day!

I wish I was closer and could take some off your hands. My roses would be happy.

Bill

[dirty ethel rackham]

2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

I am not getting this now, since we are going to move, but at whatever house we buy I'm thinking of putting one in. https://amzn.to/3BUSsVQ

I've always wondered how well these work.  My brother had something like this years ago, in his small So Cal yard, but he wasn't a big fan and his wife (who wasn't a dog fan) hated it.  When we got Bear, I thought about this because it seemed like a much more environmentally friendly way to dispose of poop.  

Bear (65 lbs) prefers to poop on walks so we pick it up and either toss it in a public bin at the park on our usual route or bring it home to put in his small poop garbage can outside.   If we don't have time for a walk right away in the morning, he does poop in our yard (usually close to the perimeter somewhere) .  That gets picked up right away and tossed in that garbage can which goes out in the trash each week.  I just can't stomach the idea of leaving poop in the yard.  I really don't want to step in it accidentally nor do I want to smell it.    Plus he loves to play fetch in the yard and I'd be really grossed out if the ball landed in his poop.  

[Storygirl]

My dog rarely poops in our own yard. She goes two or three times a day when on a walk, and we pick it up with a bag. When she does use our yard, we do the same thing. She is never outside alone, so we always know when she has pooped and deal with it immediately. We toss the poo bags in a pile near our garbage (outside), and at least once a week, they are gathered up and put in with the kitchen trash, which is also put in an outdoor garbage can.

To make us feel better about the plastic use, we buy biodegradable poo bags. Not sure that this really helps the environment, but it relieves my conscience.

[Jann in TX]

One dog but 150 pounds!  Medium size yard-- we scoop a few times each week-- always before the lawn service comes!  Stuff is put into a small outside garbage bag that is emptied into the big trash bin on trash service day.  Main trash bin is kept in our garage-- dog stuff is not staying in there all week!

One of the things I miss about no longer living in the country/acreage...  dogs NEVER did their duty where humans would walk... so in 18 years and usually having 2 x-large dogs we NEVER had to scoop! 

We did have a horse for a while-- he always gifted us right next to the fence by his run-in... happened to be the exact most visible spot in his whole paddock... you know-- the area anyone would walk up to if they wanted to pet the horse!  I scooped several times each week but it was easy to do since it was in one area!

[rebcoola]

Small yard 2 large dogs.  We scoop daily.  I tend to do it in the afternoon when it's dried out a little.  We use this  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CF5ITIC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_Q1A9PXSCTV3MTPJ74DM9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[Loowit]

Our dog is about 90 pounds.  We try to clean up once a day, usually in the evening.  If it is DS's turn, he uses biodegradable poo bags and throws them in the garbage.  If it is DH's day, he uses a shovel and large paper bag and throw it in the garbage.  If we leave it too long, he decides to try to eat it, which is disgusting and not good for him.

[Jenny in Florida]

We pick up after our dog every time, using either actual poo bags (if I was forward-thinking enough to have some on hand) or repurposed grocery bags. (I tear or cut those in half.) If we're home, the bagged poo goes into the garbage can. If we're walking the neighborhood or someplace where such receptacles are available, it goes into a designated poo station. 

[Lori D.]

1 60-lb. golden retriever/lab, we live in an urban neighborhood with a walled yard.

I shovel it up immediately after it is deposited, bag it, toss it in the communal garbage can (it's a 4-house huge can in the alley).

The hot temperatures here makes the smell unbearable, and pet waste attracts flies. Also, I like walking around in my yard to water plants and enjoy my backyard, and I don't want to step in anything. Plus, it keeps the yard clean for my dog's sake as well.

[ktgrok]

Those who keep a can for this purpose outside, what do you use? Is smell an issue? 

Also, looking at the rake/scoop/bag combo, I realize I'd have to wash off the rake each time, which may be more annoying than just picking it up with a gloved hand. Not sure. I see on Amazon I bought one in 2014...I have no memory of using it, but that was back when in theory oldest DS was supposed to scoop the poop. As i remember, it became clear that motivation, not equipment, was the problem back then, lol. 

It is only $14, may try it again. And you can use grocery bags with it, I have Kroger delivery now so that would give me a use for the grocery bags. 

I do want to be better about cleaning up daily, both so that it doesn't smell outside when we use the patio, and so that the dogs don't step in it themselves and track it inside!

[TexasProud]

Have never picked it up. Ever. 

[SeaConquest]

Does anyone have experience living in an apartment with a balcony? I am thinking of setting up a dog potty area there with some dog pee pads, so my dog can relieve himself on days when my husband and I are working long hours. But, I have never used the pee pads before. We are on the 4th floor in our new apartment and there's an elevator with a short walk across the street to a park, but the kids are not good with getting the dog on the leash without us there. 

[Tap]

6 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Those who keep a can for this purpose outside, what do you use? Is smell an issue? 

Also, looking at the rake/scoop/bag combo, I realize I'd have to wash off the rake each time, which may be more annoying than just picking it up with a gloved hand. Not sure. I see on Amazon I bought one in 2014...I have no memory of using it, but that was back when in theory oldest DS was supposed to scoop the poop. As i remember, it became clear that motivation, not equipment, was the problem back then, lol. 

It is only $14, may try it again. And you can use grocery bags with it, I have Kroger delivery now so that would give me a use for the grocery bags. 

I do want to be better about cleaning up daily, both so that it doesn't smell outside when we use the patio, and so that the dogs don't step in it themselves and track it inside!

This is the one that I and my daughter have. It comes with a few bags, but once those ran out, we both just use grocery bags. Sometimes poo gets on the rake, but I just wipe it on the grass. When  put a fresh bag on, I usually put on two, so I don't have to reload it every time. Sometimes I need to pick up a pile or two, but am not ready to mess with a new bag. When that happens, I just make sure to put it down wind of the patio furniture. LOL Funny how some piles in the grass don't smell, but a few piles in a bag......Ugh! 🤢

 

 

[KungFuPanda]

Sadly I no longer have a dog, but I had a composting system when I did.  I had a long-handled shovel/rake set that I got from amazon to make quick work of policing the yard.   I just made a circle of chicken wire, dumped in some leaves, then toss in the dog droppings and covered them with more leaves.  I empty the lawnmower bag in there in the summertime.  Eventually it breaks down into compost.  I only use this compost on non-food plants and I usually let it break down for at least a year before I use it.  You can buy expensive, buried composters designed for this exact purpose, but chicken wire filled with leaves disappears into the landscape and is free.

[KungFuPanda]

On 9/8/2021 at 12:28 PM, dirty ethel rackham said:

I've always wondered how well these work.  My brother had something like this years ago, in his small So Cal yard, but he wasn't a big fan and his wife (who wasn't a dog fan) hated it.  When we got Bear, I thought about this because it seemed like a much more environmentally friendly way to dispose of poop.  

 

This is why I compost it.  I no longer have it in me to wrap up something that biodegrades THIS easily in plastic and have it hauled off to the dump.  I have other compost piles for other things, so this wasn't much of a stretch for me.  

[KSera]

51 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

Sadly I no longer have a dog, but I had a composting system when I did.  I had a long-handled shovel/rake set that I got from amazon to make quick work of policing the yard.   I just made a circle of chicken wire, dumped in some leaves, then toss in the dog droppings and covered them with more leaves.  I empty the lawnmower bag in there in the summertime.  Eventually it breaks down into compost.  I only use this compost on non-food plants and I usually let it break down for at least a year before I use it.  You can buy expensive, buried composters designed for this exact purpose, but chicken wire filled with leaves disappears into the landscape and is free.

How much smell came from it? We tried something like this, but didn't do the layering thing, which might have improved our results. The smell was too much if the wind came from that direction, though 😳.

[kristin0713]

Once or twice a week or if we are having company/ kids over that will be running around the yard or before the lawn gets mowed. I line a pooper scooper with a plastic bag and the bags go in the trash. 

[kristin0713]

On 9/8/2021 at 3:07 PM, ktgrok said:

Also, looking at the rake/scoop/bag combo, I realize I'd have to wash off the rake each time,

I don’t wash the rake, but it is only used as a pooper scooper. 

[mind the gap]

We have a fenced yard in a newer community. My goal for this yard was to be able to walk barefoot if I wanted to (since we pay for lawn service and follow their suggested watering schedule). So I bought a combo treat/poop bag pouch that hooks on the waist of my pants and I go out with our 3 dogs (2 small, one about 50 lbs) every single time. They poop, I bag it, water it in with a gallon of water if it's still nasty, then throw the bag into the garage garbage can (then bag it into the curbside bin every 3 or 4 days). My kids hate that they have to accompany the dogs to bag it up, but having someone out there does keep the dogs from digging or barking. We don't have a fancy yard but it is nice, and it doesn't smell like poop when it rains. (A friend of mine with a small dog and a small yard has this problem, it's difficult to enjoy her lovely patio because the humidity makes the smell extra thick!) 

[KungFuPanda]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

How much smell came from it? We tried something like this, but didn't do the layering thing, which might have improved our results. The smell was too much if the wind came from that direction, though 😳.

There was no smell.  I kept it generously layered with brown and green plant debris and kept it watered so that it was moist but not soaking wet, so the plant material composted fairly quickly and took the rest with it.  I did only have one greyhound mix to content with.  My chicken wire silo was about three feet across and three feet tall.  We have a TON of leaves and shred them in the fall so I can use them to layer my compost piles all year.  If I didn't have the leaves, I'd use a bale of hay as my brown plant matter.  They do make a compost booster that will speed things along you can sprinkle on it, or just some cheap urea crystals.  If you have comfrey or borage on your property that helps too.