The purpose of this post is to encourage you to get plastic gloves, a large trash bag and a pooper scooper to clean up your dog’s or dogs’ poop. Using a Walmart grocery bag and grabbing it with your hands, is just plain gross. Believe me, you don’t want to feel the poop. I used Walmart grocery bags for a long time before getting a pooper scooper and I am glad I got one. This post is also about where to find good pooper scooper, how to use them and how to take care of them so that they will last. You don’t want to go back to the old bag in hand method or have to buy a new one too soon. I hope this post answers the question of why use dog pooper scoopers.
Why the jaw type pooper scooper is best?
I use the jaw type pooper scooper. It is made of durable plastic, so it is light. I carry a 30 gallon trash bag with me and clean the back yard at least once a week. Here is a picture of what a jaw pooper scooper looks like. You can click on the picture and get more information about it.
Why am I writing about pooper scoopers?
Pooper scoopers are easy to use. A key is to get your dog to go to the bathroom in the same area. That way you will not have to walk all over the yard looking for poop and accidentally stepping in it, which I have done. I would even suggest that you take your dog outside on a leash, so you can control where they go and relieve themselves. It sounds sort of being in too much control, but I have done it the other way. I have just opened the door and told the dog to go pee and poop. She chose anywhere she wanted to go, most always on the patio brick. Enough was enough. She would stick her head in the bushes, thinking she was in the yard, but her rear was over the patio bricks. My wife got on to me about it tool. So, I started taking Tina outside on a lease with the flood lights on, and made sure she went in the pine straw or yard. No more patio bricks.
Also, by being in control of where your dog goes to the bathroom, you have less area to clean up. All of the poop is in a relatively small area. I just make sure she does not step in it herself. With a jaw type pooper scooper, its easy to pick up the poop and drop it in the garbage bag. Don’t use a Walmart bag to put it in unless you clean up behind your dog every time she or he poops. Like I said. I at least once a week clean up her poop. Its all in one area, easily seen in the grass and pine straw, and the patio bricks are clean. She also gets used to going in the same place.
What kind of dog scooper are you?
I see people walking their dog and letting their dogs go into other peoples’ yards and pee and poop. Most all the people have a bag with them, so they scoop it up with their hands and a bag. I have never seen anyone walking their dog with a pooper scooper. They figure the dog will go just once and they can pick it up with a bag. I hate to admit it, but it would be kind of funny to see a person walking their dog with a pooper scooper in one hand and the lease in the other hand. Makes more sense to let your dog go to the bathroom at home and use your pooper scooper to pick it up.
Why should you clean up your dog poop?
First, there are health reasons. According to Cara at website, https://doggydogood.com/, dog waste carries a lot of bad bacteria. One smell of it will tell you its bad stuff. Cara mentions that “dog poop will not break down or just wash away. Left as is, dog waste can take up to 12 months to fully break down. Also, when rainwater washes over dog poop, it flows into the drainage systems. Then the contaminated water is carried into lakes, streams, and rivers. What this means is the next time you go swimming in your favorite spot, you could be swimming in fecal water. Studies have shown that up to 30% of bacteria found in watersheds come from pet waste!”
The second reason to clean up your dog’s poop is that it is just a plain courtesy to yourself, your dog, and to anyone or any other dog that may be in the area where the dog poops. According to Cara in the same article, ‘when feces are left lying in yards, grassy areas, parks, and even the sidewalk the smell can quickly become overwhelming! IT STINKS! When you take your dog for a walk away from your home, you are entering public property. Because you own your dog, what waste your dog makes is your responsibility to pick up. It is even the law to clean up after your pet in some urban and suburban areas. Plus, it’s just good manners.”
The third main reason to scoop up your dog’s/dogs’ poop is to protect the environment, namely the grass and other vegetables. According to Cara, and I agree, dog waste is not a natural fertilizer. “Since most dogs’ diets are high in protein, it has the reverse effect of fertilizer. Dog poop is exceptionally high in nitrogen and phosphorus, so if you let your dog’s waste lay in your grass, it can actually cause burns in your lawn. Since it’s so acidic, it will kill your grass if it isn’t picked up. Dog waste isn’t the same as cow manure since cows eat plant matter. While cow poop can be used as compost in gardens and fields. In fact, dog poop can contaminate fruits, vegetables, and surrounding areas with harmful bacteria if not composted properly.”
Conclusion
We all agree, dog poop stinks. No one wants to get it on their shoes, much less their hands. Scooping up your dog’s poop has many benefits to many people. The environment’s health is protected, grass won’t burn, bacteria will not stay on the ground where other dogs or human could come in contact with it. To make it easier on yourself, get a jaw type scooper like pictured above, and take your dog outside on a leash to have more control over where your dog goes to the bathroom. It will be easier to pickup since it will all be in one general, local area. If you love your dog, you have got to at least tolerate cleaning up their poop. Make it easy on yourself by following the guidelines above. Thank you.