Whether you’re a new dog owner or you can’t even remember how old you were when you got your first dog, you know that having a dog comes with a lot of chores to accompany the joy and love. Some of these jobs are easy, like feeding and grooming (is there anything better than sitting on the couch combing your furry friend in front of the TV?). Some of them are expensive, like finding good doggie daycare and keeping on top of all the vet bills. Some of them are gross, like dealing with dog poop in your yard. However disgusting you might find this last chore, it’s one of the most important ones to keep on top of.
The Dangers of Dog Poop
It’s an honest fact of dog ownership that dog poop is gross. It smells, it’s squishy and some dogs seem to produce an unholy amount of it given how little seems to go into their bodies. It’s tempting just to leave it out and wait for nature to break it down, but this is a terrible idea in your Calgary garden for a variety of reasons:
- Dog waste is poisonous – it’s a common misconception that all animal poop will provide good nutrition for your grass and garden beds. While it’s certainly the case that manure from herbivores likes cows and omnivores like chickens makes for excellent garden compost, the enzymes in a dog’s gut are comparable to a human’s, meaning that their poop is toxic to soil. Left untended, your dog’s waste will break down and biodegrade, as all poop does, but the chemicals it releases into your soil will be harmful rather than beneficial.
- Dog waste attracts rodents – another uncomfortable truth about dog poop (for humans at least!) is that there are a variety of creatures who look at it as a tasty snack. While you can probably live with insects like flies buzzing around your garden, it’s the rodents that you want to be wary of. Rats and mice are abundant in any big city, and Calgary is no exception. They are extremely attracted to dog poop left out in the yard, and your house will quickly gain a reputation amongst these critters as a high quality neighbourhood restaurant. Once they’ve located you, it’s incredibly difficult to get rid of them again, so it’s best not to give them the opportunity to come visiting.
- Dog waste gets everywhere – finally, no matter whether it’s just you in your home or you’ve got a variety of other people (and other dogs!) living with you, dog poop has a way of getting everywhere if you leave it out. Even if your dog poops in the same sort of location each time you take them out, you’ll always be surprised to find they’ve suddenly changed their usual spot, and it’s easy to track dog poop across your yard and even into your home before you know what’s happened. Getting the smell and the stains out can be hard, so it’s important to take care of the issue before it becomes a problem.
Tackling Dog Waste
It’s clear, therefore, that you need a plan to stay on top of your dog’s bathroom happenings. There are a few options that can help you make this gross chore feel less overwhelming instead of just going out and following your dog around with a plastic bag in hand.
Keep to a Schedule
Your dog can be easily trained (some breeds more easily than others!) to go to the bathroom on a cue, such as you getting home from work, or after they’ve eaten their dinner. Training your dog to go on a schedule means that you know you only have to go out once a day, and you can set up a rota with your family members so that the chore is evenly distributed across everyone.
Create a Bathroom Space
Dogs tend to be creatures of habit, especially when it comes to pooping. You’ll often find that they gravitate to the same section of your yard to use the bathroom, but they can quickly become distracted by different scents and a desire to mark their territory (again!). Consider fencing off a small corner of your yard away from the road and train your dog to go there each time so the poop is contained to one area.
Get Professional Help
There comes a time for every dog owner to seriously consider whether the amount of time and effort they put in is worth it when there is the option of paying professionals to come and take care of business for you. Fortunately, Calgary residents have the option of subscribing to Scoop Cut N Shovel’s dog waste removal services which gives you the lowest cost for having someone else take on the chore.
A One Time Cleaning
You can pay for a one off dog poop clearing session where our team of dog waste removal experts will come and scour your property clear of dog poop. This is a great option for the start of spring and the end of summer, as well as when things have just become overwhelming for you.
Frequent Dog Waste Removal
For many dog owners, signing up for a regular dog waste removal service is the best option, and we offer a variety of subscription packages depending on the number of dogs that you have and the frequency that you want our team to come to your property.
Bundle to Save More
Scoop Cut N Shovel also offer a wide range of property maintenance packages from lawn care to snow and ice removal. All of these can be bundled with your dog waste removal service to help you save. The best offer is to subscribe to our year round property maintenance package and leave your whole backyard care to our team of experts, leaving you to enjoy all the best bits of owning a dog and let us take care of business.