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Picking it up (graphic and very, very long) » Shadowplayers721

Posted by fallsfall on September 20, 2004, at 7:50:49

In reply to Re: Walking the Dogs, posted by Shadowplayers721 on September 20, 2004, at 0:16:26

This is the scooping technique I learned from the lady who did the obedience class I went to (and I brought the dogs to the class, but the class was really for me):

Use Ziplock bags because you can close them securely and then they don't smell as you continue your walk. Choose the size that you need. I can use sandwich size (but just barely) for my 20 - 30 pound dogs. You probably will need to use the bigger ones. I have found a big difference in quality between different store generic brands, so it might be worth trying a different store if the first ones you try don't seem to work well (it would get really expensive to use brand name...).

Take the bag and turn in inside out over your hand. Essentially you use the bag like a glove so you can pick up the poops. Then (carefully) pull the neck of the bag over your hand (and the poop) to turn the bag right side out with the poop inside. Think about the way your doctor takes his gloves off, and you'll get the idea. Then you can seal the bag.

Problems I have had:

Gooey - gets stuck in the grass - ugh. The best technique I have found so far it to be very gentle picking it up, so you don't mash it into the grass. Sometimes I can use my fingers and thumb (protected by the bag!) to scoop *under* it. The other technique is to encourage them to use a sandy area near the street instead of taller grass.

Soggy shoes - I wear sandals most of the year even though I live in a not-always-warm climate. Walking through a neighbor's tall grass to retrieve my dog's "present" gets my feet/sandals pretty wet in the morning when there is dew on the grass. I try to wear shoes that are more plastic than leather so the moisture doesn't bother them so much. If I'm wearing shoes that don't want to traipse through the wet grass, I don't give my dogs enough leash when they start acting "ready" for them to go very far into the wet grass. (This, coupled with prefering to pick it up from a sandy area create a good reason to keep them near the street at the critical time)

The worst - The bags I use are sometimes a little bit on the small side, because if it is a large poop, or a particularly gooey one I sometimes have trouble turning the bag right side out without getting the top of the bag gooey. I am skilled enough now to almost always be able to turn it right side out without getting any on *me* - I guess if you are squeemish about this so that you couldn't finish your walk after a minor mishap, carrying a wet-wipe might help (my mishaps are very tiny, but I can't say that they *never* happen). OK, so now you have this ziplock bag with goo in the channels that "zip" it closed, or inside or outside the top of the bag. Ugh. This is one of the reasons why I always bring *3* bags with me. Occasionally one of my dogs will go twice, but this also gives me an extra bag if one gets gooey. I put the gooey bag inside the extra bag and then I have a clean-outside bag to carry.

The 2 dog technique - When I pick up after the second dog I decide which bag has a cleaner top. I put the messier bag inside the cleaner bag so I only have one bag to carry. I do this also when both bags are clean - which really is most of the time.

How to carry it. This is my favorite technique - I hope it can help someone else. With two dogs I have two retractable leashes, so I am using both hands. The dogs cross the leashes frequently, so I have to switch hands to get them straightened out. If I hold the corner of the bag (which, even if the bag isn't perfectly clean is always the cleanest part) between my baby finger and ring finger, then I can switch hands for the leashes without the bag getting in the way. I think that if I were starting out now, that I would bring a grocery bag with me until I felt comfortable with my picking-up technique, so it would be easier to carry. But I hated having the grocery bag swinging around... so I prefer the smaller bags.

Now you know more about the intimate activities of my dogs than you ever wanted to know...

I've been thinking about how I would teach my favorite 8 year old to walk the dogs. She will probably make quite a mess for quite a while. I think I would get a box of doctor's gloves and have her put one on and then use a bigger bag for the pickup. As she figured out how to do it more neatly, she could graduate to smaller bags (which are cheaper, and easier to carry) and not need the glove. I would also definately bring a grocery bag along in the beginning. Alternatively, it might work to use a grocery bag to do the pickup part (more coverage for the hand), but once it is turned right side out, put the grocery bag in a ziplock bag (a big one) for the cleanliness and odor benefits.

Throw the bag in the trash can as you walk past it in the garage when you get home.

P.S. the best scoop I've found for the yard is http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?sku=4566318248&dept_id=%2D2

 

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