The scoop on poop habits

A new Australian survey on dog poop collection habits has confirmed the enormous volume of dog waste being produced by our furry friends daily, but revealed only one-third of owners are picking it up with the same frequency.

The survey, ‘What do Australians do with their dog poo?’ published in the Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, probed 1054 dog owners about their poop management practices and attitudes, with some interesting results.

The owners - most who were living in cities - said their pooches produced anywhere between 1 and about 10 ‘Bunnings sized sausages’  worth of poop each day - with the bulk (38%) excreting in the 1-2 sausages range. 

Only 331 owners said they collected it every day, while 293 said a few times per week, 62 a few times per month, and 57 said they never did.

The survey also found that about 59 per cent of dogs do their poop away from home daily, with regular plastic bags being used to pick it up more than biodegradable bags and compostable bags, while other tools of choice included ‘tongs’ and even ‘bare hands’.

Most said they put the poop in rubbish bins that go to landfill, but others reported their regular disposal locations included under shrubs, bushes and trees, as well as neighbouring property!

If you want to read more, including attitudes to composting, check out the URL https://doi.org/10.1080/14486563.2024.2336974

….Seems like some of these dog owners could do with a Pupoon!