There are many reasons why dogs are considered to be (hu)man’s best friend. They are joy personified; always pleased to see the members of their pack, and always willing to play, wrestle and snuggle no matter what time of day it is. Dogs encourage us to get out for exercise (sometimes it feels like we’re the ones who need to go walkies!), and numerous scientific studies have shown that petting a dog can reduce stress hormones and bring down blood pressure. No wonder so many Calgary residents have a dog, or two, to keep them company!
The Dangers Of Dog Poop
However, with great power comes great responsibility. Even the smallest dogs require a good level of maintenance from grooming to feeding, and that’s before you get to the worst part of owning a dog: poop clean up. Every dog owner knows that pet waste cleanup is an essential part of caring for their dog, but it’s important to know exactly why to motivate you on those cold or wet days when you really don’t want to go outside. Some of the main reasons to clear up after your dog in Calgary include:
- Pest control – when it comes to poop cleanup, Calgary residents have to do their duty to help manage pests such as rats who absolutely love to feed on the faeces of our canine friends. Leaving dog waste out in your garden for too long is an open invitation to all the neighbourhood pests, and indeed other dogs nearby who will want to come and check out the new local bathroom.
- Care for your garden – most dog owners can tell the patches of their lawn where the dog goes pee most frequently by the yellow grass and dead soil that comes from frequent exposure to dog urine. The same goes for untreated dog waste, which can leach harmful chemicals into your soil if allowed to disintegrate. It can feel strange that we willing put horse, cow and even chicken manure on our soil to actively promote microbial growth and plant fertilisation, but dogs have a carnivorous digestive tract (even if you only serve them dry kibble!) which means that their faeces contains a mix of acidic chemicals that are poisonous to plants and soil.
- Avoiding diseases – finally, if you have young children running around your yard, untreated dog poop represents a huge health hazard for both them and the rest of your family. It’s easy for them to run through the pet waste and then track it into your home. Dog faeces often contains parasites that can be transferred to humans easily and finding every last trace of where your kids walked and touched after coming into contact with dog poop is a long and tedious task. This is even before you find your kids making forts from dried out dog poop in your garden!
Taking Care Of Business
Knowing these reasons for quick dog poop clean up can help get you motivated even when you’re tired or the weather outside is frightful. Fortunately, there are a few strategies for pet waste removal Calgary residents can use to keep their garden clean:
- Follow your dog – the most time consuming way of dealing with your dog poop cleanup is to follow them around with a pooper scooper when you take them outside to go to the bathroom. This is the one sure fire way to make sure you get all the poop removed, but you’ll also need to buy some dog poop granules for those times when things get a little wet.
- Train your dog – a more time intensive dog poop clean up strategy is to section off an area of your yard that your dog will learn to use for their toilet trips. A good place to start with finding the location is to watch where your dog goes most frequently when left to their own devices, and making a fenced in area then. Putting up a fence gives your dog a visual clue about where to poop, as well as creating a barrier to pests, other dogs and your kids. You can then head out once your dog is done to clean up.
- Get professional help – if both of those still sound like a lot of work, then you’ll want to think about signing up with our dog waste removal services. Scoop Cut ‘N’ Shovel has a team of dedicated dog waste experts who will come to your house and clean up everything. This service is great if you’ve just moved into a house with a lot of old poop outside, or if you struggle to keep on top of your pet waste situation.
Pick The Right Package
Getting professional help with your dog poop cleanup can come in a variety of different formats, and our subscription packages give you the flexibility to meet both your needs and your budget. At a basic level, we’ll come to your home as a one time service to completely clear your yard of dog poop and give you and your family a fresh start. For a longer term solution try our weekly services where we’ll come to your house every seven days and keep everything clean for you. Save more by signing up for multiple weeks at a time, and you’ll find we’ll provide discounts if you have multiple dogs.
Property Maintenance Packages
Once they’ve started to realise the benefits of professional help with their poop cleanup, Calgary dog owners can also find bigger savings by signing up for Scoop Cut N Shovel’s annual property maintenance packages. This gives you access to our expert lawn care team, as well as spring and fall cleanups for your entire yard. You’ll even have someone come out to your property to clear your drive and walkways from snow and ice after each and every snowstorm. The combination of all of these services will take a huge weight off your mind, so call Scoop Cut N Shovel to give you more time to spend with your family, and with your furry best friend.