We hear it all the time: “Eh, I just leave it out there. It's basically fertilizer, right?” We get it. It's an easy thing to believe, especially when it's chilly out and the yard is covered in leaves. But dog poop doesn't feed your lawn. It actually does the opposite, and it brings a few unwelcome guests along with it. Here's the quick rundown.

Why it's not like cow manure

The manure people spread on gardens mostly comes from cows, horses and other plant-eaters, and it's usually aged or composted before it goes anywhere near a flower bed. Dogs are a different story. Their food is packed with protein, so what comes out the other end is heavy on nitrogen and a lot more acidic.

A little nitrogen is good for grass. A concentrated pile of it sitting in one spot is not. That's how you end up with those yellow and brown dead patches, and the pile smothers the grass underneath on top of that.

It doesn't just disappear

Leaving it to “break down on its own” takes a lot longer than most people think. Depending on the weather, a pile can hang around for weeks or even months, and cold weather slows things down even more. Rain doesn't really wash it away either. Mostly it just spreads it around.

The gross part: what's living in it

Dog waste can carry bacteria and parasites you really don't want in the spot where your kids play or your dog naps. A few of the usual suspects:

Roundworms. Their eggs can survive in soil for years.
Hookworms. The larvae can get in through bare skin, so barefoot in a messy yard is a no.
Giardia and coccidia. Tiny parasites behind a lot of upset doggy stomachs.
Bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

Your dog can pick this stuff right back up just by sniffing around the yard, which is how a lot of pups get reinfected after a round of dewormer. And kids, well, kids touch everything.

Where it goes when it rains

This one surprises people. When it rains, whatever's on your lawn can wash into the street and down the storm drain. In a lot of neighborhoods, storm drains don't go to a treatment plant. They flow straight out to local creeks and rivers. The EPA counts pet waste as a real source of water pollution for exactly this reason. One yard isn't the end of the world, but a whole block's worth of yards adds up fast.

Fall makes it sneakier

Right about now is when things get tricky. Leaves cover the yard, it gets dark earlier, and nobody wants to go hunting around out there after work. So it piles up under the leaves, and come spring you've got a whole season's worth showing up at once. Plus, if you rake or mulch your leaves, you're raking or mulching whatever's hiding under them too. Not great.

So how often should you scoop?

A good rule of thumb:

One dog: at least once a week.
Two or more dogs, or a small yard: twice a week is better.
Kids who play out there a lot: lean toward more often, not less.

When you do scoop, bag it and toss it in the trash. Don't hose it into the grass or down the storm drain, and keep it out of the compost pile that feeds your vegetable garden. Backyard compost usually doesn't get hot enough to kill off the parasites.

Or, you know, let us do it

If scooping is the chore everybody in your house pretends not to see, that's literally what we do. We're a small local crew here in the Philly area, and we come out on a regular schedule so the yard stays clean without anyone having to think about it. Get a quick quote or check out our pricing. Your lawn (and your shoes) will thank you.

Dog Poop Isn't Fertilizer (Sorry, We Checked)