composting dog poop

Here is a fancy schmancy dog poop composter by Nature Mill, found via Modern Dog Magazine. This seems to be a good one for the urban dog, as long as you have a deck.




Check out this DIY dog waste composter, the "Dog-Dooly".
Click HERE for the step by step. * BTW, you need a yard for this one.
More detailed article HERE, by Marion Owen...



- Click HERE for a DIY on how to build your own dog compost... found via The Fun Times Guide to Dogs.

- Check out Dog Poo Power in San Francisco over at Treehugger. Can dog poo really power homes?

- this is an interesting thread on Garden Web...
"Don't waste any of your money.
...(worm queen extraordinaire) says to get a rubbermaid kitchen garbage can (doesn't matter, as long as the lid fits tight), cut the bottom off and bury it about 2 feet in the ground in an out of the way part of your yard. Put in some garden soil, hay or straw, some compost, and then add the poop. As you add poop, make sure you add dead leaves or straw to balance the mix. The worms will come! Just make sure you do NOT use the byproduct on any edible plants (no matter how black and rich it is!)....".
CLICK HERE to follow the thread. There are certainly drawbacks with the composting. I always like to hear all of the pros and cons.

say no to plastic bags

our family is so guilty of using plastic grocery bags to pick up dog doo. shame on us.
but we are going to make a huge effort to be better and use the biodegradeable bags.

check out these links for more information on plastic bags and dog poo...
Get rid of plastic bags!

Dealing with dog poop (bags)

PoopBag.com's Signature Dog Waste Bags

Compostable Biodegradable Dog Waste Poop Bags

PetHabitats - environmentally-friendly pet waste disposal bags and systems


Check out these creative ways some designers have used plastic bags in their designs...

1 kimquilts 2 cristencrochet 3 lousupcycles 4 carataylor

green cleaning

This wonderful piece is by a talented collage artist. Check out her shop "In a Bit". Lots of cool designs for dog lovers.

As many of you know, we have been on the hunt for the best & safest cleaning products. We even tried the DIY approach.
Thank you to everyone who sent us links and recommendations. We will share them here...

- great green cleaning article found on treehugger

- Nature's Sunshine cleaning products: Safe for people, animals, plants and our environment. Biodegradable, non-polluting, chemical-free. Non-flammable.

- animal shelters going green article found on Best Friends Animal Society website

- Mrs Meyers cleaning products for pets

- How to Green Your Cleaning article on treehugger has tons of helpful information

pets for the environment

Click here to learn more.

Are the chemicals in your lawn poisoning your pet?

CLICK HERE to find out how to make your lawn safe for your pets.

going green...baby steps...

we finally got around to making some of the eco friendly cleaning supplies from the Eco Dog book. we sort of followed the directions, but tweaked a few things, and would like to try some essential oils in the future. here is what we ended up doing...

* the book has better descriptions and lots more recipes.



ingredients:
- white vinegar
- lemon juice
- baking soda
- salt
- water



glass & window cleaner:
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice


scouring powder:
- equal parts of vinegar, salt, baking soda and water * it should be pastey


toilet-bowl cleaner:
- 1 cup white vinegar and 6 tablespoons baking soda. let stand for 30 minutes and scrub clean.


additional cleaning supplies:
- Murphy's Oil for our wood floors. it is a vegetable oil base.
- earth friendly laundry and dishwashing detergent.




It was nice to clean without inhaling stong chemicals!
I don't even want to think about the stuff used at dog kennels and salons, and how long term use & exposure could affect the health of the staff and dog. yikees!

update: oops, i forgot to mention Borax as a cleaning supply. use it instead of bleach. great for laundry, pest control, and more. CLICK HERE for some recipes.