Disappointing dog poo behaviour but what is the norm now?

[tkdrift]

I'm not long back from a dog walk with a good friend of mine who I haven't seen in some time. She has acquired a dog in the intervening period but is an experienced dog owner. We walked through woodland, her dog pooped next to the path and she kicked it into the undergrowth.

I did 😮face and she shrugged and said "It'll break down". This is now the fourth person I've walked with in recent months whose dog has pooped somewhere and rather than pick it up they've either kicked it to the side (bleurgh) or covered it up with leaves etc.

These are otherwise genuinely decent, sensible people whose judgment in most other areas I trust and respect.

What am I missing? Is this how many dog owners feel? For context I have a dog and unless she has pooped in a part of the undergrowth that I can't get to (rare - she's a public pooper) I will always pick it up. Always. Woodland or not.

I've challenged my friends gently by saying "But there are so many dogs and there's so much poo." but they just don't seem to get it. Children love to run around in woodland and often don't stick to the paths. But if everyone with a dog not only left it there but then went on to hide it... Ugh...

I don't know. I was really disappointed. But as I said it's happened a few times now. Is this generally what dog owners do these days? How are people justifying it to themselves?

@Cheedles if they’re too tight or can’t afford poo bags they shouldn’t and can’t afford to have a dog then surely?

You're totally right. What's going on with all the dogs anyway? If people have all this time to spare, why not d9 something really worthwhile instead such as befriending a lonely older person - or even a lonely young one - and have a real relationship? And for those dog owners (who I've read on this thread) find the feel of warm dog shite vomit-inducing, you shouldn't have gotten a dog in the first place. Not if you dont love everything about them - including that stinky stuff which drops from the rear. Granted, it's a task I wouldn't be up to, but I find dogs too slathery and dirty anyway. Cats are so classy. But if you've got a dog, man up, it goes with the territory, much like babies and dirty nappies.
I can't decide who to vote forion July 4th, but if a party comes out tough on this one they can have my vote.

Theme of the thread.... every involved party such as Forestry Commission no longer advocates stick and flick but say we absolutely must pick up poo. Some dog owners "no, because there are signs". Yes, signs that are out of date as 20+ people have said (and even linked) on this thread and it even says as much on the website, including that they are aware some signs still remain BUT THIS IS OUTDATED ADVICE AND PLEASE PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG.

But nope, they've always done it, never bothered about it in their day, no one ever got ill from it, will continue to do it, even though we've all now been educated on the damage this can do to our wildlife and ecosystem and understand that the guidance was changed for a reason.

We used to also encourage a lot of other things that we now know are dangerous.

As a fellow dog owner, I always pick up my dogs poo. My dog, my responsibility. Just use biodegradable bags and poo bins. Living in a small town, it absolutely pisses me off how many people choose to just let their dog crap on the pavement, or in the field, or the local park.

At best, it's annoying to people who shouldn't have to clean other dogs poo off their shoes.

At worst, it is causing livestock to be culled and can cause blindness and serious diseases in children.

I walked with someone who didn't see their dog poo. I told them they had gone, she left it. It was in the woods where people don't go. Until they do. It's put me off her to be honest.

Wrong! Please read this:

news.sky.com/story/is-your-dog-harming-your-local-beauty-spots-depends-if-youre-a-pooper-scooper-12535396

There was a campaign, I think it was by the Woodland Trust or Wildlife Trust called 'Stick and Flick' - encouraging dog walkers (in heavy woodland) to stick and flick it into the brambles/areas not walked on.

As a dog owner pounding the pavements I always use biodegradable dog bags. However, I have used the stick and flick method once or twice but only in woodland and into dense brambles/verges. It beats the idiots who leave poo bags hanging from trees or lying around near gates (as though it disappears by magic if left there).

it doesnt beat any idiots,
their intention is to pick the bags on their return.
your intention is just to use it to be walked in and trodden in

People who don’t pick up their dog poo are lazy selfish arseholes.

It’s exhausting isn’t it. There isn’t a single place I can walk with my children where we don’t have to constantly keep looking at our feet checking we don’t stand in poo.

Child health is so important. So many families in homes with no gardens rely on outdoor spaces like parks and woodland yet they are health hazards with dog poo everywhere. Some parks and outside spaces should be dog free

Poo bags are biodegradable.

It takes something like nine weeks to degrade. But if they are otherwise going to bag it and leave the bag lying or tied to a tree 🤮...then I guess it will biodegrade quicker. Idiots.

It’s not acceptable and that’s why it’s an offence that could cost you a fine of up to £1k. Imagine your child rolling their hands in it and bringing it home on their shoes, disgusting!

Perfectly acceptable to flick into the undergrowth in our local forest, there are signs up telling you to do just that. Better than having zillions of "biodegradable" bags of dog poo hanging around that take years to break down.

I would never dream of not picking up on a path though.

just how often do you see bags in the trees?
it is an exaggeration.

If you are walking in dense brambles the least of your worries will be dog poo.

I do the same if we visit a forestry commission as that is what they say to do there, and they dont have any bins. Otherwise I always pick up.

Urgh. Dog poo is absolutely vile. I think maybe some dog owners have become numb to it so don't realise just how gross it really is.

The worst most selfish behaviour ever and I actually think they anyone caught should have to do community service or even prison time tbh

Bloody hell.

I wonder how it changes matters now that most poo bags are biodegradable.

No poo bags are really biodegradable- sadly.

The conditions required to get them to degrade are so specific and don't exist in most home or council waste disposals. It's a massive scam (imo) they are allowed to call themselves biodegradable

"Leaving it is better than bagging it and hanging it in a tree" - what the fuck? If there's no bin, my dog's shit goes in the car with me until I reach a bin or get home. There's far too much dog shit to leave it to biodegrade, especially in poular areas where the density of shit is proportionate to the distance from the car park. If you worm your dogs, that's traces of wormer going into the environment, and dog shit can cause life stock to abort pregnancies. That's plenty of reasons for me to feel like I'd be a total prick to leave it lying around.

Couple of weeks ago my dog stood in someone's else's shit just outside the house and he was mortified. Literally limped around like his leg was broken going "eew help!" I had to carry him into the house and put him straight in the bath, and got shit on my clothes in the process.

No they don’t anymore - pp have explained this.

If bins aren’t provided then keep the bag with you until you find a dog poo bin. Double/triple wrap if needed.

They're really not - sadly!

https://petimpact.co.uk/blogs/poo-revolution/12-myths-about-compostable-poo-bags

I go to Delamere forest regularly, there are signs all round it telling you to kick or use a stick to move dog poo off the path and into the verges - it just degrades, alot quicker than in a biodegradable plastic bag - no drama 😉

Must be out of date signs - a quick check of its dog code online says
Always clean up your dog’s poo
• bag it and bin it, or take it home with you.
• any public or household general waste bin is fine for bagged dog poo.