To make my children pick up dog poo?

[FiveHoursSleep]

Our kids are expected to do various bits around the house/garden and one of the jobs is clearing the lawn of dog poo every day or two.
We have a medium sized garden and two big dogs so it needs to be cleared regularly. I do it sometimes but I ask my children to do it too.
I was telling another mum that this was one of the jobs my youngest DD does and she was horrified. She said it was a job for grown ups only as it was too dirty for kids.
Do you think I'm being unreasonable?
I get them to use bags on their hands and our dogs are fed a good quality food so their poos are easy to pick up. The dogs are regularly treated for parasites and the kids wash their hands afterwards. Our 9 year old does it, along with her older sisters but I don't ask the 7 year old to do it yet as he's a bit uncoordinated.
None of them mind, to them it's just part of having dogs. They'd rather do 'ostrich patrol' as we call it, than unload the dishwasher!

[GobblersKnob]

No YANDU in the slightest, mine argue over who gets to pick up on walks

[CMOTDibbler]

YANBU - its part of dog ownership, and my 9 year old does it.

[UpWithPup]

Definitely not U, they're learning nice and early what it means to have a pet.

[Gottagetmoving]

No YANBU
Its part of learning how to be responsible when you have a pet.
My children did it. So long as their hands are protected

[MothershipG]

Yanbu - mine are old enough to walk our small dogs so it is a necessary skill! Does the other mum have dogs?

[Unreasonableandpetty]

YANBU it was one of the conditions I gave when we got a dog. They had to prove they would be involved in picking up poo. They practiced with granny's dogs. They will quite cheerfully grab a bag and pick up
A poo if they see it in the garden.

[FiveHoursSleep]

No, other mum doesn't have dogs so I can understand what she's saying. I don't think she'd pick it up herself :)
Those of you with kids who pick up dog poo; How old are your youngest children?

[FiveHoursSleep]

Unreasonableandpetty, I love the idea of your kids practicing on granny's dogs!
Maybe I'll advertise our garden for training purposes.

[maninawomansworld]

So long as they're following your hygiene rules then no YANBU at all.

Great way to teach them about responsible dog ownership! Good on you.

[GobblersKnob]

Mine are 10 and 7, 7yo is a recent graduate to poo picking

[TheCunnyFunt]

My 4yo DD is desperate to pick poo up. Unfortunately our dog is big and DD is small, her hands are too tiny for his big poos :o we compromise, she has a toy poo that she plays 'picking up poo' with :o here she is last year pretending to pick up.

[SpendSpendSpend]

It depends whos the dog is.

If the kids regard the dog as the family dog or their dog then yes they should be taught the full entent of having a dog.

If its your dog and the kids dont really like the dog then its very mean to make the kids pick up the dog poo.

Dh was made to pick up dog shit from a very young age. It was his job to pick up the dog shit every day after 5 dogs. He didnt even like the dogs. He was made to do this for years.

Now in his late 30s he detests animals and over his dead body would we be allowed a pet

[formerbabe]

Yabvu. Sounds absolutely disgusting and unhygienic. Why should your children have to do something so vile because you chose to have dogs!?

[MrsLeighHalfpenny]

The BU bit is only cleaning up the poi "every day or two" .
Don't you clean up after your dogs as soon as they've pooped??

[Fudgeface123]

Why don't you pick it up as soon as it's done, especially if you have kids? Leaving a load to be picked up later is pretty grim

[plutonimum]

I've just read bits of this thread (not the actual word "dogshit" though) out loud to my 7yo and 3.5yo. They loved the picture of your DD, CunnyFunt .

They're currently obssessed with bodily functions, so I'm sure they'd adore dog poo patrol!

[ReginaBlitz]

Haha to the last two comments 3 big dogs and it's not picked up straight away that is disgusting!! I also think it's wrong to expect children to pick shit up I'd never ask mine to do it, I got the dog not them why should they have to?! My 5 year old dd does actually do it sometimes if I haven't seen it she does like too but then I'm on a mad one washing her hands etc

[Taz1212]

DD was picking up dog poo at 9. We check the back garden once a day. He goes out there in his own quite a lot so we don't generally spot right away when he's done it, but he does do his poos round the side of the house where no one goes anyway.

DD is fine picking up the poo. We told her that if she wanted a dog, picking up poo would be part of the deal.

[FiveHoursSleep]

They are both family dogs and the dogs pretty much come and go in and out of the house at will. They spend quite a lot of time in the garden and we are not following them around waiting for them to poo.
And sometimes they poo on their walks so there is no poo in the garden, when we notice it or the kids are going out in the garden or pool, it gets cleaned up first.

[FiveHoursSleep]

My eldest and youngest daughters run the dogs at agility classes although I tend to walk them every day that the kids are at school.

[britnay]

hah, at least you don't have to pick up after 5 horses every day ;D

It is not disgusting, it is a necessary task. If you have pets, it is your responsibility to clean up after them. I think its a very good thing for children to learn.

[usualsuspect333]

I wouldn't expect a child to have to pick up dog shit.

[BumpTheElephant]

I'm not sure. My parents love dogs and always have two. Growing up I was expected to walk them, feed them etc I didn't pick up their shit but only because my parents didn't bother picking it up. I have never liked dogs and am scared of them. I think it was rather cruel I had to walk an animal I was terrified of. No way would I have picked up shit.
If the dog belongs to the children then it's fine to make them clean up after it, if it's yours and they have no choice in having a dog or not then YABU.

[TheGrandHighWitch]

Mine are 7 and 5 and both do it, although I am more wary when it is the 5yr olds turn. They both asked to be able to do the job though and went through training to ensure they did it right. The younger one needs help tying the bags after but other than that they've got it sussed. Haven't a clue why all these kids actually want to do the job though.

[clearasmud]

My children have to pick it up on alternate days. Youngest is 6. Kids moan about it but pooch is their pet too and I feel they should learn responsibility for pets as early as possible.