Day seven of our advice for prospective puppy owners. What to do with poo? No I'm not talking about using it creatively as an entry for the Turner prize, mailing it to people you don't like or making it into a hat.
What is the law, can you put poo in your bin? If so which one - refuse, recycling or food waste (ugh!). Or do you flush it down the loo?
There are some other solutions but if you've just got the one dog, which is the best?
Has anyone tried those clever nappy disposal systems for eg?
Which poo bags are the best and why?
What are the must have accessories so you can avoid the embarrassment of putting a bag of poo in your Chanel handbag.
And if you are very into gardening - how do you train your dog to toilet in one specific area?
And how do you avoid wee burns on the lawn?
And come to think of it, what about products to clean up the house if your dog has an accident? And once a dog has wee'd somewhere they tend to go back to the same spot - what can you do to break the cycle? Someone told me to use a bio clothes washing product so you really do get rid of the smell as dogs can still detect the scent mark long after we can't - but that advice was a few years ago. Anything better been invented since?
And I guess the best plan is errorless housetraining - see the magnificent Dr Ian Dunbar's advice on how to achieve that in our Perfect Pup guide and also in his wonderful book What to do Before you Get Your Pup available as a free download on Dog Star Daily here.
Beverley Cuddy, Editor
Gail Gwesyn-Pryce, Dogs Today GSD Advisor, says...
My chickens seem to sort out the poo that is on the grass - I don't have a lawn. I found lawns and large dogs don't mix, especially in the winter! Other areas I bag it and bin it with the small amount I put out to be collected. I recycle everything else. I wish someone would invent a dog poo recycling plant - I think they would make a fortune! Dog poo should be firm, dark and odourless if the dog is being fed correctly, and one pile per meal fed. I found some really good bio-degradable bags from the Guide Dogs Catalogue.
If you wish your dog not to use your lawn then make a toilet area - a little boxed off area filled with bark chippings - if this is the first place you take the puppy to when you arrive hom from the breeders and he uses it the the chances are that he will continue to go to the same spot. You could also try putting a toilet training pad just under the surface.
And yes, the biological washing powder to clean any accidents still works a treat and put vinegar in the last rinsing water, but make sure it is dry before allowing access to that area again.
Councils seem a bit vague on this (also there are so many different refuse disposal schemes in place that the variation is huge) - what is the difference between a dirty nappy and well wrapped dog poo? There used to be a product that fitted over your sewage manhole cover with an easy to lift out chamber for direct disposal into the system but I have not seen one now for many years. Personally we double bag and put in with our own household rubbish taking great care to ensure there is no risk of leakage which could cause problems for the bin men. there have also been occasions when we just flushed it down our loo. It makes me cross when there is so much notice taken of dog fouling but that there is little information on clearly educating people what do with it!
ReplyDeleteI think I’m becoming a poo nerd and I’m sure my social invitations are falling (it’s that question ‘and what do you do?’), but here goes:
ReplyDeleteIt is important to dispose of your dog's waste in an environmentally safe way. Dog waste contains pathogens and parasites that affect water quality. Rainwater washes waste into storm drains and then into our rivers and streams, so it’s best not to leave dog waste by the roadside.
Broadly, you can put dog mess in general municipal and domestic waste bins (definitely not the recycling!), though you may want to check your local bye-laws. The advice is to wrap it twice, so if you’ve used a dog waste bag when out, put a 2nd bag round if you’re putting it in your bin, and please don’t leave it on the verge to explode when the grass is next strimmed.
Since dog poo can contain such bacteria as E. coli and salmonella as well as parasites such as Toxicariasis, it's important to handle it safely. There are various ways of disposing of it, such as contraptions that fit into your drains, in-ground dog waste loos that mostly work anaerobically, and composters. The former are easiest once fitted, though there is a question over possible contamination, especially if widely used. Ones that are sunk into the ground can be troublesome and smell, and seem to be dependent on having the right type of soil. If you want to be really green and take a little extra trouble, then a dog poo wormery is worth looking at. The worms turn the poo into worm casts or compost, and you get a liquid fertiliser. The compost isn’t recommended for a vegetable garden, or where children might play, but still makes for great compost for flower or shrubbery beds or mixed with other compost as a soil conditioner.
If you’re using poo bags, then do think about buying starch based ones. ‘Biodegradable’ isn’t the real answer, as these are still made of fossil-fuel based materials. The starch based ones are also truly compostable (and can be put in your dog poo wormery).
As to poo bag containers, of course I’d recommend the muksak, but I might be biased. However, the muksak was designed to be completely smell and leak proof without any chemical intervention. A customer with two forgot to empty one and reported it stayed smell-free and for at least 3 weeks until she remembered, though that’s not recommended! You can use the muksak with any sort of waste bag, and it’s perfect for the car, caravan or camping. You can find the muksak, pet poo wormeries and compostable dog waste bags on www.muksak.com.
I think double-bagging poo is unnesessary and very unenvironmentally friendly!
ReplyDeleteMake sure your poo bags are a decent size and have tie handles! I like Envirobags best.
ReplyDeleteFirst things first do not use doggy toilets, they just end up with a pile of faeces all over this so called, 'Backyard in a Box'. Make sure your pup is taken outside every 2-3 hours and after mealtimes during the first year of his/her life. Always have treats at hand to congratulate them for 'doing their business', outside.
ReplyDeleteSue Jones "Well Balanced Pup" Before you pick up your puppy ask the breeder to bag up your puppies own personal poo (in a non perfumed bag) and even a small container of wee and add them to your puppy's homing bag ie food, piece of bedding smelling of litter mates/mum,toy,instruction sheet,paperwork ect. When you reach your home put the poo and wee in the place you want the pup to use. Take pup to this spot and you will find it will empty itself happily as the familiar smell makes the pup think it's been there before. DO NOT FORGET TO GIVE LOTS OF PRAISE and this is when you can give the word command you want to use to reinforce this action by pup You will find that this will cut a huge amount of time off housetraining and make the whole process much more enjoyable and relaxing for both pup and yourself
ReplyDeleteCan any one tell me where I can buy the old type , brown, Waitrose poo bags
ReplyDelete