How to pick up dog poop without gagging is something that everyone that owns a pet has to deal with on a daily basis and picking up dog poop is no easy task.
I have been picking up dog poop for a long time and over the years I have come up with a range of ways to do so without gagging.
I wish I could say that managing dog waste was my dream career, but unfortunately, I never imagined it would be something that would be part of my everyday life.
So, if you can stomach reading about it, here are some useful tips that will help you out.
Table of Contents
19 Ways To Help You Pick Up Dog Poop Without Gagging
1. Use poop scoop:
A poop scoop can make the unpleasant job much easier.
No need to squish the poop in your hand or try to pick it up with your hands.
Poop scoops are made of high-quality materials, like stainless steel and high-impact plastic.
It’s a good idea to buy one with a rubberized handle so it won’t slip from your hand.
A poop scoop is the best tool for picking up dog poop.
2. Choose gloves:
Gloves are a must-have item when picking up dog poop.
It’s important to choose the right glove for the job.
Leather gloves are not a good idea because they will get wet and turn into poop magnets.
Don’t use rubber gloves because any poop that gets on your hands will stay there if you wear rubber gloves.
You can either choose latex or nitrile gloves.
Choose a size that is at least one size too big so if you touch the dog poop, it won’t get through the glove’s holes to your hand.
3. Don’t look down:
Focus on the dog poop, not on its smell.
Don’t let your eye gaze linger on the poop.
If you focus on it too much, you might get nauseous and throw up.
Use something to distract yourself from thinking about the dog poop and how it smells.
4. Be efficient:
Pretend you’re a robot and go about scooping up the dog poop in an efficient manner.
You don’t want to think about your job as a person handling a dog poop.
You don’t want to have to get a new pair of gloves, redo the scooping process and worry about worse smell that might come from the poop you just picked up.
The faster you pick them up, the less of a mess there will be to clean up later.
5. Use plastic bag:
Use a plastic bag or cloth to pick up the dog poop without touching it.
Place this over the whole pile, then tie it with a knot and pull it out of the ground.
Better yet, as above, use a litter scoop that is designed especially for dog poop.
This is the best tool because it keeps your hands away from the poop and you can scoop poop out of grassy, wooded areas easily.
6. Use poop bag holder:
Try to use a poop bag holder so you don’t have to touch the poop or even look at it while picking it up.
Poop bag holders are designed to hold poop bags in place so you don’t have to touch the poop or the dog poop bag.
It can also be used on a leash for easy pick up.
7. Avoid direct contact with the dog poop:
It is inevitable that you will touch dog poop at some point or another.
It’s best to put on latex or nitrile gloves so you can avoid direct contact with the dog poop.
Use a long-handled poop scooper to scoop out the poop so your hands are even farther away from the poop. U
8. Spray it up with water first:
The very first time you try to pick up dog poop, if possible, spray the pile of poop with water from a hose.
This will help you avoid touching the pile of poop and prevent unwanted bacteria from getting into your gloves and onto your hands when picking up the dog poop later on.
9. Get in and out as quickly as possible:
It’s best to pick up dog poop as quickly as possible.
It’s the best idea to pull out the poop within 15 seconds.
That way, you don’t have too much time to think about it.
Avoid looking, touching or smelling the poop when you are picking up dog poop.
9.Pick up dog poop with paper towel or toilet paper roll:
Use a paper towel or toilet paper roll to pick up the dog poop without touching it.
This is an easy and less expensive way to pick up dog poop.
10. Use poop sifter:
Sifters are useful for scooping up crumbly dog poo that doesn’t break apart easily.
To clean your sifter, wash it in soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
11. Use a poop shovel:
A poop shovel is a special tool used to pick up dog poop.
It looks like an ordinary shovel but it has a grip at the end of the handle so you can pick up dog poop without touching it.
Be sure to use a plastic poop bag holder, not your hand, to pull out the dog poop with the scoop shovel.
12. Buy a poop vacuum:
If you have many dogs or if you live in a city with many stray dogs, it’s a good idea to buy a poop vacuum.
It’s especially useful for picking up poop in wooded areas.
13. Use poop trowel:
A trowel is similar to a scoop shovel except that it has no end grip and you hold it by its main handle.
This works especially well when you don’t need to touch or see the dog poop because you can simply drop it into your garbage bag in the trash can and close it from that distance.
14. If touched, use antiseptic wipes (alcohol):
If you must touch the dog poop or the ground where it was dumped, use antiseptic wipes such as alcohol wipes to clean your hands.
Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water after you use these wipes.
15. Wear a mask:
Wear a mask that covers all of your nose and mouth at all times when picking up dog poop so that the smell of the dog poop doesn’t bother you further.
Make sure to keep breathing through your mouth, not your nose while picking up dog poop so that you don’t inhale the smell of the dog poop itself.
16. Use tongs:
Use tongs to pick up the dog poop after spraying it with water and spreading it out.
This will prevent you from having to touch the dog poop directly.
Use the tongs to pick it up without looking at it or focusing too much on its smell.
17. Use fertilizer gloves:
Fertilizer gloves are used by gardeners to protect their hands from fertilizers that might irritate their skin.
Fertilizer gloves are a good way to pick up dog poop because they protect you from the dog poop’s bacteria.
To protect yourself further from skin irritation, it’s a good idea to wear latex or nitrile gloves underneath the fertilizer gloves.
18. Use a rake:
If the dog poop is a small pile, you can use a rake to scoop it up and put it into a garbage bag.
Make sure to spray the poop with water first before you use the rake so the poop doesn’t stick to the rake’s tines.
19. Use a Litter Scoop:
A litter scoop is a scooper that’s designed especially for picking up cat litter, including clumps of cat feces, without touching it.
A litter scoop will save you time and effort because you don’t have to pick up the poop one piece at a time.
Simply scoop up the poop and put it into your plastic bag for disposal.
Final Thoughts
If you try some of the above methods to pick up dog poop without gagging, you should be able to handle the job with ease.
The key is to use lots of gloves and scoop dog poop into a plastic bag when you have the chance.
If you’re going for a walk, make sure you bring a plastic bag with you to pick up any dog poop that may pop up along the way.
