Dog poo doesn’t need to be picked up in long grass

[LittleSheps]

Walking with my 3 month old in the pram in my local park this morning and see two dogs bounding a little way ahead of me, off leads. Cautiously slow down as they were big dogs and didn’t want them to run into the pram. See one of the dogs take a dump in the “wild” area to the side of the path and then see it run towards its owner. So I ask the guy “Is that your dog?” He says yes and I tell him I just saw it poo and please would he clean it up. He enquired as to where exactly so I point and he says “I don’t need to pick it up there, it’s the long grass, that’s why they don’t cut it”. To which I tell him I see plenty of kids (including my 3 year old) run in and out of these areas - lots of bushes, longer grass to the main park, trees, a lot more fun! and he should pick it up so that no one treads/falls in it. He said no and got a bit shirty with me saying if it bothered me that much I should pick it up. I should probably have just sighed and walked away at this point but his attitude really irked me so I told him that if he was a responsible dog owner he would carry bags and clean it up and if I had a dog and it had done a shit in the park I absolutely would but it’s his dog, his responsibility and that he shouldn’t ruin it for everyone else just because he isn’t keeping an eye on his dog and can’t be arsed. He then told me to shut up, waved his bags at me and walked away.

So was I being reasonable in asking him to pick his dog shit up or was he right about not needing to pick it up “because it’s in the long grass” and I was being unreasonable and should’ve minded my own business? I am not a dog owner so prepared to be told I don’t know the etiquette.

[Floatyboat]

I have two dogs, I always make the best attempt to pick up their pooh

@Cornana what you want, a cookie?

Jesus, picking up shit is surely a minimal requirement of owning a dog?!

[CovidicusRex]

I can’t believe that sone people think it’s ok to just flick it off the path. It’s not ok. Would you take a shit and just flick it off the path? Dog poo is particularly noxious and should always be cleaned up regardless of what the national trust (or anyone else) says.

[Aretheystillasleepbob]

What he means is that he can't be arsed to find it in long grass, what an idiot. Our parks have wild meadow areas and long grass, and woodland areas too sometimes - all part of keeping a healthy diverse park. It's not so that dogs can go crap in them in private...

[yearinyearout]

It's a tricky one. In our local forest they removed the dog bins and put signs up asking people to "stick and flick", I.e. find a stick and flick it into the undergrowth off the path, where it will decompose. Ideally, people would always pick up and place in the bin, but so many idiots pick up then chuck the bag or hang it on trees that maybe they thought it was less harmful to do away with the bins.

However, I understand this isn't great when you have kids wanting to run through the long grass. It's difficult to say who's being unreasonable without knowing the layout/rules of the area/proximity of dog bins.

[nowayhose]

You ALWAYS have to pick up your dog's poo, it's the law !

As another PP said, you may have extenuating circumstances if they'd done it on the M4, but you'd still be breaking the law to

1. Have your dog out of control and on the M4.
2. Not picking up after it and disposing of it correctly.

[yearinyearout]

You ALWAYS have to pick up your dog's poo, it's the law !

Well it isn't the law in our local forest, or plenty of other forest/heathland areas.

I am not condoning leaving dog poo by the way, I always pick up after mine.

[Chillipeanuts]

Someone said there’s no “obligation” on heathland or woodland. No, there isn’t. Isn’t it just the considerate thing to do though? How hard is it? If you’re walking there, so are other people.

[vanillandhoney]

You ALWAYS have to pick up your dog's poo, it's the law

No, it's not. In the vast majority of places, yes, but some places actively encourage people to stick and flick instead.

www.forestryengland.uk/dog-code

"Bag and bin your dog's waste. Or 'stick and flick' it when you're deeper in the woods."

[Beautiful3]

You are right. I have a dog and children. I always pick up every time my dog poos, no matter where he poos! That man was clearly being a dick.

[Beautiful3]

Flick off the path??! Eww by the time you find a stick to flick with, you may as well have bagged it? Children dont stick to the paths, they love to run around in the woods. If theres no bin, just double bag it and take it home and bin it!

[Astillbe]

YANBU, I have a dog and children and it really annoys me that people don't pick up after their dogs in the longer grass in our local park. I try to make sure my dog goes before we head to the long grassed area as otherwise I have great difficulty managing to pick it up without standing in someone else's dog dirt. My DDs know not to run about in the longer grass but other parents who don't usually use the park would probably let their kids.

People saying dogs shouldn't be off lead at all are imo unreasonable. I rarely have my dog on his lead in parks or woodland, unless there are signs saying I have to. On woodland or countryside walks I don't pick up if he goes somewhere out the way. I think it's less damaging to the environment overall to just leave it to decompose, I buy eco friendly waste bags, but they still end up in landfill.

[unlikelytobe]

bag in tree people, they might be people like me who take it home

Well, some may mean to but it's not nice to see and I think a lot of people must be forgetting to collect it on the way back. If you're going to do that at least place it out of sight and don't leave it there too long.

[BlackberryCane]

What a lazy, dirty arsehole.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

It's difficult to say who's being unreasonable without knowing the layout/rules of the area/proximity of dog bins.

It's really not. Your dog does a shit. You pick it up and carry it for however long it takes to reach a bin, preferably your own. It's always wrong to not pick up.

[diddl]

"there are numerous signs about cleaning up after your dogs"

So there's the answer!

(Assuming they don't also say-"long grass excepted"!)

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

In a park? He's a twat!

I lost a poo this morning... turned my head to stop the dog running after an off lead dog, turned back and it had disappeared into the patchy grass and leaf litter.

Trust me, I looked! I feel really guilty. OK it was at the base of a hedge, unlikely anyone will stand on it... But it's my dog's shit, dammit!!!

I can't imagine choosing to leave one in a park. I rarely stick and flick either!

[unlikelytobe]

So this thread features people who say pick it up anywhere and those who say it depends on where it's left e.g woodland, under hedges etc. might be acceptable. Surely no-one is saying it's OK on a pavement or in a park, long grass or not.

I think some people just don't like having to carry it around too long and especially if you're out in the countryside on a long walk it can be hours. What are the zero tolerance people doing then - putting it in their backpacks? I'm not joking here, I'd like to know. If I'm out walking in fields etc for ages and my dog does 3 poos during that time is it wrong to leave it under the brambles? Any practical advice?

[TheLadyAnneNeville]

He should always pick up. Kids playing in the grass etc.

[Heroicasymphony]

@unlikelytobe there are all sorts of gizmos you can get now to stash the poo in that clip to your dog lead. Some examples here:

www.dogviously.com/best-dog-poop-bag-holders-dispensers/

[JonHammIsMyJamm]

Those asking about what I do about bagged poo at the beginning of a walk, I take it with me and dispose of it in the nearest appropriate bin. Same as I do with any other litter. It isn’t the highlight of dog ownership but so what? It’s better than leaving stinking, steaming heaps everywhere for others to ‘enjoy’.

[midnightstar66]

Dogs off leads are a total nuisance and even worse at the moment. We've had our days spoiled 2 days in a row this week while my well behaved dog remained on a lead. One Labrador stole our food from our bbq another attacked my friends dog who was tied up in the shade next to us and yesterday a large long coated and very wet dog ran right across our picnic blanket several times clearly scavenging for food. The owners just laugh: Off lead dogs also provide a convenient excuse not to see the dogs doing a poo I've noticed lately. YANBU but not surprised by his attitude.

[unlikelytobe]

@Heroicasymphony

Oooh, thanks for that. I'll have a look.

I'm miles from a bin on most of my long walks as I live in the countryside - I need a solution!

[CaveyWavey]

@Lockheart I was referring to the people that ride horses at our local country park. There are designated paths/tracks for them to use which I avoid. There are a few that do not respect this and use the paths/tracks that they are not allowed to use. Of course I'm not expecting them to get off the horse with a shovel. Just stick to their designated areas at the country park.

I am well aware of the benefits for the garden. It's fantastic stuff, unlike dog s**t which is why I pick up after my two

[Mittens030869]

I have a friend who takes her 3 DDs (friends of my DDs) with her when she walks her dog. She always takes extra poo bags with her and cleans up other the poo from other people's dogs so that her dog and DDs don't step in it. It's completely gross and anti-social not to, and unfair mostly on responsible dog owners.

[PotholeParadise]

Whatever the virtues of 'stick-and-flick' in genuine woodland environments, it seems to me that 'woodland' has become a moveable feast.

Some are now taking 'woodland' to mean 'anywhere that isn't a concrete shopping precinct', and flicking it aside into places that definitely have regular human footfall.