Why do we put dog **** in plasic bags?

Question

Why do we take something that will decompose naturally in a few days and put it in a plastic bags? Isn't this a blatently crazy thing to do considering all the recycling and global warming talk.

Answer 1

I think it is more out of courtesy to others if your dog poops in a public place or anywhere that is not YOUR property. Plastic prevents the "Scoopee" from getting soiled. There are other alternatives to the plastic bags, but unfortunately the plastic bags have become an item of convenience.

Answer 2

I generally use a paper bag when I pick up the dog waste from the back yard. I pick up the dog waste from the back yard because we have a gardner. We have a gardner because I appear to be allergic to most of the foiage that grows in the area and keeping up the yard usually lays me up for a day or two. I am also partially disabled. People who put dog waste in plastic bags probably do so because they are out walking their dogs and are courteous enough to pick up after their dogs. Many cities and towns have ordinances regulating this, so it also saves them from getting fined. The decomposition of dog waste depends a lot on the amount of moisture in the air by the way. We live in the high desert and dog waste has a tendancy to turn into little dog stones, or as the neighbor kids like to call them "Hockey Pucks!" They do not dissolve and blow away or get mixed in with the soil. This also depends a lot on the dog's diet. Dogs who tend to eat a lot of dry food have much more formidable feces. I will agree that using paper bags is far more frinedly to the environment, but they are also somewhat porous and picking up fresh dog waste sometimes requires a bit more substance. Perhaps you could come up with an earth freindly substance and market it under the name of "Doggie Bags" or some such thing. If you made a handy package that attached to a combination cane and pooper scooper you might have a real best seller. Contact Pet-Smart or some similar franchise if you get the details worked out. I'm sure they would welcome the product.

Answer 3

If you have a dog bigger than a loaf of bread, then you know their **** doesn't go anywhere in a matter of days. We have two boxers between 40 and 55 lbs. We let them go in the yard, and pick up about once a day. We use an old cat litter container (large plastic bucket w/lid) lined with a plastic garbage bag, then we'll tie it up and throw away once a week or when the smell just about knocks you over. If we had to use an individual plastic bag every time one of them "went", we'd be going through 5-8 bags per day!!

Answer 4

It takes more than a few days. You can actually put it in a bin thing that is buried and it decomposes and fertilizes the lawn. We put it in plastic bags when we pick it up because it would stink in a paper bag, especially when you have to carry it a while.

Answer 5

Dog **** contains various parasites, bacteria and other diseases that **** usually contains. If you leave the **** on the ground, those diseases will spread.

Example: dogs usually like to **** into sand. Now in a park sand is usually found at playgrounds, where kids play. A dog takes a dump in that sand, and a few days later the kids get parasites in themselves.

That's the reason why people need to pick up their dog's **** in plastic bags.

Answer 6

I don't put it in plastic bags, but I don't leave it decompose all over my yard either. Leaving feces out where people are going to congregate and create a mass of havoc on your families health.

They do have disposal chambers that you can put in an area of ground in your yard that safely, and naturally, lets it decompose with out risk of illness. :)

Barring that, I use paper because it can break down easier and the microbes will also help break down things in the landfill.

Answer 7

I leave it alone. The worms usually consume it within a few days where I live, so there is no need to scoop.

If it's there when I mow the grass, I just mow over it. That way it just gets distributed as fertilizer or worm food, and it dries up and goes away faster.
No poop in plastic at my house!

Answer 8

You are right. Of course, it is not nice to leave it on the pavement for others to walk on. So the best solution is either to walk the dog in a sort of forest (we have a rather "wild" in terms of vegetation parkin our neighbourhood, where the dogs can poo out of the pathways, in the vegetation), or use a cardboard or paper container that we would dispose of anyway. For example, I have used empty pizza boxes or take-out containers, put them under his tail when he goes to poo, and then throw that away. Paper will decompose quite soon.

Answer 9

Yes, it's crazy. In the Bay Area we have lots of trails for hiking/dog walking. You'll see little bags of dog business up and down the trails. While walking our dogs one day, my friend said, "what do these people think happens to the waste of deer, mountain lions and such?"

If it has been moved to a spot where nobody will step in it, that is ideal. If not, you should use biodegradable materials.

Answer 10

I have a small dog so when she goes poop in the backyard I just leave it alone. It goes away in like a week so I don't even waste my time scooping it let alone put it in plastic bags.