Dog Doo

[JChitwood]

Outside mag has decided the proper distance for picking up dog waste is 1/4 mile from the trailhead. It’s pretty crazy how many bags I see on the local trails around Castle Rock and Monument.

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-a ... ent=170222

[Scott P]

It’s pretty crazy how many bags I see on the local trails around Castle Rock and Monument.

It's everywhere!

[Vacas Valley]

And after a 1/4 mile, just leave the s**t on the trail? I’m not sure I understand. Or is it anything above a 1/4 mile clean up? Dogs doo a a lot of things, but one thing they don’t doo, is clean up after themselves.

[Wentzl]

I want one dog owner to chime in and explain how it makes sense to pick up dog shi*, put it in a plastic bag and then set the bag back down on the ground. Or better yet, why it seemed like a good idea to hang said bag in a tree.

Oh yeah, and just in case this fact was missed. Dogs are property. People own dogs. What dogs do is the responsibility of the dog owner.

[cedica]

What dogs do is the responsibility of the dog owner.

And now I wanna be your dog.

[madbuck]

I want one dog owner to chime in and explain how it makes sense to pick up dog shi*, put it in a plastic bag and then set the bag back down on the ground.

The psychology is this: hey, I'm a dog owner (actually fur baby parent). I'm outdoorsy and I like to hike! Like, 2-3 miles every couple weekends. I see dog poop bags and it doesn't bother me -- why does it bother you? Lighten up! I'll pick it up on the way back. And sometimes I pick up an extra one!
It is not dissimilar to smokers who are not bothered by secondhand smoke.
...
That is, there's an acceptance of the ugliness of dog poop bags lining the trail because there's a benefit in not having to carry your own.
Obviously, this breaks down for the
1. Responsible dog owners prepared to backtrack and throw away or carry (recommendation: old yogurt or other sealable containers)
2. Everybody else that derives no benefit of convenience but now has zero chance of enjoying popular trails (e.g. Mt. Sanitas in Boulder, Arthur's Rock and Hewlett Gulch in FoCo) that aren't always absolutely lined with dog poop bags
3. People that run/bike/ski for longer periods of time or distance, in which they will encounter and have to dodge double-digit dog poop bags
4. Fact that it's not socially acceptable to leave used diapers along the trail

[My-Therapy]

Piles of dog poo are annoying to see, although I find a vast majority of the poo piles are off to the side of the trail or off the trail completely. Horse crap on the other hand generally ends up down the center of the trail and lots of it.

[Jon Frohlich]

I want one dog owner to chime in and explain how it makes sense to pick up dog shi*, put it in a plastic bag and then set the bag back down on the ground. Or better yet, why it seemed like a good idea to hang said bag in a tree.

I don't think the people that do this are the sort of people who post on this forum. I see them as the same type of people that make a horrific mess at a restaurant and then tip 5% because it's the job of the waitstaff to clean up after them.

I hike with 3 dogs and we carry all of it or take it back to the car if it's close enough. Sometimes it smells but so do I after a long hike. It's not a big deal.

[cheechaco]

Former fur baby parent here. Please keep in mind most of the peaks I did with my pup were off the beaten path (I gonna guess he had 150 peaks, of which I don't think he had any 14ers, mainly because of the crowds). Most of his peaks were bushwhacks as well. If he shat near or on the trail, I bagged it and put it in the water bottle pocket of my pack, period (found a couple in that pocket after not hiking for a few weeks as well, STANKY!). If the trail was low traffic, he would be off leash (roast me if you want) and would roam side to side of the trail, a little in front, or a little behind, within 50-60 feet of me. I'm sure he left some doggy bombs in the woods. Bushwhacking, well, that was 100% off leash, and I'm sure he left a few piles in the vast expanse of wilderness we would be exploring. To me this is not an issue. One single time, at Staunton State Park my wife wanted to leave a poop bag on the side of the trail, swearing up and down that she would pick it up on the return. She failed. I was pissed. I walked the few miles back up the trail, picking up every bag I found along the way. If you bag it (which should be standard operating procedure if it is within site of the trail) , put that s**t in your pack. If your scared of it being messy, use a poo tube. If that is too difficult for you then just stay home, you are not responsible enough use the trails. It is your dog, your responsibility.

[mtree]

The article was too long and wordy to keep me interested, but after a couple paragraphs and the last I get the gist. I have a dog, but I'm not a card carrying, proud fur baby surrogate. My dog is a dog. Some dog owners go a little overboard, but I digress.

I agree the turd bags on trails is absurd. Why don't we all leave our wrappers, containers, etc. on the side of the trail and pick them up later? It'll make the hike look like a garbage dump and who doesn't like a good frolic through garbageness. I say, either take your turd bag with you or kick the poo well-off the trail. It ain't that hard. You could even carry a little pooper trowel to bury it or move it. No more dog diapers filling up landfills. Prius owners will love you.

My dog won't download software in the middle of a trail. No, she hasn't been trained. I think its because her home backs up to a natural field so she thinks tall, dead grass is her litter box. So, I don't do anything. She just chops a log several feet off trail on her very own. (On the rare occasion I'm walking her in an urban park, I'll pack it, carry it, and dispose it.) If your little Pookie can't accomplish this feat, bag it and take it, or skip the bag and take the Browns to the Superbowl yourself. Leave the trail looking like it should for the next chump.

[mindfolded]

My dog won't download software in the middle of a trail. No, she hasn't been trained. I think its because her home backs up to a natural field so she thinks tall, dead grass is her litter box. So, I don't do anything. She just chops a log several feet off trail on her very own. (On the rare occasion I'm walking her in an urban park, I'll pack it, carry it, and dispose it.) If your little Pookie can't accomplish this feat, bag it and take it, or skip the bag and take the Browns to the Superbowl yourself. Leave the trail looking like it should for the next chump.

Dog s**t scares off animals and reduces wildlife encounters on trails. Pick your dog's s**t up so people can see some animals when they go hiking.

[mtree]

My dog won't download software in the middle of a trail. No, she hasn't been trained. I think its because her home backs up to a natural field so she thinks tall, dead grass is her litter box. So, I don't do anything. She just chops a log several feet off trail on her very own. (On the rare occasion I'm walking her in an urban park, I'll pack it, carry it, and dispose it.) If your little Pookie can't accomplish this feat, bag it and take it, or skip the bag and take the Browns to the Superbowl yourself. Leave the trail looking like it should for the next chump.

Dog s**t scares off animals and reduces wildlife encounters on trails. Pick your dog's s**t up so people can see some animals when they go hiking.

Prove it.
Dogs and people reduce wildlife encounters on trails.

No dad. I will not pursue that endeavor. My dog doesn't poop on trails or near trails. If she did, I would remove accordingly.