Why does my dog produce more then she consumes?

[DByers]

Simple question and I think all of us with dogs know what I am talking about.
So, what the hell is up with that? Any vets in the house?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Dan, Not sure that is physically possible....but I know EXACTLY what you mean. I have TWO Labradors; one is about 85 lbs and the other is 100 lbs. Production runs high in my backyard.

There is one thing though that may give you the impresson she is producing more than she really is. My dogs tend to sort of waddle a few steps around when they poop. This means that in going once they produce multiple piles! Not sure why they do it, but they do.

[Jandrews]

Agree! I have two Rhodesian Ridgebacks - Mason (105 lbs) and Moses (120 lbs). Mason regularly walks in a 20 foot diameter circle while fully hunched over making boom boom. It is darn funny looking to see a 100 lb. dog walking around like that! Our backyard is full of land mines. Luckily, it is 1.5 acres so they spread out pretty good.


JA

[motion]

So what do ya do? Just let them lay around and wait for the half life to kick in? I'm asking because I'm gonna have a dog soon and am a bit perplexed about this very issue.

[Dan in Pasadena]

I'm not so fortunate to have acreage so...the easiest way to deal with this is clean up after them EVERY day, but do it the easy way - get one of those hose end sprayers that adjusts from shower spray to needle. Use it to disintegrate the poop into liquid and it disappears into the lawn as fertilizer. If you don't do it daily, it hardens off and won't break down. Granted, doing it every day is a pain, but not nearly as much as having a stinky, nasty, crap smeared shovel around and a bag of dog poop or a trash can that forever smells like fresh poop.

[Jandrews]

I think Dan has it right with the hose blaster. For us, our dogs pretty much stick close to the wooded portion of our lot, so it isn't a major problem. When they do leave a statue in the grass that is within the kids playing area, I blast it with the hose. And it is EXCELLENT fertilizer. The grass is noticably lusher in spots where they dump.


JA

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally posted by Jandrews
I....When they do leave a statue in the grass...

Hilarious! I'll have to remember that little characterization

Since I have two big dogs - whichever one craps first...the other has to go pee on or around wherethe first one went right afterward thereby causing burn spots in the lawn in the hot summer months. The water trick eliminates that and your lawn gets fertilized. Not to mention that with the usual shovel method it leaves stinky smears on the grass - lovely! This way is better all the way around!

[Joe Bob]

Get a Dauchshund....itty bity turds....so are their poops....

[DByers]

I walk my 85lb black lab both in the am and pm and she relieves herself on both walks. I will also find a min. of 4 large piles of krap in the backyard daily that I pick up! I dont use the hose methoed as we have 3 kids that like to play in the backyard so I have to always make sure no land mines are present.

I just dont get it? The poop is starting to drive me insane after 11 years. Not to mention the damn dog snores like a chainsaw!
I love y dog and have always had a dog since I can remember but at some point don't they stop shyting in the yard?

Thats my rant for tonight. Time for another shot of tekillya.

[Joe Bob]

Just like the wife....except for the crapping in the yard part....have to wear earplugs to get any sleep....

[Dan in Pasadena]

Dan, Dogs are a piece of work...all of them... and all of them in a different way!

My 14 year old (yes, 14!) Black Lab 88 pounder, Dudley is very, very elderly. A walk for him is around the block once....maybe. His rear legs are weak but the vet says he's not in pain so he's with me still. That dog MUST pee on EVERY growing thing and he usually has to poop on each walk too, no matter how short.

My 3 year old blonde 100 lb Lab, Sooner (and he's not fat, he's friggin HUGE!) will not poop on a walk no matter what. I've taken him on day long hikes through the San Gabriels and he WILL NOT poop until we get back to our little backyard....I guess he's shy.

[HarryD]

We have a 8 month old Golden (50 lbs and growing). Will only pee or poop in certain places in our yard. Will wait forever to get there if she has to. We just pick them up, encapulate them and wait for the trash guy.

[WolfeMacleod]

If you guys think your dogs produce a lot of doo, you need to come meet my two cats....

[azasadny]

A large percentage of solid waste is water, so there's alot more than solid waste there. We have three ferrets and I clean their cage once a week and it's easy!!!

[stomachmonkey]

Originally posted by motion
So what do ya do? Just let them lay around and wait for the half life to kick in? I'm asking because I'm gonna have a dog soon and am a bit perplexed about this very issue.

Walk the dog. Sounds like a pain in the ass but I gotta tell you it's one of the most relaxing things you can do.

Better for the dog as well. Gives them some stimulation which most breeds need. Bored dogs can be destructive.

If it's pouring or 3 oclcock in the morning I won't walk em, they go out back. You try to teach them to use the same spot and keep it scooped.

When you walk them the easiest way to deal with it is a plastic bag from the supermarket. You need a dog with a tail for this though, you slide one handle over the dogs tail, when they squat you reach in from the front and grab the other handle and pull forward. Dog ends up crapping right in the bag and you don't need to experience picking up that warm, smelly, steaming, soft pile of turd.

[Jims5543]

I guess its a lab thing, my lab walks around and poos too. It pisses me off because I have to go on the poo search and find all the tootsie rolls.

Motion, I live on a small lot in Florida and have to clean up after the dog daily. I also have a 3 y/o kid that likes to play in the yard.

I use this:


Its awesome no mess and you just tie off the bag and throw the poo away. If your truly wealthy there is actually a pooper scooper service you can hire like a lawn service to do it for you.

Petsmart Scooper

[billyboy]

I have been told that the better the food is that they are fed, the less poo they will produce. Of course,this came from people in pet stores that sell expensive dog food. Most of the waste is waste when it goes in. I don't really care since I have acreage . My dogs eat wal-mart food. Seems to be ok. My rottwieler lived to 17 with no health issues and very happy to the end.

[JeffO]

billy is exactly right, i feed my 3 dogs a premium high protien content food. the poo is at least a lttle less volumos.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally posted by JeffO
billy is exactly right, i feed my 3 dogs a premium high protien content food. the poo is at least a lttle less volumos.

Without a doubt. Better food ='s less filler in the food ='s less food consumed by pooch ='s less poo.

Just adopted a cat that was fed whatever was on sale when the owner went shopping.

Put her on a diet of IAM's and within a month her coat was shiny, she shed less, lost some wheight and her attitude is better.

Avoid high protein food for puppies, especially large breeds.

Makes them grow to fast which can lead to major joint issues down the road.

Some people think a high protein diet for puppies makes them bigger adults, not true, they'll reach their max potential without a high protein diet, it'll just happen at a normal, not accelerated rate.

[tabs]

When I take my Girl for a walk, she backs herself up to a bush and drops her load. In the yard she used to go at the sandy end of the yard. I guess she sensed I wasn't too pleased with having to pick up the stuff, so now she does her thang on my fake grass. One thing about living in LV, its so dry out here that Dog ***** petrifys in a day or so.