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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

..if I don't clean up after my dog when it poos on the pavement?

129 replies

JillybeansNW · 09/02/2007 11:41

I think I would be if I had a dog
I have just been for morning round of school run, shops, random wander and the pushchair has been through some dog crap. I try to watch for the stuff and avoid it but when you are watching to see if you can cross the road, dodge the teenagers and stop the baby crying it isn't always possible.
I have to clean it before it comes into the house.
TO make matters worse when I knelt down to put some shopping in the pushchair basket I didn't notice the stuff on the wheels and it got on my jeans too! And my washing machine is on it's way out so I am trying not to do too much before the replacement arrives.
Arrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh

OP posts:
leahsmum · 11/02/2007 00:07

I live directly facing a large park which is mainly used by dog walkers at one end and the other half is a large play area. There are doggie bins scattered all over the park for dog walkers' convenience. There is a bin directly facing my house and I could honestly count with my 2 hands how many times I have seen it used - though the park is always full of dog crap! Infuriates me!

DeputyMacDawg · 11/02/2007 00:10

I am one of the few dog owners in my town who does actually clean up after my dog.
I get SO when I get other people's dog shit on my pram wheels.
I really grudge wading through other people's dog shit to pick up after my own dog.

Stiller · 11/02/2007 00:12

I can believe it leahsmum. i don't disbelieve all the MNers that have posted to say that they do clean up after their dogs, but I didn't think anyone would admit to not cleaning up, and also MN isn't representative of society - at least not where I live anyway.

ghosty · 11/02/2007 00:23

People are brilliant in NZ ... every dog walker has little plastic bags tied to their dogs' leads. Often you see the poo swinging along in the bag as the owner strides along.
I don't think I have EVER got poo on my pram wheels or on my shoes in this country.

crokky · 22/07/2007 20:40

I thought I would bump this thread because I am so . I need to have a BIG RANT!!!!!!!!!!!

Went for a walk with toddler, mum & brother today and brother stepped in dog poo, didn't realise and it got over the hall carpet when we got home. Spent ages scrubbing carpet, instead of making nice dinner for LO - got a jar out instead and then spent a load of time worrying about LO catching that disease from dog poo that makes children go blind.

I've read this thread and a couple of people mention the environmental impact of picking up dogs shit using bags etc vs biodegrading the dog poo on the pavement. Anyone who thinks that the environmental impact of bags for picking up dog poo is bad should consider the environmental impact of trying to avoid getting dog poo everywhere or trying to clean it off. I am really so this is going to get a bit irrational I think!! What if person who steps in dog poo does the following:

  1. Uses cloth to clean shoes, chucks cloth away (not recycled). Or a load of kitchen roll/antibac wipes or something, all into the bin. Uses extra carrier bag/bin liner.
  2. Uses a washing machine cycle specifiaclly to clean the crap off clothes and shoes
  3. Chucks shoes out as uncleanable
  4. Family with 1 car buys a second car so do not have to push buggy through shit on way to school etc. Uses second car to drive to places that are not shat on for LO to walk around.
  5. Same family buys an extra buggy - 1 to stay in the car and go in shit free places and 1 to stay outside so it doesn't matter if it gets shit on it.
  6. Family throws carpet in bin and gets some hard flooring that is easily washable.

Told you it would get irrational!! Not that I am considering most of these things, but I am sure they have all been done!!

All this vs the environmental impact of nappy bags (which can be bought almost fully biodegradable). So selfish to leave dog poo on path/pavement.

theressomethingaboutmarie · 23/07/2007 11:16

It really is disgusting. My FIL has a dog and he, my DH and myself took the dog for a walk along Torquay seafront (near to where FIL lives). It was about 8pm on a summer night so the evening was just kicking off. Dog walks along with me and in front of a busy pub, crouches down and craps. FIL and DH are in stitches and walk off a little (embarrassed) so there I am trying to keep a hold of the lead whilst picking up a massive steamy heapy with a carrier bag in front of the pub.

Embarrassing - yes. Duty of a dog owner - oh yes!

hellobello · 23/07/2007 16:04

If people can't be bothered to pick up after their dogs, they shouldn't keep a dog. The people round here don't pick up after themselves so it doesn't occur to them to pick up after a dog. How do you know it's dog poo you're treading in ?

ScottishMummy · 23/07/2007 16:11

Yuk JillybeansNW - some people are gross and inconsiderate part of the responsibility of dog ownership is clearing its poo up

mm22bys · 23/07/2007 19:40

If you aren't prepared to clean up dog poo you shouldn't have a dog.

It is disgusting.

DH had a word with a woman who didn't clean up after her dog. She accused him of only having a go at him because she was a single mum. Uuuuummmmm????

It is disgusting. I stood in some on Saturday when I was bringing DS home from the park, and brought it all through the house.....

It really is one of my pet hates...

Lazy dog owners!

TheGoddessBlossom · 23/07/2007 19:59

oh god I shudder when I think of the times this had been trodden into my house inadvertently and curse feckin' lazy arse dog owners that think it's not their problem.

We were in a pub garden the other lunchtime, they have a great kids playground - it was (freakishly) really warm and DS1 had his new sandals on and of course, ran immediately through a huge pile of dog shit. The dog was owned by the pub landlord and i went in and complained but still had to go and clean DS1, the new shoes, and then, because the hot tap sprayed the shitting shit all over the place, then I had to clean me and the bathroom! Then had to finger feed my 11 month old. I was nearly in tears, and had scrubbed my fingers raw.

mm22bys · 23/07/2007 21:59

Sounds like a "name and shame" job there, TGB.

Not somewhere that should get any MN business, if they can't take responsibility for their dog, and the health of their patrons!

Poor you!

ThisIsDavinaPleaseDoNotSwear · 23/07/2007 23:00

I always pick up after my dog and have bags in every pocket of my coat and trousers etc.

I have been known to go back with a bucket of water and a brush to finish off a particularly messy job left by my dog on a pavement as I will NOT allow him to be an inconvenience (or health hazrad) to others.

Its so annoying that others don't do the same and I regularly have to navigate myself and children through piles of shite on the way too/from school.

LongDeadMotherofHarryP · 23/07/2007 23:07

I use biodegradeable nappy bags. - fed up of seeing litle plastic bags swinging from trees/hedges etc!

TheGoddessBlossom · 26/07/2007 19:21

I know what IS that all about? I'ts like walking through a tunnel of dog poo hanging everywhere, really offensive, almost as offensive as leaving it on the floor!!

chinwag · 26/07/2007 19:33

Dog poo really really offends me!! I have taken to spotting it at 40 paces and yelling to the whole family 'MIND THE POO'!! DH so ashamed!! Te he!

Jammer · 26/07/2007 19:42

I thought it was a legal offence not to clean it up.

if i see someone letting their pets do their businees without cleaning it, i do try to say soemthing (not if a huge mean looking bloke though.... 0

indiasmum · 26/07/2007 19:43

dh saw a homeless guy in high street clearing up his dogs vomit the other day. now that man deserves respect. but euuuch!!!!

chinwag · 26/07/2007 19:45

Respect!! Good for him!

indiasmum · 26/07/2007 19:48

people were actually asking him what he was doing like he was behaving really strangely. admirable i thought. makes my stomach turn over just thinking about it.

chinwag · 26/07/2007 19:51

Dogs are a bit overrated I think. Nice companions, but its all the other stuff... flees, walking, poo, sick!! Ewww!

Jacanne · 26/07/2007 19:53

Some wonderful person round here actually bags their dog's poo and then leaves it in the open bag on the pavement. Surely if you can bring yourself to pick it up and put it in a bag you can take it home with you.

bookwormtailmum · 26/07/2007 20:00

I thought it was against local byelaws not to pick up your dog's poo?

Most places have those signs on lampposts etc.

HomeintheSun · 26/07/2007 20:02

We have two dogs, one big, one small, the small one poos loads and the big one can't stay still while doing it she's a nightmare you have to go looking for it in grass, DH and I take it in turns to clear up after them. I can't believe we're talking about this.

jakabean · 10/02/2009 22:42

Anyone who leaves their dog turds on the street is totally inconsiderate. If you don't like it don't have a dog. That's all I can say.

Timeisablindguide · 10/02/2009 22:46

I can't get over how it's always on the route to school! Where I used to live, the walk to school would be punctuated with me saying "watch that!" "Don't step in that!" Eewww!" and then I moved house to a totally different location -and guess what - it's the same again! I'm tempted to get up at crack of dawn and do some sleuthing as to who this dogwalker is as they are clearly someone local. The joke is that all the way along the route there are various signs about dog fouling and the fine - but not one jot of action!