Oh no, Dog poop!!

[Tyronedeblanco]

I just learned how bad dog poop is for your vegetable garden.  I don't put it on my garden, but where we have been disposing of it is within 10 ft on a slope towards the garden.  Im guessing i should relocate the garden this year.  Should i be concerend or am I over-reacting? 

[CopperKnight]

Relax.  You are over-reacting. 

The main point is that you aren't just throwing it in the compost or dumping it into the garden.  10 feet away is more than enough.  Honestly, it's not really that bad.  It's just carnivore poo instead of herbivore poo and it doesn't break down as fast and doesn't contain all the right stuff. 

I have dogs that leave piles in my back yard.  While I make an effort to pick the piles up, I have no doubt that over the years stuff has gotten sucked into the mower and dumped with the grass clippings into my garden. 

[Terroir]

I agree with CopperKnight, especially if you aren't talking about 50 lbs of fresh canine poop going directly into your garden. Ever hear of humanure, composted human waste? To hear some folks talk about it, you'd think its deadly stuff. Funny thing, the Japanese and Chinese have been fertilizing their rice paddies and gardens with it for 4,000 or more years. It does take a bit longer (>1 year) for omnivorous and carnivorous waste to decompose, but it's ok.

Heck on larger farms that still use animal power, horses and such are composted when they die! Why waste all of those nutrients?

[mxitman]

I have my dog poo oits within about 10-12' of my garden but I also have 2 compost piles in between that and my garden. I dig a 3'deep x 2' hole and then put in a little woodchips and then fill in with manure over the course of 6 months...then when it gets about to 8-10" of the top I pile it with dirt and dig another hole...I keep a stout board on top to prevent anyone from stepping in it. Has worked for me for many years...a little work shoveling every few days is all.

[chickchoc]

Dog poop is no big deal.  I have 3 dogs which use my backyard exclusively for a "potty."  During the warm months, I do the "poo patrol" daily and simply throw everything into the compost heap.  This is composed of grass clippings, small branches, and other yard waste.  I don't do anything during the winter and come spring, the patches of bright green "fertilized" lawn are located where the dog waste was deposited on the lawn. 

I certainly wouldn't put the poo directly into a garden from which I intended to eat anything, but then fresh manure of any kind will burn up plants.  I wouldn't think there would be any problems with pet poo set away from a food garden IF the animals producing it were parasite-free.