There are lots of GOOD reasons why you should pick up your dog's poop and not very many good reasons why you shouldn't. If you aren't aware of the hazards and health risks of dog poop, here's just a few:
- Dog poop can carry and transmit parasites and viruses.
- No one likes to step in dog poop.
- Dog poop is bad for the environment. It gets washed into our water system with rain and can be harmful to aquatic life. Not to mention, no one wants to drink dog poop water.
- It's the law. Many places have rules and restrictions on proper disposal of dog waste.
These are just some of the reasons why you need to scoop your dog's poop. So why doesn't everybody do it? There may be people who are just uneducated about the hazards of dog poop. These people might be genuinely unaware of all of this. Which is why we like to remind everyone every month.
And then, there are people who just don't do it. Why? I don't know exactly, but I do have some thoughts about the dumb reasons why people don't scoop their dog's poop.
- They are lazy and just don't want to.
- They believe dog poop is natural and it's just manure for the lawn. (Not true, by the way.)
- They don't want to spend money on waste bags.
- If the dog poops on someone else's lawn, it's OK.
- No one is around to see, so it's OK.
- It's their yard. If they want dozens of landmines on it, more power to them?
- Dog poop is gross and they don't want to touch, see, or smell it.
The last bullet there may not be such a dumb reason, although owning a dog can have some pretty gross moments that dog owners should be prepared for. I once met a man who nearly vomited at the sight of some poop. It was a little dramatic and odd, but perhaps he had a phobia.
We do have a #ScoopThatPoop giveaway this month for those of you who just do not like the feel of poop in your hand. Don't worry, you're not the only one. There are lots of people who don't like it. This giveaway is for an Easy Scoop a Poop, which is product that takes the yuck out of pet waste pick up. The Easy Scoop a Poop allows you to easily pick up your dog's waste without ever having to actually feel it in your hand.
Sugar the Golden Retriever has written a review of this product and if you'd like to know more about it and how it works, just check out her review here. To enter the giveaway, just fill out the giveaway form below. This giveaway is open to residents of the 48 contiguous United States & D.C., ages 18+.
We have several scooper uppers and we find using them a good thing. We always have one with us when out and about. Have a terrific Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Molly
These are all good (and bad) reminders, Ann. I am forever understanding about the ignorance of how bad dog poop is for public health and the environment but I just don't get the "it's icky" excuse. Unless someone has an actual phobia. Still, whether you just don't like dog poop or it makes you vomit, obviously owning a dog is absolutely not something you should ever do.
ReplyDeleteYou're very right! There are not a lot of GOOD reasons not to scoop it up. At our old house, we would almost daily find one dog's "present" in the same spot. Obviously that was the dog's spot but it was right on our lawn and it was infuriating to never find out who was leaving it!
ReplyDeletePoop is probably the worst thing about being a dog owner. It's not nice, it's not pretty, but it's YOUR responsibility as a dog parent. Great post. I've never tried a poop scoop, maybe I should enter the giveaway! :)
ReplyDeleteIf everyone would just poop, the world would be a cleaner place...and dogs would be allowed EVERYWHERE! (OK, almost everywhere...but you know what I mean!)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Miss Ann.
Oz
That's a good point. If people really love their dogs (and others) they should #ScoopThatPoop . Then more public spaces would allow owners to bring their dogs!
DeleteSo sad that lots of lazy dog owners. Picking up poop is a big part of dog ownership. Golden Thanks for your continued support on our Scoop That Poop campaign. Woofs to Shiner, fellow poop scooper. Golden Woofs
ReplyDeleteLooks like a cool product! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletePeople can be so lazy when it comes to this stuff! I hate stepping in other peoples dog poop! (or my own dogs poop for that matter) hahaha!!!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
This is a much needed post. We don't have a problem in our yard, but as I drive around our subdivision I see people walking their dogs with nothing in their hands to pick up the poop with. Iv'e seen dogs in action on a yard, with the owner tugging on the leash so they leave quick. I used to have a dog, and it takes so little time to pick up after them and stick it in a bag. Why should someone else have to put up with dog poop in their yard when they don't have a dog. it's rude to say the least.
ReplyDeletePoop is gross and that is exactly the reason why it needs to be picked up right away. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteshiner....if cat owners can scoop...sew can dog owners....sure itz knot de "same" thing...but....de poop iz....ree gardless oh who... ore what... itz comin outta of....de food gurl was ona walkin trail a few bak N bee tween de gooze poop N de dawg poop...her couldna walk a strait line....
ReplyDeleteI don't know why so many humans are Poopphobic!
ReplyDeleteHaha. It's just poop. Every living thing on Earth does it. No biggy, hey!? Plus it helps desensitise me for when I have kids and have to change nappies...
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ReplyDeleteLazy or careless dog owners suck ! Poop is.... well... poop, and you offer a great product for responsible dog owner ! Purrs
ReplyDeleteSadly there are a lot of lazy dog owners out there
ReplyDeleteLove the reasons to not pick up poop, maybe they shouldn't have a dog! Love Dolly
ReplyDeleteWe have non-pooper-picker-uppers living in our neighborhood. Just isn't right,y'know.
ReplyDeleteOh.. I'm going to put my hand up and say I wasn't brought up to pick up dog poop! We had dogs when I was younger and we kinda just left it. But and a big BUT I have now educated myself.
ReplyDeleteI have had Chowski for a year now and when on walks I always pick up his poop. I think I'd feel guilty if I didn't! :) This post has reminded me that I need to put my wellington boots on and get out in my garden and pooper scoop. I've been putting it off because of the cold and rainy winter days!
I wasn't brought up to pick it up either! Like I said, there are many people out there who genuinely just don't know any better and that's OK. That's why we try to raise awareness! Plus, I think the act of poop scooping is itself is becoming more and more popular than it was 10-20 years ago. I don't know if that's true or not, but I just don't remember anyone scooping their dog's poop too much back then.
DeleteSo many lazy dog owners. I get so frustrated when I see piles of dog poop everywhere. Scooping poop isn't the most glamorous part of being a dog owner, but it's part of the job! And come on, it's really not that bad ;)
ReplyDeleteI want to help keep our areas clean, this is a creative idea!!
ReplyDeleteAlways, you must pick up your dogs poop!
ReplyDeleteMy husband hates picking up poop and usually leaves it for me to do. He will, however, pick it up if I'm not around. He's very conscientious about leaving poop in our own yard or someone else's.
ReplyDeleteLove this idea!!
ReplyDeleteAn interesting campaign.
ReplyDeleteMy apartment complex has several, little used bag stations.
There are a handful of, well cared for, stray cats in the complex that MY cats have blogged about on their blog.
I've been sorely tempted to post typed messages around, purportedly from the strays....
Dear Dog people,
We the strays of ...Apartments, respectfully request you pick up after your canine companion.
After all, how would like it if we came into YOUR living space and pooped all over the carpet and furniture, without cleaning up after ourselves?
Sincerely yours. :-D
Ha! That's great Kiril! You know, I never thought about it from a cat's perspective. Dog poop could certainly pass along parasites to cats, so that's a good reason to pick it up.
DeleteGosh, it's the worst to step in some other dog's poop, isn't it? I mean, it's bad enough to actually step in your own dog's poop, but to me there's just something so much worse about a random dog's. Yuck.
ReplyDeleteI'm not even fazed by picking up after my dog anymore. Doesn't really even gross me out. I'm so used to picking up after dogs. I'm basically a professional pooper scooper who passes as a pet sitter/dog walker. And when I used to work at a boarding kennel, oh my was there a lot of scooping to do!
Oh, and one more reason people don't want to pick up ... when I lived in North Dakota, it was seriously sometimes too cold to take your gloves off. Well, with your gloves or mittens on, it's sometimes hard or impossible to pick up the poop, so people just wouldn't do it. And then, if it was snowing it would just be quickly covered up. And then spring comes along and ... well, there it all is!
Thankfully, no cold snowy weather here! We did some stuff about Earth Rated's poop scooping gloves during the winter, and I think Sugar did some posts about winter poop scooping. Oz and I live too far South to experience snow!
DeleteYou are right, those are not very good reasons.
ReplyDeleteI want to join the giveaway because I have two dogs who poop during the walk more than any other time.
ReplyDeleteI never knew the harm dog poop could actually do to the environment!!! I was not brought up to pick up after my dogs. We just put them outside and let them do their own thing. This has REALLY educated me on picking up after my dog. I live in an apartment now so I am always walking my dog when I can, and my apartment demands we pick up after pets so I usually do, but now I know the good it does. If everyone did this image the possibilities for dogs. They could practically go anywhere if people cleaned it up. I've found these reason too why it is bad http://www.doodycalls.com/resources_toxic_dog_waste.asp
ReplyDeleteLet's not infect pets or other animals with any parasites. That's not fair to them. Also no one wants to drink poop water, or see fish or other aquatic animals die!