To use poo or not to use poo in your garden

For as long as dogs have roamed our gardens, an age-old question has existed. What to do with their poo once they have finished smelling roses and peeing on cabbages?  Well, this dilemma seems to have especially been renewed during recent times when individuals are being urged to become greener citizens. Should they quietly slip it into their neighbor’s bin? Should they simply leave it as it is or should they use it as rich natural fertilizer for cabbages and cucumbers?

Unfortunately due to the slightly distasteful nature of the subject, very little research seems to have been carried out. There are two factors to take into consideration though when deciding what to do. The first is fertiliser value. Depending on the breed and feed for your dog, their poo is generally about twice as nutritious then cattle or chicken manure. So if you don’t want to think too much about how doggie doo fed lettuces taste in your salad, it’s not a bad idea.

Yet it’s the health risk posed by dog manure that perhaps overrides the advantages of its nutritional content. Up to 90 percent of puppies can be infected with the common roundworm or Toxocara canis. Humans can become easily infected through even the slightest contact with dog feces, and the symptoms are not very pleasant. Other less common organisms also inhabit dog feces and can be active for years in the soil. Using chemicals or high heat may render dog manure safe but these methods are normally beyond the means of ordinary dog owning gardeners.

Ideally then if you can, it is best to bury your dog’s poo as far into the depths of the earth as possible, or put it into a secure bin and let someone else do it for you. Alternatively, simply let your dog do his her or business on the grass and watch some bits go greener and others browner, just don’t walk on it barefoot.