Dog Waste Removal Tools

Picking up dog waste may not be loads of fun, but you do have an array of tools to help you complete the task. A number of scooper types are on the market, most with bins made of plastic or metal attached to wooden poles. Responsible dog owners know picking up after their pooches is a must to help keep the environment clean and display common courtesy.

  1. Basic Scoopers

    • Scoopers feature a bin attached to a pole for scooping up the waste. Scooper rakes have teeth on the edge of the bin, ideal for picking up waste in grassy areas, while scooper spades have a flat edge on the lip of the bin, better for scraping waste off even terrain or concrete surfaces. Maneuver the bin near the waste, scoop it up, and angle the bin so the waste falls into its cradle. Basic scooper prices start at $10 or less in 2010.

    Scooper Sets

    • Basic scooper sets consist of two components. Each set contains a flat-edged bin on the end of a pole along with either a rake or spade, also on the end of a pole. Pick up the waste by pushing it into the bin with the accompanying rake or spade, giving you more control than the scooper alone. Many bin poles include attachments to which you can secure the rake or spade pole when not in use. This keeps the two parts together for easier storage or travel. Scooper sets start around $20 in 2010.

    Spring Scoopers

    • Spring scoopers have the added benefit of only needing one hand to operate. They feature a jaw-like scoop at the end of the handle, which opens and shuts on a spring activated by pulling on the handle’s lever. Pull the lever upward and the jaws open to gobble up the waste; release the lever and the jaws shut to capture the waste inside its bin. Spring scoopers start around $17 in 2010.

    Scissor Scoopers

    • Scissor scoopers consist of two scooper bins, each on its own poles, that join to form a single unit. The bottom part of the scooper features the two bins that meet at their front lips to make a jaw-like contraption that captures the waste. Open the jaws by scissoring the tops of the two poles away from each other, and close them by scissoring them together. Scissor scoopers start around $16 in 2010.

    Bags

    • Bags may not technically be a tool, but they are a handy alternative for people who don’t want to walk around town with a scooper. Plastic bags from grocery or other stores work to pick up the waste. Place your hand inside the bag to form a makeshift glove, then grab the waste while turning the bag inside-out around the waste. Flushable bags that are safe to flush down the toilet and into most septic systems are another option. A box of 50 flushable bags costs about $15 in 2010, while plastic bags recycled from grocery or other shopping trips are free.