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Picking up after your dog isnt exactly the most enjoyable chore. Lets face it — its gross! It can be tempting to skip this task, but doing so is not only bad for the environment and public health — in many places, its also illegal. Keep reading for all of the reasons you really do need to pick up your dogs poop, and read on to learn how to clean dog poop from grass.
Why Picking Up After Your Dog Matters
Many communities and municipalities require cleaning up after your dog. While this might be obvious in parks and public spaces with posted signs telling you to clean up after your pup, its not uncommon for neighborhood homeowners associations and neighborhood covenants to require picking up poo even in your own yard. Even if you live in an area without posted signs or a homeowners association enforcing the rules, your city or county might have laws and regulations in place requiring you to clean up after your pet in public spaces.
People often believe that leaving dog waste to decompose in the yard is good for the lawn, but the truth is that dog poop is toxic for your grass, said PetHelpful. Unlike cow manure, which is basically composted grass, a typical dogs poop, which is made acidic through natural digestive processes and their microbiome, is enough to destroy the grass underneath it. For this reason, dog poop also shouldnt be placed in your compost or used to fertilize your garden. In either case, it contains bacteria that could contaminate your vegetables.
In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency describes dog waste as containing two types of pollutants: nutrients and pathogens. Dog waste that gets washed into waterways may carry pathogens that affect living things in the water and can make people sick that are in contact. Also, nutrients released from dog poop can stimulate the growth of algae and other plant life, making the water unsuitable for recreational uses.
Even if your dog doesnt show any symptoms of illness, their waste could still carry bacteria and parasites that are harmful to other pets and humans. And you dont need to come into direct contact with dog poop in order to contract an illness from it — diseases in poop can be transmitted by flies or other pets that come into contact with it, said iHeartDogs. Here, according to PetHelpful, are some of the illnesses and infectious organisms carried in dog poo:
While you may think your own dogs poop cant do that much harm, keep in mind that your dog is likely one of hundreds in your area. iHeartDogs pointed out that while the ecosystem can generally handle up to two dogs per square mile, in urban areas, there are on average 125 dogs per square mile — far more than enough to overwhelm the local ecosystem with their waste. By picking up after your dog, youll help protect the ecosystem.
Dog feces left lying in parks, on public walkways and even on neighborhood lawns can quickly pile up to a point that the smell becomes overwhelming. Even if you live in a rural area with no close neighbors, you no doubt know that a relaxing afternoon in the hammock can be ruined by the smell of too many dog deposits in the yard.
If youve ever had to clean dog poop from the bottom of your shoe, you dont need to be told stepping in the stuff can ruin an unsuspecting persons day. Add to that the impact dog waste can have on the environment and public health, and its not hard to see that picking up after your dog not only makes you a responsible dog owner, but also a considerate neighbor. Its simply the right thing to do.
Scoop it up with a pooper scooper
If you’d rather not get your hands anywhere near your dog’s fecal matter, your other option for picking it up is the ubiquitous dog poop scooper. Here are some of the best-rated poop scoopers on Amazon.
How to catch dog owners allowing their dogs poop on your lawn & not pick it up after them.
Whether you have one dog or three and whether they are five pounds or a hundred, cleaning up your dog’s waste is one of those dirty jobs no one looks forward to. It needs to be done, though, to protect your yard, your dogs, your children and yourself from the mess and disease that can go with it.
Besides, it looks and smells bad and it ruins your day (or at least your shoes) when you step in it.
There are a lot of options for cleaning up dog poop. You can use the traditional doggie bags and throw them away – or get the flushable kind and go that way. You can also use a pooper scooper. There are various types of poop scoopers and composters out there, as well as specialty items and even ways to train your dog to go in a specific spot every time so you don’t have to wander the yard looking for leftovers.
Many people care for the poop problem by taking their dog on a walk at least twice daily, training their dog to go then. This is a great way to go for those who prefer doggie bags and getting out with their dogs. Of course, not cleaning up after your dog on a walk can get you in trouble.
Children are a good source of dog poop cleaning up labor. If you do the job regularly, though, it’s not really a lot of work – like anything else, keeping up with the job will make it an easy task.
There are services that you can hire to come clean up – usually paying by the hour or by the dog, if it’s a regular (daily, weekly) service. Kids in your neighborhood might be willing to do this for a few dollars and many lawn care services include dog pooper scooping as part of the hourly or yard rate.
If you’re busy, physically unable to do the cleaning yourself, or just tired of doing it and willing to pay someone; a paid service can be the way to go.