To not pick up dog poo...

[Moonfishstar]

... when in a quiet forest, but to flick it with a stick into dense undergrowth instead?

I don't see any issue with this, but I've got a feeling lots will disagree with me, so I wanted to get some other opinions.

I pick it up if near/on a path but my dogs like to hide themselves in the undergrowth so in that case I leave it or if in woods etc stick and flick. Much worse for the environment having a plastic bag in landfill imo. The absolute worst though is people who pick it up then hang from a tree WHY?!

It’s not either or. There are other options.

Would you be fine going for a walk in a forest that had human faeces dotted all through it? That is how it feels to other people. Especially as there are so many dogs and people take their dog on similar routes every day so there is a lot of poo and it smells. If you are unwilling to carry poo bags or are worried about the environment, then don’t get a dog.

Agreed, which is why people are encouraged to remove it from pathways that adults and children both use - however you are deluding yourself if you think that other animal poop is not equally dangerous for humans - deer poop transmits parapoxvvirus, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and E coli, for instance, rabbits carry tapeworm and round worm, cow pats carry E coli, salmonella and listeria. Ie parents need to teach their children to be mindful of the bacteria present in all outdoor spaces and to be hygienic. Dogs are not the villains here.

I guess the forestry commission would rather it flicked to degrade naturally than have poo bags decorating the trees with owners ‘intending’ to collect them on the way back.

Are you too lazy to wipe your own bum too? Then go and sit on people's sofas? Nothing would surprise me.

Are you being wilfully obtuse? Dog poo is not at all comparable to horse (or most other animal) poo. Try Googling.

Hang on, OP . . . your dog shits far away from where people may be walking or children like to play, yet you still need to use a stick to toss it around?

Either this is some kind of fetish sport, or you're not being truthful?!

I'm guessing there are quite a lot of city dwellers posting with their experience of small densely-used suburban woods

Nope. Live in a small village and I think your approach is disgusting.

A basic part of being a responsible dog owner is picking up your dogs shit. Don’t have a dog if you don’t want to do it.

Just pick it up! Even under hedges it'll smell and wild animals will get it on them etc

Don't wild animals poo?

Have you actually read any of the replies to your (clearly baiting) thread? This has been addressed numerous times.

Not obtuse - try googling diseases spread by deer, rabbits, cows.

Are cows shitting in forests now?

Their poo doesn't stink like dogpoo. Plus it's not an excuse for your pathetic laziness.

If they're in the first where else would they go?

OP: Don't come to Epping Forest. You are obliged by the byelaws to pick up your dog's poo and carry it away out of the forest (there are no bins in the forest except in the car parks). Unfortunately, there have been the usual lazy visitors who either leave it or bag it up and leave piles of full poo bags at the foot of trees or hanging on bushes as an offering to the poo fairy, thus completing their lovely day out by leaving the toxic stuff for the hapless wildlife.

We have similar but it's Dog Shit Forest. Lazy owners who have seen those signs flick it just to the end of the path. Only slightly better than the many that leave it right on the path, or the ones that don't even get out the car while their dog shits everywhere. You can smell the shit from the car park. No longer a nice forest for walks etc with the children. It's a massive disgusting dog toilet instead.

How lazy can you get...

It is part of responsible dog ownership to clean up after your pet.

Absolutely no need to be crude.

and yes, Horses, deer, rabbits, badgers DO poop in forestry commission sites - in fact, the horses poop all over the shared footpaths/bridalways that I use every day.

Both Nat Trust and Forestry England say bag it and take it home.

Most dogs shit fairly soon after leaving the car, so just take it home with you.

If you're offended by a swear word, that's your choice.

The false equivalence between horse and other wildlife poo and dog poo has been addressed numerous times. Read the thread.

That was my daughter years ago - picked up a stick by the shitty end. Then put her shitty hand in her coat pocket. I hate irresponsible dog owners of which there seem to be many nowadays.

I live rurally and alway pick our dog poo up- in the middle of the woods of up the hills. Lazy selfish people don’t

Comparing dog shit with horse manure is just ridiculous! And the number of foxes, badgers etc compared to dogs is tiny. Just more lazy excuses from entitled dog owners who feel it is their right to stink up the world around them.

@BusyMummy001 What part of this don't you understand??

Not only is dog faeces a risk to us in terms of disease (due to bacteria such as E.coli and Campylobacter, plus parasites such as hookworms and roundworms), but it is also a danger to livestock through parasites such as Neospora, which can cause abortion in cattle, and Sarcocystis which affects sheepForestry England asks you “Bag and bin your dog's waste. Any public or household waste bin can take bagged dog poo.”