Of all the “third rail” topics concerning dogs, here’s one I never could have guessed would make some people incensed: A passerby putting a bag of dog poop in their garbage can. Ack! Apparently, this makes some homeowners angry enough that they put signs on or next to their garbage cans, set up security cameras in order to identify and eventually confront the offenders, or threatening penalties for the alleged “theft of services” (using someone else’s garbage service).
Personally, I can’t imagine getting upset enough about someone putting a bag of even very smelly dog poop in my trash can—but I have to admit that the only time this might even be possible is on trash pickup day, when my garbage bin is out on the street and accessible to passersby. And while it would not be very nice if someone dropped stinky poo in the bin after the garbage truck had emptied the bin—so it would conceivably stink up the bin for another week—I don’t have my bins close enough to my house that I risk smelling that smell, except for the second or three that it takes to put other bags of garbage in there. But I live in a rural area, so I guess I’m spoiled.
My son and his wife had a baby late last fall, and I’ve been visiting them at least once monthly in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area where they live. One of the few ways I can make myself useful to them as they adjust to live as new parents is to walk their dog, Cole, catching him up on exercise he’s been missing on the days with higher levels of baby maintenance. We’ve also gone for family walks, with my son or his wife carrying baby Maddie in a soft wrap or pushing her in a stroller. We were on one such walk when, after I had picked up one of Cole’s poops and was about to put it in someone’s garbage bin that was waiting at the curb to be picked up, my son stopped me. “Mom!” he said. “You can’t do that here! Someone will probably come out of the house and yell at you!”
We spent the rest of the walk talking about all the tactics he had seen deployed in his and his friends’ neighborhoods—tactics that people are using to keep dog-walkers from putting dog poop in their garbage. As we walked, my son pointed out signs, security cameras, locks on the garbage bins, and locked cages that secure the bins in his neighborhood. Yowsa! There was a war going on that I was not even aware of!
I guess it makes sense, particularly in urban areas where the density of dogs being walked daily is very high—and where your garbage bin is very likely stored in your garage, or right next to your home and possibly even under a window.
I don’t particularly enjoy carrying dog poop for the rest of a walk—especially if I’m walking more than one dog, or the dog is like Cole, who seems to go to extra trouble to force himself to poop at least three times on every walk, even if the last one is just the size or a grape. But the answer for me is to simply carry a “poop pack-out” bag: one of the new-generation odor-containing bags that enable you to carry several bags of poop securely and without smelling it, until you get home and can dispose of the poop in your own garbage bin.
We first recommended one of these products in WDJ’s Gear of the Year 2024. I ordered one on the strength of our veterinarian reviewer, who walks two large dogs daily and said she could fit the waste of both dogs in the Olive & Odin Poop Pouch. I was skeptical that the bag would truly work to completely contain the odor, but it did! I once carried the bag in a large fanny pack on a long hike, and had to occasion to put not one but two bags of dog poop in the bag. Once home, I accidentally left the fanny pack, with the dog-waste bag inside it (and the dog poop bags inside that), in my car for over a week—and never smelled a thing! These bags use an odor-containing technology that truly traps the foul odor of poop in the bag.
At the time of our review, I wasn’t aware of this type of product at all. Today, there are at least a dozen competing products on the market, including ones by Ruffwear and Kong.
The only problem with these bags is that none of them seem to come with a carrying strap; one needs to put them inside a backpack or fanny pack or fasten them somehow onto the belt for your treat-carrying pouch, or just resign oneself to carrying them by the strap used to close them. Despite this minor inconvenience, they certainly do make it more pleasant (less unpleasant) to carry home several (or one very large) bag full of dog poop for disposal in your own garbage bin.
I wouldn’t care if the garbage can was at the curb and hadn’t been picked up by the garbage trucks. (Provided the poop was in a bag, of course.) We do keep the garbage can in our garage, so I wouldn’t want the poop bag(s) sitting in there during the week. Although I guess I drop ours in there when we get home from a walk. That all depends on where we are when I’m picking it up. If we are by a dumpster or a park’s garbage barrel, I’ll use that.
I don’t think I’ve ever used someone’s garbage can at the curb.
Don’t most urban neighborhoods have dog bag dispensers that also have poop cans? Maybe I’m spoiled in Dallas, but I just wait until I go by the next location for one of those. I realize not all neighborhoods have them every 10 feet (slight exageration), but it has never bothered me to carry the bag until I get to a “dog-poop trash location”. I do like the idea of the extra bag to “pack-out” the poop bags. I do agree, don’t put your poop in someone else’s trash container (unless you need to get back at them for some reason :)). But it’s been a long-time since I’ve walked a dog in most any setting (urban, suburb, and even rural) where I haven’t seen a bag & poop dispensing location (ok, maybe at the large trash that is for businesses or apartment/office complexes). Just don’t put it in someone’s personal trash container.
my neighborhood has smaller, older houses with very few garages, so bins are outside. When visiting with neighbors outside in my yard, I’ve always encouraged him to drop in my bin – ‘are you sure?’ I guess some people get fixated on ‘my property’ or feeling others act entitled by just dropping it in someone’s bin without asking first. I’d rather have that than them leaving their dogs poop on my property or sidewalk!
Try the Crap Carrier by Wilderdog..attaches to your leash and holds the bag of poop–hands free!… Works great, have many.
I wish I had that problem. Nobody cleans up after their dog in my area. It is a minefield, on bike paths, walking trials, it is awful.
Now , I am starting to understand why more and more areas are not allowing dogs on grass, trails or parks. It is very disappointment to me that people will not clean up after their animals.
I remember a time when public garbage cans were everywhere, to keep areas clean. But now they are hard if not impossible to find. I suspect it is because the city doesn’t want the extra expense of emptying them. Some of ours have locks and holes cut out in the top, to discourage people for using them as a general dump. It is a very sad time.
I think we should invest in dog waste stations at parks, trails, bike paths, walking paths that have bags and disposal . Other states do this, Oregon, Washington and Idaho so why can’t California?
It may not help my situation but at least it would help some of those who forgot to bring a poop bag? And give responsible owners a place to dispose of their dog waste.
Where I live there is a Nextdoor program where people can reach out to each other informing of new events or potential dangers. One of the things that I noticed was this very subject of people dumping their bag of dog poop into trash receptacles of other home owners. I for one am an owner of 2 large Great Danes and have always carried my dogs poop home. I have witnessed others dropping into my trash bin and would rather them doing that than just leaving it on the side of the sidewalk or on the sidewalk or even worse not picking it up. When I first moved into the area 8 years ago I was shocked at how bad pet owners were about being responsible for their pets. Today I give them a B+ There are still some green poop bags laying around at the side of the sidewalks. Very sad!
I have a neighbor who walks out of his house with his dog, crosses the street, lets his dog poop on the parkway in front of my or my neighbor’s house, leaves it and goes back home. Do I wish he would pick it up and leave it in my trash can? That would be preferable. There are also the insensitive people who put the poop bags in the recycling or yard waste bins. I personally always try to carry my dog’s poop home and throw it in my bin. If it stinks, I will breathe through my mouth. It’s a small sacrifice. I try to be neighborly even if my neighbors are not. There are bigger problems in the world.
I have a zippered poop pouch from Ruffwear. It came with a nylon web belt but also has a clip to attach to your own belt or waistband. The pouch has a separate compartment with a slit for the bag roll end to feed through. It is very convenient, easily carries 2+ poops, and does a good job containing odor. I live in a semi-rural area (homes are on small acreage and well away from the road). I have placed trash found in front of a property in their can if it was out by the road, but would never use another’s can for my trash, especially dog poop bags. I just carry it home or if stopping by a park, drop it in a can there.
I was visiting my mom and she was upset that a neighbor was putting trash in her can repeatedly once it was out on the curb waiting for trash pickup. I wasn’t sure of the rules but thought it was rude. I contacted the trash disposal company in San Jose and I was informed that the trash cans are the property of the disposal company and that the neighbor or anyone else, could put trash in the can. However, I have been told that there may be a city ordinance that has different rules. I am ok with our can be using on trash pickup day. I have even told my neighbors that. I don’t want it sitting in the can after pick up though. It smells too much, especially in the summer!
Our city uses a ‘pay by bag’ system. We buy a roll of bags at a retail store to pay for trash pick up. Only trash in a bag is picked up by the trash crew, anything loose is left behind. You can imagine why leaving a poop bag in someone’s trash barrel would be infuriating.
We have the big 360 gallons bins at the townhouse complex where I live and they are in the alleyways so nobody notices it. However! At the dog park I take my dog to there’s a 90 gallon container by the street and even in sub zero temps the smell can about knock you over. Come summer in the 80’s and above…It reeks for at least twenty feet. Then again it is only dog poop. Where as a regular garbage can should have plenty of other garbage to keep the can from stinking.