Picking up dog poop

You walk your dog several times a day, but what do you do with what he leaves behind? Is it necessary to clean up the dog poop? Find out why picking up dog waste is important here.

Dog excrement is an important health indicator of your four-legged friend. You can read more about it here.

Why picking up dog poop?

1. Avoid other people’s anger.

Ever stepped in a dog poop? If so, you know how unpleasant it is. Whether it’s in the city or on lawns, it’s never fun to have to walk through a treadmill of poop. Not only do your shoes get contaminated, but it also smells really bad. These annoyances fuel hatred of dogs, which unfortunately can even lead to poison bait attacks.

Think also of people with impairments, who do not see the dog poop or drive through with a wheelchair and can then clean it only with difficulty.

2. Danger for other dogs.

A lot of diseases are transmitted through the feces. Another dog that sniffs it or even eats the faeces can get infected with parasites, for example.

3. Danger for other animals

Especially in grazing areas, there is a risk for pregnant cows and calves, but also for other grazing animals, such as horses, sheep and goats. Due to the parasite Neospara Caninum, miscarriages are becoming more frequent. This is excreted by the dog and reaches the grazing animals via the feed.

4. Danger for people

Humans, especially children and immunocompromised people, can also become infected with parasites from dog feces. Similarly, diarrhea pathogens are transmissible to humans and can cause gastrointestinal diseases.

5. Do not pollute the environment

Leave nature (and all places you walk) as you found them. Especially if your dog is on medication or has just been dewormed, he will excrete these pollutants. These toxins, as well as bacteria, nitrogen, phosphate, etc., leach into the soil and can be harmful to plants and even enter the groundwater.

The multitude of dog poop can even change the ecosystem. Some plants are displaced, other nitrogen-rich species, such as stinging nettle, spread.

6. Avoid fines

Especially in urban areas, picking up dog poop is mandatory! Leaving the dog poop can cost you up to 1000€ fine in some places.

7. Better image of our dogs

Picking up dog excrement helps to give our beloved four-legged friends a better reputation. As a dog owner you show consideration for other people, the environment and other animals.

This avoids conflicts and puts dogs in a better light.

Where to put the dog poop?

In most cities, there are poop bag dispensers available. Many poop bags are now biodegradable. This does not mean that they are also compostable and therefore hardly degrade. So please never just throw the poop bag in the bushes, but dispose of it in the residual waste.

Please do not throw dog excrement in the organic waste garbage can or on a compost heap, as parasites can multiply there. It is properly disposed of in the residual waste.

As an alternative to the classic excrement bags, there are also several variants made of carton. You could also use an old newspaper. It is only important that the whole thing ends up in the residual waste and not in the paper waste.