How Often Should You Pick Up Dog Poop In Your Yard?

No one likes cleaning up dog poop. It’s a messy task, and it strains the back. Not to mention that you’d sometimes have to get in close contact with the poop.

As dog owners, the cleaning responsibility is always on us. Whether they’ll poop on our yard, on somebody’s backyard, at the park, or the forest, we have to be responsible and pick up that dog poop no matter how gross this can be.

But, how often should you pick up dog poop in your yard? 

Well, the right answer to that would be it depends on your needs. It’s different for every dog owner. Although the most ideal would be cleaning every time you see dog poop.

But some people are too busy to do that, so they create a schedule instead. This is also alright as long as it doesn’t disrupt any other activities.

Here is a cool video of a guy that runs a dog pooper-scooper business:

To help you determine the best option for you, below are some factors that you can consider.

Factors to Consider That May Effect Pick Up Frequency

Is this where your dog usually spends a lot of his time?

Try to identify if your yard is your dog’s main play area. If it is, then you may expect a scatter of dog poop around your yard in a day. If this is the case, pick up dog waste at least once a day so that your backyard is spotless and ready for the next day’s adventure.

On the other hand, a different schedule can be picked by someone who is walking their dog in the morning or afternoon.

We all know how walks also mean toilet time for dogs. So, you can actually expect that he has emptied most of his bowel already. By the time he gets home, there’s probably nothing or minimal left to deposit in the yard.

If so, you can schedule your dog clean up at least once a week, depending on the need you see fit.

Do you have kids?

The next thing that you have to consider is if you have other people living with you, especially kids.

If you do, then you might want to pick up dog poop at least once a day as a courtesy for other people living with you. But if you have kids, it’s only right that you pick up poop right after your dog empties his bowel. This is to ensure that the yard is kept clean and safe in case your kids play outside.

Remember, dog waste can be hazardous. It can cause serious human health problems which you wouldn’t want your kids or any other people to have. So, clean as often as possible.

How often do you use your yard?

Try to consider how often you use your yard. If you’re always there to rest, then you might want to pick up dog poop as frequently as possible. The best way for you to relax is to remove any distractions, and that includes poop smell.

Also, you wouldn’t want to step on dog poop while you’re walking around your lawn.

How many dogs do you have?

Lastly, you need to consider the number of dogs you have. The more dogs you have, the more dog poop you would need to pick-up. So, clean up dog waste at least once a day.

If you only have one dog, then you can clean up once a week. You can probably go for as long as once every two weeks if your dog is not using the yard frequently.

While the following video is not about cleaning up dog poop in a yard, Oprah has some good dog poop cleaning tips to remove stains:

Is it wrong to leave poop in the yard?

Basically, if it’s your yard, other people don’t have a say to it anymore. Even if you let poop stay in your yard for a month, no one will care.

However, if there’s anyone that should care about this, it’s you. So, why should you pick up dog poop in the yard? Here are several reasons:

Health Hazard

I’ve already mentioned how dog poop can be a health hazard. Dog waste contains bacteria and parasites, which can be transferred to other animals or humans if you don’t take care of it. Other than that, dog waste can also be easily carried through waterways and contaminate water sources.

Cleanliness and Odor Reduction

If there are other people with you living with you in the house, you must keep it clean and fresh.

It doesn’t even matter if you have other people living with you, because you also need to take care of yourself. Keeping your yard clean and dog poop-free can also help make you feel better. Imagine relaxing comfortably in your yard without getting a smell of bad odor.

Prevent Stool Eating

Dogs who are eating their stool or another dog’s stool happens. This is something that you would want to prevent.

Again, dog feces can carry hazardous organisms, such as bacteria and parasites. Imagine your dog ingesting those and getting sick. You don’t want that.

So, let’s protect our best friend by cleaning up after them as frequently as possible.

How do I clean up dog poop?

Cleaning up dog poop is not complicated. Yes, it can be a messy job, but if you have the right materials, it can be smooth. And generally, you would only need two things: a pooper scooper and a poop bag.

Pooper scoopers feature an extended reach wherein you no longer need to bend over. You wouldn’t even have to get in close contact with poop. Also, many options on the market are perfectly designed to pick up dog waste on the grass.

So, use your pooper scooper to pick up dog poop. Once you’re done, place the poop inside the poop bag. There are also versions of pooper scooper where you can already put the poop bag on the scoop. This way, you can easily do the cleaning in one simple motion.

After you’ve done that, tie up the handles of the bag and dispose of the garbage properly.

Finally, wash the pooper scooper and disinfect it after so you can use it again for the next poop cleanup.

Conclusion

Dog poop cleaning is certainly not an easy and fun task, which makes a lot of dog owners want to skip it. However, we shouldn’t because it’s necessary.

Besides, you wouldn’t even have to clean up dog feces every time your dog defecates. It will still depend on you and how you want to maintain the cleanliness of your yard. So, try to assess yourself with the factors indicated above and create your schedule that you can follow.

Let’s value our health by keeping our yard clean and poop-free.

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