dog septic system?

[shanenin]

We have three large dogs at home. We currently pick up the poop everyday and place it in a covered bucket which has a bag in it. At the end of the week we pull the bag and put it in our garbage and have it collected. By midweek, the area where the bucket is smells. I have been contemplating installing 2 doggie septic systems, they have many commercial ones that can be purchased. Do any of you use them? do they do any better wit the smell? Any other opinions about them?

http://www.amazon.com/Doggie-Dooley-Septic-System-KENNEL/dp/B001B3UDDE/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1280679907&sr=8-15

[isteve]

I installed one of these at my mothers house last year. She said it does a great job and no smell. I was skeptical when I put it in for her but it's seems to be working just fine.

[shanenin]

dos she have a lot of waste, big dog?

[isteve]

Just one a springer spaniel.

[Pete_C]

I have five big dogs (lets put the combined weight between 450 and 500 lbs) .

I guess I should collect the waste and do something with it but if I just leave it there in a couple days the rolly pollys (pill bugs) are hard at work breaking it down.

No smell out back in wet or dry weather.

The city charges a "storm water treatment fee" claiming they have to treat storm water due to contamination with animal waste so I figure I might as well get my money's worth since I have a large lot and they charge by the square foot. In reality unless we have a real gully washer of a downpour there is very little run off and the extra fertilizer makes the grass and trees grow really well.

My question is if you are collecting it, why not just flush it down the toilet? When one of my dogs uses the potty patch inside, that is what I do; just scoop it up and flush away.

[shanenin]

I considered flushing it, they do make flush-able bags. The thought of dragging waste through the house in bags was a deal killer.

[JDoors]

... No smell out back in wet or dry weather. ...

Sorry, had to laugh at that one. None of my neighbors say they can smell anything either. Me? I often can't even go outside it's so bad. I have to close the windows on days when the breeze is just so. But, nope, no smell, poop sitting in the yard smells like angel's breath to them.

[Pete_C]

... No smell out back in wet or dry weather. ...

Sorry, had to laugh at that one. None of my neighbors say they can smell anything either. Me? I often can't even go outside it's so bad. I have to close the windows on days when the breeze is just so. But, nope, no smell, poop sitting in the yard smells like angel's breath to them.

Don't get me wrong; dog poop smells especially if you step in it or otherwise disturb it. Likewise if they do it inside on the potty patch you can tell right away.

But outdoors, especially in the summer when it bakes dry in a few hours it really does not have a chance to become offensive unless you pick it up and disturb it.

Also I have found that truly offensive dog poop generally means that there is something wrong. Either they have worms (get your vet to check) or they have bad intestinal flora (bacteria). The solutions are to get a proper de worming if they have worms and if you suspect bad flora, feed them some yogurt and cheddar cheese every day for a week or so and you will be amazed at the change.

Likewise canned food is often the culprit. If it smells bad going in, it will smell even worse coming out.

[JDoors]

... If it smells bad going in, it will smell even worse coming out.

Always good advice!

[irregularjoe]

This is just another reason why I'm a cat person.

Edited August 12, 2010 by irregularjoe

[JDoors]

As long as routine maintainance is performed on the litter box (or they're outside cats) ...

Personally, I'd far rather maintain a litter box than ever pick up dog poop. Eva!

[marsh_0x]

This is just another reason why I'm a cat person.

Here's a 2nd for that, my current cat has one of those auto rake to combs to the disposal box.

No mess and no odor sitting 8 feet away.

Sorry Pete, I'm a cat, tho 30 years ago had a golden lab walking around the 40 acres, it was do it here on the border or save it for another day haha

Biggest problem with that dog was eating the just ripened tomatoes.

Ouch, my picture shows BuckWheat died 2 years ago, had his own cat door to come and go.

Still hurts.

Long ago I managed for a company maintaining low income housing units in the state of Wisconsin, oh such devastation of lawns with that killer compound left behind.

They paid me well enough to get these people to use pooper scoopers or else outside border, not the lawn, otherwise find your own way home...

[Pete_C]

My dogs know how to open the screen/ storm door . They know to push the lever down on the inside with a paw and then push the door to open . They also have mastered the technique of standing up and pressing the thumb button to get the door to unlatch from the outside and prying the door open with their claws or hitting it to make it bounce open enough to stick a muzzle in.

So in spring and fall they can go in and out at will pretty much. Summer it is to hot to leave the heavy main door open for them to have access to the storm door, but then again other than early morning and late evening they really do not want to stay out for any length of time.

Walks the city requires that you have at least one plastic bag with you for picking up poop.