Scoop the Poop

A cleaner neighbourhood. We all want it. We can all help to achieve it.

No one likes dog mess. The following explains how you - as a responsible dog owner - can do your bit by helping reduce dog mess on the streets, parks and beaches.

The importance of training

Being a responsible dog owner means more than making sure your dog is well fed and looked after. Dogs need to be trained and part of this is toilet training.

It is best to train when the dog is still a puppy. But older dogs can learn too.

How to start: A puppy goes to the toilet very frequently, so begin by putting him outside in a suitable spot if you think he seems want to go. Keep repeating this and praise him when he finishes. If you can't get outside, get your puppy to use a litter tray.

Regular times: Get your dog used to a routine. Build up regular times when you take him out - in the morning, after a meal and at night.

Going on command: Use a command word such as: "clean" or "busy" just as he is about to go to the toilet. Always use the same tone of voice and praise him when he has finished. Training him means he will go where you want him to - and not in unsuitable places.

Going at home
If you've got a garden, then why not screen off a small area where you can train your dog to go. You can then bury the mess in the garden or pick it up using a poop scoop. Your council should tell you if they have special arrangements for disposal of poop scoops. Otherwise, wrap up the used poop scoop in a plastic bag and dispose of it with your normal household waste.

If you don't have a garden and your dog is not too large, try training your dog to use a litter tray. Dispose of the contents of the litter tray by double wrapping it in plastic bags and dispose of it with your normal household waste.

But what about when I am out with my dog?
If your dog needs to go while you're out, "scoop the poop". You can buy all sorts of different poop scoops cheaply at pet shops and some supermarkets. Some local councils have their own poop scoops which are available from council offices or from vending machines. If you don't have a poop scoop with you, you can use a newspaper or plastic bag.

If you use a poop scoop, you will not need to touch the mess directly. Many designs of poop scoop involve a plastic bag which can be tied up before you dispose of it.

Remember to wash your hands as soon as your can afterwards.

Dog mess can contain a number of things which can make people ill - best known of which is infection with toxocara canis, which is a roundworm. If the eggs of this worm are swallowed, this can result in a range of symptoms from aches and pains to bronchial conditions. In rare cases, eye sight can be damaged.

The risk to human health is small. You can reduce it further by:
- Worming your dog regularly;
- Always clearing up after your dog;
- Good hygiene practice.

What should I do with the poop scoop when it's been used?
Many councils provide special bins where you can put your used poop scoops. Dog waste bins are often red.

If there are no bins around, take the poop scoop home and dispose of it. If that is not possible, then as a last resort wrap the used poop scoop again in a plastic bag and dispose of it in a litter bin.

Worming your dog
- Worms can affect a dog at any age. Caring for your dog therefore includes making sure your dog is wormed regularly.
- Worms can cause sickness and diarrhoea in young animals but adult dogs may show no symptoms. Worming is easy, effective and costs very little. You can get worming treatments from your pharmacist, vet, pet shop or larger branches of supermarkets. Follow the maker's instructions carefully. The treatment required depends on your dog's weight.
- Adult dogs should be wormed at least every 6 months. Pregnant bitches and bitches with young puppies should be wormed more frequently. With puppies seek veterinary advice, but in general puppies should be wormed when they are about2 weeks old and then treated at regular intervals until they are 6 months.

Poop scooping and the law
Local councils (and some other organisations like water companies and British Waterways Board) can make local laws called bye-laws. These can require you to clear up after your dog in certain areas, such as streets, parks and beaches.

However new powers to create poop scoop areas have been given to local authorities. Under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 councils can now designate most public land which is open to the air as poop the scoop area. If land is designated under the 1996 Act and you don't clear up after your dog you may be asked to pay a fixed penalty of £25 instead of being taken to court.

Do not wait until the law makes you clear up. It is in everyone's interest that dog mess is not left lying where people might tread or sit in it.

Want to know more about how you can 'do your bit' to improve your environment? Call 0345 868686 (for the price of a local call) for an information pack.

REMEMBER - ALWAYS CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG

SCOOP THE POOP