What do you do with your doggy loads?

I'm new to having a back yard, so I'm used to throwing the full bags in the city garbages. What do you do with yours?

I mean we are trying having a garbage outside just for that, but it gets full of bugs and maggotty wormies, even though we throw it all out every week.

What do you all do with the loads? I won't do a poll for this one because I have no clue what to do! :)

In many places they say you are not allowed to put animal feces in the garbage!

An easy way is to double bag your garbage can.Then every day when you pick up use a plastic grocery bag.Double bag that and toss in the double bagged big garbage can.Come garbage day toss the big bag with the secured bags in it out!

Wow, that's a lot of bags!!

I have a rubbermaid rectangular container outside that is 1/3 full of kitty litter, the good cheap smelly kind. I bag the poop (my dogs use a gravel area specially for pooping in-thats where the rubbermaid is) and put it in the rubbermaid container and close the lid. On garbage day I take the bags out and put them in the garbage cans. Maybe twice a year I change the litter completely. I have never had a maggot in there in six years.

Is there any reason why you couldn't flush it down the toilet in small amounts? It can't be much different then the human variety. :)

:) Are you kidding? I would be hunched over the bowl for hours every day, forking it out bit by bit. You do remember the doggies I have right? 96lb Boo and 62lb Jemma?

I like the kitty litter idea though. I might try that. Thanks! :)

Anybody else do something different?

Is there any reason why you couldn't flush it down the toilet in small amounts? It can't be much different then the human variety. :)

Absolutely you can flush it. However when I pick it up it always seems to have grass or sticks or stones in it, and I ain't picking that stuff out!
So I take the easy way and put it in the garbage. I know it isn't the best for the environment.

You can flush it or you can purchase a product that is similar to a compost. You have to dig a small hole to place the frame in and you get a chemical solution for it that will safely decompose the waste. Sorry I can't remember its name. This should eliminate your problem.

Would that work with such a quantity as we have? I mean we're talking about between 4 and 6 massive loads here...

Okay Jemma and Boo may overload your system, unless of course you can teach them to flush everytime! I tried it a few times with my old dog Timber but I didn't end up doing it on a regular basis.

I am sure it would. I believe you can adjust how deep the hole is. I will check and see if I can find any info about it online and I will get back to you.

We used to flush our old dogs stools down the toilet because we realized how bad it was for the environment.

With Dodger though, his poops are softer (enough said!) so it is virtually impossible to flush them! I have a miniture garbage can that I keep in front of the garage and when garbage day comes, I dump it in the big bag.

Does anybody know if those "biodegradeable" poop bags that are supposedly flushable, actually work?

Melissa

http://homepage.mac.com/cityfarmer/PhotoAlbum22.html

I came up with this, not sure if its the same idea StacyB it looks like its fairly easy to do.

Go to www.cityfarmer.org
There is a step by step design and instructions there with pics. They made it with a garbage can so I am sure there would be enough room for your dogs waste. The only part you see above ground is the lid. Just do something creative with that part.
Check it out.

Stacey

I guess we went to that sight at the same time. How funny I think its a great idea!! :) That will definatley be one of our projects before we get our doggie.

www.webferret.com to download free version. I have been using it for more than 10yrs. I find it to be the best search engine. It lists up to 500 sites per search and works similar to these posts where you scroll over top to get a blob of info.
I realize this is off topic but I thought I would mention it for those who need to find info fast. It only takes a few seconds to download and start using.
Happy searching

Our city green compost bin takes them WHEEEEE stinky poop rotting meat and all kinds of yucky stuff I LOVE IT! Well you know not really love it but love having it go to USE hahah the city actually composts it :eek:

It goes in the compost. Seems around here that while the compost is stirred up often and such, it was never actually getting dumped to 'use' the compost. So it breaks down on itself quickly, and adds to the soil really.. so not worrying about it going on anything like veggies, we put it in.
On a walk I collect poop in a grocery bag, knot it and put it out for the trash though. Easier than dumping it and having a dirty bag anyhow.

http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?follow-pro=1&vwcatalog=petmarket&catalog=petmarket&query=Digesters&FormsButton1.x=12&FormsButton1.y=10


Doggy Digesters are the easiest and safest way to dispose of canine waste. Also easier on the environment as not so many plastic bags being used. I am thinking of trying one myself.

We put it in the regular garbage. In Halifax we have a regular compost pickup and a garbage pick up, however, animal waste is not allowed in the compost bins. To keep out place from stinking and attracting pests, we will take a grocery bag full of little poop bags with us on our walk. First municipal garbage can along out walking trail, we drop our present off.

Prin

Check out the Montreal Gazette today. There is an article about this subject. :)

thankfully, Tucker prefers to go in the woods. On the rare occassion when he can't make it across the yard, I scoop it up with an old shovel and chuck it into the woods. Our house is surrounded by acres of forest in the back, no houses as far as the eye can see.

Hey Prin: You should check out Cabelas, they have a Doggie Dooley Pet Waste Disposal System. Its only 34.99 for 2 dogs and 44.99 for 4 dogs. You bury it underground and put the waste in the top door and add an enzyme and it goes underground and is safe for all plant life. Its in the states but it works. I have 4 dogs. If you go to www.cabelas.com then go to the online catalogue they dog supplies then dog houses /Kennel Accessories. and you will find it.
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:crazy: crazy bout huskies

My understanding was that you couldn't compost pet poo. Too much PH to make good compost, or something over my head. I do poop-patrol once a week. Usually it gets nice and dry, so it's easy to pick up. Then I put it in a shopping bag, and it goes in our garbage can with a hundred other bags. Now, it goes under the baby diapers, so no one checks that! Of course, I'm not sure how they feel about pet poo in our area anyway, but they take the kitty litter.

Beats having maggots or neighbours complaining about a smell in this heat.
Wow, that's a lot of bags!!

Same rule in my area,the compost program says no animal waste,kitty litter,diapers or other similar products.
My understanding was that you couldn't compost pet poo. Too much PH to make good compost, or something over my head.

[COLOR=Indigo]Hey Prin: You should check out Cabelas, they have a Doggie Dooley Pet Waste Disposal System. Its only 34.99 for 2 dogs and 44.99 for 4 dogs. You bury it underground and put the waste in the top door and add an enzyme and it goes underground and is safe for all plant life. Its in the states but it works. I have 4 dogs. If you go to www.cabelas.com then go to the online catalogue they dog supplies then dog houses /Kennel Accessories. and you will find it.

I had this at my previous home and it really was outstanding!!! Good call, d_stanley!

I haven't installed a system here for Judge though.. SO I have to improvise. I have these little blue scented bags that are for disposing of baby diapers that we also use for Judge when we clean up... Scoop - good smelling blue bag - a little kitty litter - tie it up - toss. It's really no worse than the diapers at this point :p But we're still gonna get the Doggie Dooley at some point. :)

I usually just tie each one up tight and it goes into the garbage cans outside. I have never had any bugs or anything in my cans but they do have secure lids.

The smell is pretty bad when you open the lid but just hold your breath and run away when you are done tossing the new bag.

Sorry, can't help. I don't have this problem, as Chloe has her own private 1/2 acre forest to decorate as she sees fit.

No poop scoopin' for me.:D

The smell is pretty bad when you open the lid but just hold your breath and run away when you are done tossing the new bag.
Oh dear, I would imagine the garbage men are not too happy when they get to your place. :eek:

How does yours work?

I ordered a doggie dooley and installed in the backyard and it doesn't work at all!! I tried it for about a week straight and what keeps happening to me is the water just drains out of the bottom and I'm left with all the poops sitting at the bottom of the container dry!

I emailed the company and they said to keep it full of water and that might mean filling it a couple of times a day. No kidding - I would fill it and come back and check it in about 3 hours and it was completly dry!!

I don't know if its the area I live in - the Niagara region - maybe the soil is just not right for that!

Maybe I'm missing something about and it actually does work???

I have the Doggy Dooley system and it works great! Ours doesn't stay full of water all the time. We fill it up and then a few days later the water level will be way down. We only put water in it about once a week. Is the area that you put it in level? Or maybe the soil wherever you put it has too much sand. I would try getting some of that thick black plastic that you use to keep weeds from growing - you know, you put it under whatever ground cover you use (like those decorative rocks)? Try lining the hole with the plastic so that the water doesn't drain as fast. If that doesn't work you could try putting a garbage can or something in the hole to keep the water in there, but you'd have to put some holes in it because the digested stuff needs to be able to escape. Good Luck!

This waste system is not intended for regular compost or the one that your city may pick up for. This is just for pet waste.
Ph increase in soil that is caued by pet waste can be lowered by the use of lime.

Thanks Kandy!

Those sound like great ideas! I'll try the thick plastic first and see if that works and if not I'll go for the garbage can idea :)

So excited now to re-try it! I was so upset when it didn't work right for me because it seems like such a smart idea!

Thanks again :)

Leslie

We've had ours for about 2 years and it has worked great. We can't use it during the worst of the winter months because the water would just freeze in it. We still dump the poop in it, but have to wait for the spring thaw to put in any chemicals or water. Luckily it stays frozen during the winter, so smell isn't an issue. :pawprint:

hmmmm .... with 2 60lb labs I think if I did that in the winter it might be overflowing with frozen poop! ;)

Question: Aren't maggots just fly larvae? So, if you pick up the poo and put it in a lined & covered garbage bin right away, before the flies get the chance to lay eggs on it, won't that eliminate the maggots? Might help to reduce the number of plastic bags out there. :confused:

That's the thing- the larvae were on the outside of the garbage bag. Maybe they were living off the fumes, I don't know. The garbage bin seals pretty well (it's a rubbermaid one) and we pinch the top of the bag in the lid as we close it. I don't know how they got in there, but I've had the heebeejeebees ever since...

This doggy septic tank you all are talking about- I have a TINY yard. Would it not ruin the whole yard? I mean it's really a small yard, maybe 1000sqft.

This doggy septic tank you all are talking about- I have a TINY yard. Would it not ruin the whole yard? I mean it's really a small yard, maybe 1000sqft.

The model I had was set completely underground except for the lid - and the lid was slightly mounded so you could easily run over it with lawnmowers etc... and it isn't an ugly part of the landscape or anything. Overall it was probably about the diameter of a small wastebasket. I had the large capacity underground model -- which is recommended for 2 large dogs. I loved it because I could scoop.. walk over to the thing - step on the little lid release and dump. Poof! Done!

When I get one for this house I will probably install it in one of the back corners of one of my flowerbeds rather than out in the lawn -- my yard is teeny tiny as well!

But there is no consequence of it? I just don't know how thrilled the neighbors would be to having a mini septic tank around...

I never had a problem with smell or bugs or anything. Don't know if you've ever been into boating -- but it's really no different than a head on a small boat. No - you really don't wanna stick your head in and take a big whiff -- but as long as the thing is closed you don't even know it's there.

How does yours work?

I ordered a doggie dooley and installed in the backyard and it doesn't work at all!! I tried it for about a week straight and what keeps happening to me is the water just drains out of the bottom and I'm left with all the poops sitting at the bottom of the container dry!

I emailed the company and they said to keep it full of water and that might mean filling it a couple of times a day. No kidding - I would fill it and come back and check it in about 3 hours and it was completly dry!!

I don't know if its the area I live in - the Niagara region - maybe the soil is just not right for that!

Maybe I'm missing something about and it actually does work???
Hi les
are you putting the enzyme in? You need the chemical to disolve it.
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:crazy: crazy bout huskies

Our doggy dooley system is kind of pyramid shaped and it sticks out of the ground about 4 inches or so. We have it in a corner that doesn't have grass around it so that we don't have to worry about running over it with the lawn mower. We've had it for 2 years and I haven't seen any evidence of problems with it. At first I thought that the water might drain the digested stuff into the roots of the lawn - especially since the system sits on the uphill side of yard and would drain right towards my back door. I haven't noticed any difference in the lawn, so I don't think that it has had any effect whatsoever. We bought two tubs of the enzyme when we bought the system, and we haven't even used one tub yet. I would have to say that it's one of the best things I've ever purchased. :) I would recommend it for any dog owner.

That's the thing- the larvae were on the outside of the garbage bag. Maybe they were living off the fumes, I don't know. The garbage bin seals pretty well (it's a rubbermaid one) and we pinch the top of the bag in the lid as we close it. I don't know how they got in there, but I've had the heebeejeebees ever since...



I don't think it was the poo that caused the larvae if they were on the outside. They would be all over the "stuff".

And on that note, I must now go and gag on my white almonds I WAS eating... :yuck:

Scoop and flush, simple, no mess and environmentally friendly.

Prin
Check out the Montreal Gazette today. There is an article about this subject. :)
I looked it up, and one of my friends is actually working on that study too. I don't think we could do it at our dog park though, because if we all shoveled, there would be holes all over- I think it'll only work on gravel dog parks.

I wonder what chemicals she uses in there and if it would be practical for a home setting- they said it reeked...

Would that work with such a quantity as we have? I mean we're talking about between 4 and 6 massive loads here...

If you pick up the load twice a day perhaps it won't clog your toilet. I was babysitting a golden retriever once and she was a pooper. Boy my toilet was clogged for a good portion of a day.

I use a gardening trowel to pick up the loads and push them onto a shovel. Nice and easy, no mess at all.

I think I would be more worried about carrying the load through the house to get to the toilet! :eek: Hey, maybe I could teach Hazel how to just go in the toilet and then flush it herself?? Hmmmmmm......... :p

Actually, I really like my "mini septic system" and I bet that none of my neighbors even realize it's there. It hasn't effected my grass or the peony that's close by, or any of the trees on that side of the yard, and since it's been two years I would think that I'd see a difference if one was going to happen.

That's my worry too Kandy-- and doing it fast enough so the house doesn't smell forever?

So I have to do each load in halves... So that's 12 trips a day. :eek:

good one kandy, i was giong to suggest a handful of lime on the compost heap, animal poo does break down, some such as horse poo is very strong though and must be broken down slightly before composting....

hey i jsut pick it up with my bare hands and chuck it either in the bin or in the compost, when its hard that is, i also use it to remind charlie where her toilet area is, i always leave some behind as a reminder for her, and it does work....

hey to me its only dog poo, nothing bad in it comapred to the deadly human version. although some ppl are mortified by dog poo, such as my sister in law who despises dogs and is appalled at me for letting the dog go outside when she wants, man shes annoying :eek: :cool:

Melanie.. That's pretty nasty. Sorry, but I would never pick up the doodie with my bare hands. :yuck: :queen:

Could a smaller dog use a smaller home made septic tank, I am thinking of just flushing as well. But not sure if I would be vigilant enough to take it to the toilet everytime.

I don't think the container itself is the key - its the enzymes that digest the poop.

And I would never pick up the stuff with my bare hands! EWWWWW!

I am sure it was poo.I have had it outside the bags too,and poo is the only garbage I have outside at all.I dont open the bags to see if any are inside-eww!
I don't think it was the poo that caused the larvae if they were on the outside. They would be all over the "stuff".

And on that note, I must now go and gag on my white almonds I WAS eating... :yuck:

Melanie.. That's pretty nasty. Sorry, but I would never pick up the doodie with my bare hands. :yuck: :queen:

I'm with you on that one, Prin - Nastyrama! :yuck:

i also use it to remind charlie where her toilet area is, i always leave some behind as a reminder for her, and it does work....

Funny, everyone keeps saying that this is a good idea, but Toby won't go anywhere near his poo. If I've forgotten to clean it up, or if I'm searching for one my boyfriend has told me exists (more likely scenario ;) ) Toby'll strain to get as far away from it as possible.

Of course he has no problem EATING cat poo...go figure! :rolleyes:

funny worlds we come from, socailly too... .around here we call using your hands 'indian poo pickin'

we do it for most animal poo, we do it especially for cow poo, i mean really have you ever wandered around a paddock and tried to fill 10 big bags with poo using a shovel, good luck it would take a week.

so just like many ppl for effeciency i know i jsut pick up the pats with my hands, gosh you can wash your hands you know and there aint much in it but grass.... and man that human variety is nasty stuff (and you would be surprised the amount of it you come into contact with daily), but as far as im concerned nothing nasty in dog poo, jsut dog poo is all, but i would never touch it wet, you jsut could not pick it up in one piece....

hey ive had charlie for 9yrs now, i have not got anything yet and doubt i will.... i know what goes in, and i know what comes out.......

but leaving a bit for charlie to know her toilet has always worked for her, but i found the secret is to make sure you put a fresh one there occassionally, not jsut the dry ones....

and if your grosed out, lol, thats tough, you asked... :D

From today's Halifax paper. Looks like Hali may adopt a trial similar to Montreal to deal with dog waste.

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Doggie doo for gardens?
Councillor advocates composting pet poop
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER / City Hall Reporter

A Montreal pilot project that recycles dog waste into lawn and garden fertilizer should be tried in Halifax, says a regional councillor.

"That's a great idea," Coun. Andrew Younger (East Dartmouth-The Lakes) said Wednesday.

"All this stuff goes to landfills at the moment and I don't think that's the best place for it."

For the past 14 months, dog owners near Notre Dame de Grace Park have shovelled and stirred their pet's waste into large compost bins containing sawdust.

The combined product heats up to about 40 C - a necessary step to kill off parasites - and within about five to 10 days it's ready to use on city grass and flower gardens.

Mr. Younger said the project might be a boon to the city since there could be roughly 75,000 dogs contributing to its success.

His small dog, a cocker spaniel named Abigail, is doing quite a good job all by herself, he said.

"By the time garbage day rolls around, there's quite a bit of it in the garbage bag," he said, chuckling.

"So can you imagine how much dog feces we're all putting out (at the curb)?"

The councillor has a lot of parks in his district, including dog-lover's Shubie Park, and he said he receives many complaints about their cleanliness.

"They call to say that there's dog feces by the road or that (the parks have) overflowing cans of (bagged) dog waste."

Sometimes, those overcrowded garbage cans can actually turn dog owners off from picking up any more of it.

But the Montreal program might encourage compliance, he said.

"If (dog owners) thought that they were part of a bigger thing ... that was helping the city, maybe they would use it more."

A Halifax dog owner agrees that a shovel-and-bin trial could prove successful in parks, especially since the city relies on people to pick up after their dogs.

"We forgot plastic bags today so it's like, uh-oh!" Nicholas Martin said as he walked his 12-year-old Lab-spaniel Max through Point Pleasant Park.

"Having the shovels right here would be a good idea."

People are always complaining about dog waste, he said, "so it would be good if something positive could be done with it."

But his friend said the logistics of the program could turn her off.

"I'd feel weird carrying the shovel around if there weren't a bin nearby," Helen Dorey said, laughing. "But maybe it would work better in a smaller park."

A local parks manager said his department would have to make sure the product was safe to use before workers started to spread it around Halifax.

"We'd have to be fairly certain that the health risks are significantly minimal in relation to the benefits," Rudy Vodicka, a co-ordinator with real property planning, said Wednesday.

He's concerned that the process would leave too much to chance when it comes to zoonoses, the parasitic, bacterial or viral diseases spread from animals to people.

There would likely be other esthetic concerns if the green bin compost now used in city parks and gardens was replaced with dog waste compost, he said.

"I'm not sure what the final product looks like, but certainly we wouldn't want to promote dog owners or dog walkers to just leave the dog-do where it sits in parks and gardens," he said, noting a huge education component would have to come into play.

The city now requires dog owners to double-bag dog waste, says the solid waste resources manager.

Jim Bauld said there's no way of knowing how much dog waste lands at the city's Otter Lake landfill because it's not all lumped in together.

"(All garbage) bags are opened mechanically by a shredder and then the contents are sieved out through a screen and then taken to the stabilization facility," he explained.

Dog waste should never be put in backyard composters - where it kills the enzymes that help decompose the waste - or in green carts.

That's the study they talked about in the Gazette. It's being done at Concordia University here in Montreal.

With my last dog 120lbs of him we flushed it, I'm like Luba and have the green bin for food garbage and Tucker's goes in there. At our cottage it stays in the bush thanks.

funny worlds we come from, socailly too... .around here we call using your hands 'indian poo pickin'

we do it for most animal poo, we do it especially for cow poo, i mean really have you ever wandered around a paddock and tried to fill 10 big bags with poo using a shovel, good luck it would take a week.

:D


I know they have a cow chip (poo) throwing contests somewhere (don't remember if it was Canada or USA, but I saw a show on it, they kind of threw it like a diskus! It looked kind of fun :)
As for picking up dog poo with your bare hands, I know around here it DOES NOT DRY UP, so I guess thats why people here are grossed out by it ;) .
It stays wet, and gets even damper and mushy in the rain especially in the snow!

Do you guys buy a special enzyme for your dooly syatem?
Because I used to use septo bac (for septic systems) for my trailers holding tank. it is probably much cheaper, and works great!

I'v thrown frozen ones at my sister before. lol

"but as far as im concerned nothing nasty in dog poo, jsut dog poo is all"
Why would you assume there is nothing nasty in dog poo?
I would assume it has the same nasty bacteria and salmonella and stuff the any other animals poo has.

Do you guys buy a special enzyme for your dooly syatem?
Because I used to use septo bac (for septic systems) for my trailers holding tank. it is probably much cheaper, and works great!
Hey Happycats. The enyzme i use is called Waste Terminater and its $9.99 us for a one year supply. I order it from cabelas in the states. How much is the septo you use in your trailer [COLOR=Red]holding tank?
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:crazy: crazy bout huskies

Hey Happycats. The enyzme i use is called Waste Terminater and its $9.99 us for a one year supply. I order it from cabelas in the states. How much is the septo you use in your trailer [COLOR=Red]holding tank?
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:crazy: crazy bout huskies

Thats a good deal! I just wondered if septic stuff was cheaper then dooley stuff.
Septo bac is about 3.oo canadian a box and it lasts me the whole season (may to october) but I'm not there everyday, just week-ends and holidays.

I just wanted to give you all an update... I filled a garbage bin with Walmart kitty litter (wasn't as smelly as I had hoped, even though I got multicat formula... :rolleyes: ) and every three loads (which usually have two loads in each), I load the load all into one bigger bag with no holes... load. :D And so far, in the past two or three weeks, I haven't had one maggot (knock wood).

Thanks for your suggestions!!! :) :highfive:

I have a plastic garbage bin in the backyard. To pick up the poo, I use a grocery bag, then dump the bag in the bin. Garbage pick up is twice a week in the summer months so my yard doesn't get that stinky. Once a week I water down the garbage bin and the graveled area where our dogs poo with a little bleach mixed with water.

Yeah, that was the main problem- I only have one garbage day a week... There's a lot of doggy loads in a week... :D

I have actually been walking Joey and throwing the loads in the community gargage cans. There is doggie garbage can with bags attached at the end of the pathway that we walk on.

Are you calling me lazy? Are you saying I don't walk my dogs enough??? LOL just kidding. :) I know I don't. :o

Joey doesn't seem to like to drop his loads in our yard. So now I have to walk him to do it. He is training us really well. Smart doggie. He will wait at the front door until I walk him. If I take him in the backyard he just stares at me goes back in and waits at the front door. Not sure if this is a good thing or not. But at least it is saving me from pooper scooping at the moment. :)