When nature calls, no doubt dogs will answer. Cleaning up after your dog or puppy is important for many reasons, and this article will help you understand some reasons why, as well as providing some tips for making the job more bearable.
Some dogs are leash walked for all of their “business,” perhaps due to living in an apartment, or the owner’s preference. Whether around your neighborhood or at the park, it is common courtesy to clean up after your pet. Not only is it important for staying on good terms with neighbors and keeping sanitary, but those who don’t clean up after their dog or puppy can ruin it for others. Places that have problems with dog feces are far more likely to implement strict “no dogs allowed” rules.
Many dogs simply do their business in their back yard. Usually there is one section where the dog eliminates (if not, he should be taught to use a designated area), and that area must be kept clean at all times. Dogs, being inherently clean animals, will not want to use an area that has multiple piles of feces in it. Additionally, especially in hot and dry weather, the urine also needs to be rinsed away and occasionally sanitized.
You can sanitize your dog’s designated bathroom area with a special kennel cleaning solution, or good old bleach and water. Apply with a garden sprayer which you’ll need to label so it doesn’t get used for other purposes. Sanitizing the area once every two weeks should help keep diseases, flies, and odors at bay. If you have multiple dogs you’ll need to do it more frequently.
Solid waste is most easily kept up with by using a long-handled, salad-tong-style pooper scooper, and keeping a small trash can with a step-pop lid in your designated area. The Four Paws Sanitary Rake keeps you standing up far away from the mess. You simply shut the scooper around the pile, and drop it into your nearby pop-open trash can. This small investment in the right supplies can make the job much easier to tolerate.
By having the appropriate tools on hand, and not allowing the job to get too huge, cleaning up after your dog or puppy can be no big deal.
Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been an author, speaker, small business consultant, and Certified Master Trainer for 18+ years. Her novel, “Momnesia,” (contemporary women’s fiction) has been designated a National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist, and her nonfiction book, “Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs,” has been widely acclaimed in its genre. To learn more, please visit www.LoriTheAuthor.com and join Lori on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LoriTheAuthor.
