Dog fouling again.

[John Orentas]

Has anyone else noticed, the problem of dog mess is very much reduced this year, it seems to have become very much the norm for doggy people to cary their little shovels, plastic bags or other devices to deal with the more unpleasant habits of their companions. I must confess however I would struggle to put my hand in a bag and........ well I haven't had my breakfast yet.

 

It does go to show that public opinion and habits can be turned around and quite rapidly too.

[steveh]

It does go to show that public opinion and habits can be turned around and quite rapidly too.

 

I did notice that most people do collect the dog mess with the plastic bags. One guy we passed decided to use the canal to dispose of the plastic bag and mess after we were out of sight! One minute he's carrying a bag, splash now it's gone just imagine removing that from your prop nice.

[Liam]

We carry something which looks like a hoe, but behaves the same as one... on the boat.

 

When the dog does it's business, we just scoop/flick it into the canal. Solves every problem.

[Guest]

Has anyone else noticed, the problem of dog mess is very much reduced this year, it seems to have become very much the norm for doggy people to cary their little shovels, plastic bags or other devices to deal with the more unpleasant habits of their companions. I must confess however I would struggle to put my hand in a bag and........ well I haven't had my breakfast yet.

 

It does go to show that public opinion and habits can be turned around and quite rapidly too.

Close to home this one as a stray dog has just chosen our house as his residence. The plastic bag thing isn't too bad, certainly better than standing in it.

[mikevye]

I am speechless that someone openly admits to throwing excrement in our beautiful canals. Is it me? or is this common practise, or is it a wind up?

[Canal Shop Man]

I have a Border Collie and he is clever enough to stick his backside over the edge of the canal and deliver it straight into the water!

 

I think he does it on purpose to entertain passing boaters as he doesn't do it there if no-one is around!

[Bernie]

I am speechless that someone openly admits to throwing excrement in our beautiful canals. Is it me? or is this common practise, or is it a wind up?

No it appears to be quite common practice as we have seen it many times. We have 2 dogs and still pick up in the proverbial poo bags and then carry these along till we do see refuse or dog bins which are becoming less and less obvious since it apparently costs to much to have them emptied. At the end of the day just what is the responsible dog owner supposed to do?

[Liam]

I am speechless that someone openly admits to throwing excrement in our beautiful canals. Is it me? or is this common practise, or is it a wind up?

Why not? all Waterfowl do it, and many other animals, rats, cows etc. It all breaks down to nothing.

[GRPCruiserman]

Why not? all Waterfowl do it, and many other animals, rats, cows etc. It all breaks down to nothing.

 

I for one have no problem with the doggy doos going in the canal, as long as the plastic bag doesn't!!

 

Ideally , the dogs should poo away from the canal. The VERY LAST place that poo should be left is on the towpath, or legs cocked up on my mooring pins. ARGGGG

[kawaton]

I am speechless that someone openly admits to throwing excrement in our beautiful canals. Is it me? or is this common practise, or is it a wind up?

 

I asked a question on this forum a few months ago regarding this matter.

It seemed more people than not agreed it was ok.

 

On a trip out last week, we cruised for 55 hours, and saw 4 bins!!!!

As Bernie said, what is a reponsible owner to do?

 

I saw no end of people tossing it into the canal.

 

How can dog mess possibly make our rat p**s infested canals any worse....add that to bird c**p, oil, diesel, cleaning chemicals etc etc etc.

 

It will break up before long, and fish will eat it.

 

Until more bins are in place, its what im going to do from now on!!!

[Henhouse]

I think it all depends on where exactly the offending matter is. If it is not directly on the line which walkers, cyclists,fishermen, or other users take, (ie in the rough to one side ) then nature will break it down fairly quickly.

 

Plastic bags however do not break down, and I can remember last year walking a length of towpath, where for a large stretch the adjacent thorn bushes and barbed wire fence were literally festooned with neatly tied bags of doggy excrement. - Not a pretty sight.

 

As with many things in life, common sense and consideration is often a more valuable commodity than a hard and fast rule.

[GRPCruiserman]

I think it all depends on where exactly the offending matter is. If it is not directly on the line which walkers, cyclists,fishermen, or other users take, (ie in the rough to one side ) then nature will break it down fairly quickly.

 

Plastic bags however do not break down, and I can remember last year walking a length of towpath, where for a large stretch the adjacent thorn bushes and barbed wire fence were literally festooned with neatly tied bags of doggy excrement. - Not a pretty sight.

 

As with many things in life, common sense and consideration is often a more valuable commodity than a hard and fast rule.

 

What about when my 4 year old is playing near the boat and stands in it, it's disgusting and shouldn't be left where children can come in to contact with it. How would you like it if I came and poohed in your front garden?? Nature will break it down pretty quickly.

 

[fuzzyduck]

How would you like it if I came and poohed in your front garden??

 

so it was you!!!

Edited July 14, 2006 by fuzzyduck

[Stephen Fulcher]

Unless British Waterways provides dog bins every 100 yards then there is always going to be the need for a compromise.

 

Whether owners bag it and remove it home to their own bin, or chuck it into the canal (hopefully without bag) then that is far better than just leaving it around, even in the hedges, where as stated above children play.

[David Schweizer]

Whilst I am not sure that I particularly like the idea of dog poo being thrown into the canal, I am not sure that it will do me or anyone else much harm. When I first started boating, all human excrement was pumped (or thrown) into the canal, and no one seemed to be adversley affected by it. And as has already been pointed out there is probably far more animal poo in the canal than dog poo.

 

As for the question as to what does the responsible dog owner do? The answer is act responsibly, you chose to own a dog so you (not anyone else) are responsible for managing the consequences. Take the stuff home and bury it or put it down the loo. And if you live on a boat put it in your own loo or if you can't face sharing it with your dog, but a small porta potti (or similar container) for the creature's excerement, and dispose of it at an elsan point. It's not rocket science!!

Edited July 15, 2006 by David Schweizer

[DHutch]

Thb i think this whole thread rings of the sad state this contry has got itself into.

- We managed to servive quite happly before the "poo scoop" was invented as far as im conserned.

- Yes it is mildly annoying to step in or have to step around dog poo if/when it occurs on the path (tow or otherwise) but little more.

 

I certainly agree that inside rows of polythene poo-bags hanging from hedgerows is far worse than any other location for dog excrement!

 

 

Daniel

[DHutch]

On another side note, while on the south end of the GU it was noticed that at most lockes there where infact TWO poo-bins at most locks.

- Both a red with black fliptop bin, and a all green bin with a "kissing gate" type opening at the top (like you get on cloth recycaling bins)

- Weird, and neather of them looked like they where reguarly seen too.

 

 

Daniel

[hnb2907]

Hi all,

 

I don't mind what folks do with their doggy mess as long as it's not left there for me to tread it into my boat.

 

Personally I'd prefer that it's not not on the towpath - or the other really annoying thing that seems to be happening - decorating trees and hedges with bags of it handing up. On our last 2+1/2 week cruise around the four counties, there were numerous trees adorned with bags of the stuff, and sometimes more than 1 'collection'. It was like some sort of new Christmas in the beginning of May!!!

 

At least if it's in the canal (without the bag), surely that's ok - cows, sheep, ducks and other wildlife do it in there already, don't they? Musn't forget the fish... ;o)

 

 

Cheers,

ChrisC.

Edited July 17, 2006 by hnb2907

[Maffi]

The question to ask of dog owners is : What do you do when your dog dumps in your garden?

 

Do you leave it for nature to take care of? NO!

 

Do you scoop it into the goldfish pond? NO!

 

Do you neatly hang it in a plastic bag on the garden fence? NO!

 

So why leave it when you are out?

 

If my memory serves me well it is illegal to throw anything in the Canal, biodegradable or not.

 

What wild animals/birds/fish/etc do is a whole different ballgame.

 

If you can't find a proper disposal point take it home!

Edited July 18, 2006 by Maffi

[Guest]

The question to ask of dog owners is : What do you do when your dog dumps in your garden?

 

Do you leave it for nature to take care of? NO!

 

Do you scoop it into the goldfish pond? NO!

 

Do you neatly hang it in a plastic bag on the garden fence? NO!

 

So why leave it when you are out?

 

If my memory serves me well it is illegal to throw anything in the Canal, biodegradable or not.

 

What wild animals/birds/fish/etc do is a whole different ballgame.

 

If you can't find a proper disposal point take it home!

Can't argue with that one.

[kawaton]

In an ideal world im sure thats what everyone would do.

But its not is it.

 

Theres no point in pretending it is, and moaning when people dont conform to what you expect.

I said it before and i'll say it again. Start fining people who leave the mess. With the fines pay for more bins. ....but of course that requires action, when most people are just content to whinge

 

Most people are too lazy to take it home. (At home they dont have to get it straight away, and its no effort when they do.)

 

Or they are on a boat. (we cruised for 2 days the other week, with a growing pile of bags full of dog mess, until we eventually found a disposal point).

 

or just starting out on a 4 hour long walk. (in this heat, i think most people would refuse to walk with a bag full of dog mess for too long)

 

If there are no bins around, people will leave it, or toss it in the canal. FACT.

 

guess the police best get their act together and start arresting people for throwing bread into the canal to feed ducks.......after all, we musnt throw ANYTHING into the canal

[mikevye]

Nice one Maffi prior to your answer I was beginning to think it was me that had the problem but your answer came in the nick of time to reassure me of my opinion which is pick it up not kick it in!

[Maffi]

In an ideal world im sure thats what everyone would do.

But its not is it.

 

Theres no point in pretending it is, and moaning when people dont conform to what you expect.

I said it before and i'll say it again. Start fining people who leave the mess. With the fines pay for more bins. ....but of course that requires action, when most people are just content to whinge

 

Most people are too lazy to take it home. (At home they dont have to get it straight away, and its no effort when they do.)

 

or just starting out on a 4 hour long walk. (in this heat, i think most people would refuse to walk with a bag full of dog mess for too long)

 

I dont expect people to do anything. I was just pointing that that people don't do it at home so why do it while you are out.

 

I burp and fart as and when I please when I am at home but I don't do it when I go out.

 

 

If there are no bins around, people will leave it, or toss it in the canal. FACT

.

 

And if they get caught they will be fined FACT!

 

guess the police best get their act together and start arresting people for throwing bread into the canal to feed ducks.......after all, we musnt throw ANYTHING into the canal

 

As it happens bread is not the best thing to feed ducks with anyway.

 

Oh and arsey doesn't suit you!

[kawaton]

I dont expect people to do anything. I was just pointing that that people don't do it at home so why do it while you are out.

 

I burp and fart as and when I please when I am at home but I don't do it when I go out.

.

 

And if they get caught they will be fined FACT!

As it happens bread is not the best thing to feed ducks with anyway.

 

Oh and arsey doesn't suit you!

 

Arsey probably doesnt suit me, but debating something that is close to my heart does.

(you should know where im coming from here)

 

You dont have a dog.....and neither do most people who complain about dog mess.

but the problem is all of ours.

 

Its very easy for you as a non dog owner to just say.."oh it should be picked up and taken away. Its your problem as a dog owner"

well its not, its all of our problems.

 

As you know, i do clean up after my dogs, but others dont.

Trying to find the best way to deal with it, will help us all.

 

I appreciate you dont burp and fart while you are out. I am most grateful for this...thankyou for sparing us.

 

IF they get caught they will be fined...thats a big if. I dont know anybody who has been fined.

 

I never said they wouldnt be fined, I was trying to say that this needs to be clamped down upon, and the money invested in bins.

 

until then, ill be putting my dog mess in the canal. I hear the fish like it more than the bread.

 

Some people wont be happy until all dogs are banned from the towpath. but i'll be long gone by then......

 

Maffi - you know i have a lot of respect for the things you say.....But on this subject i think we must agree to disagree

Edited July 19, 2006 by kawaton

[John Orentas]

The point I was making in my original thread was that it appears the problem is well on it's way to being eradicated, people who just a few years ago would resent being asked to clean up after their dog now do it as a matter of course. A true case of public opinion being changed for the better and we haven't had many of those lately.