Let's talk dog waste disposal

[hbridge]

After the discussion on disposing of solid diaper waste, I have been thinking about how we are currently disposing of our dog poop. I can't imagine that bagging it and throwing it in the trash is a great long term solution for the environment. Also, throwing it in the woods simply moves the problem and creates other environmental issues. We have a puppy so this is all new to us.

So, long term, in your own yard, how do you dispose of your dogs solid waste?

As a follow-up, does anyone have any experience with dog waste digesters?

[Nicsmom]

I have no idea what is the most environmental way to dispose dog's solid waste. I use the "poop bags" that are biodegradable and throw them in the trash, because I think using regular plastic bags must be worse, but there must be a better way. Anyone knows?

[AnnieW625]

Except for bringing it in the house and putting it in the toilet there is no other option, and believe me that is not something I would even think of doing. We still use the plastic bags we get from the grocery store, and then they go straight in the trash can. When and if our city stops handing those out then I guess we will have to pay for dog poop bags (heresy if you ask me:bag)

[maestramommy]

I went through the same mental exercise when we first got Shep, talked to people, thought about dumping poop in our own toilet, looked at dog poop composters online, everything. In the end, we pick up poop in a plastic bag, and throw it in the trash. All the other options were simply not practical, not to mention we are on well water, so our acquifer sits under our land. So we can't just leave poop anywhere indefinitely. We also have a septic tank, so throwing poop in our toilets would be a bad idea. No, throwing it in the trash isn't terribly eco, but then we really wanted to be eco we wouldn't have gotten a dog in the first place.

[hellokitty]

OK, I'm glad I am not the only one with this dilemma. We use those cheapy diaper trash bags right now (I have a smaller dog, so don't need to dog sized kind) from the dollar tree. We throw it in its own trash can in the garage, but dh and I have been discussing the composting system and wondering if that would be better. I haven't taken a good look at it yet, but I feel bad about just throwing the bagged dog poop into the trash, when I was a cloth diapering mom and made sure the baby poops always went into the toilet. If only we could install a toilet in our yard, lol.

[elliput]

I have used a large bucket with a lid (kitty litter bucket or 5 gl bucket) to collect the poop in and then periodically dump the contents in a large trash bag which then goes in the dumpster.

[chozen]

We pick it up with the cheap pleated bags. There is a separate
Container we put it in out back, the day before garbage day we collect it and throw it into a Walmart bag and add it to our large garbage can.

[hbridge]

It sounds like the trash seems to be the most popular. We have woods so we've been throwing it in a pile, but there is a stream back there and other creatures live in the area...

I like the idea of a "septic system", but am not sure that it's practical, especially with the stream and really cold winters.

This is the one thing that we didn't think through before we adopted our fuzz ball...

[ang79]

I don't have a dog, but I do have 3 cats. I scoop out their boxes and put in Target or Kohls bags (our grocery store bags are thin and always have holes :( ) and put it out with the trash. Never really thought of another route. When I was a kid and had a rabbit, I always emptied the littler box in the woods on our property, maybe that was the wrong thing to do?

[squimp]

The trash is the best option in most places.

http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm?action=factsheet_results&view=specific&bmp=4

[YouAreTheFocus]

I don't have a dog, but I do have 3 cats. I scoop out their boxes and put in Target or Kohls bags (our grocery store bags are thin and always have holes :( ) and put it out with the trash. Never really thought of another route. When I was a kid and had a rabbit, I always emptied the littler box in the woods on our property, maybe that was the wrong thing to do?

From what I've read, bagging and trashing is the way to go for cat poop disposal, b/c of the possibility of the toxoplasma parasite (most sewage treatment plants cannot kill the eggs). This article is pretty informative:

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/26/cat-litter-is-it-green-if-you-flush-it/

I'm not sure if there are any similar parasitic concerns for dogs?

[OKKiddo]

After the discussion on disposing of solid diaper waste, I have been thinking about how we are currently disposing of our dog poop. I can't imagine that bagging it and throwing it in the trash is a great long term solution for the environment. Also, throwing it in the woods simply moves the problem and creates other environmental issues. We have a puppy so this is all new to us.

So, long term, in your own yard, how do you dispose of your dogs solid waste?

As a follow-up, does anyone have any experience with dog waste digesters?

We had one of those waste digesters when we owned our own home....it took a lot of the chemical digester to really do the job and flies hung around the area pretty bad during the summer.

[Nooknookmom]

After 5 German shep's we toss it in the "yard waste" trash can...our city rules. Works for me.