Anyone who follows a dog field on social media will know that the biggest gripe that dog field owners have with their field management is when dog owners fail to collect and dispose of dog waste.
With a lot of experience in this unsavoury topic, and having refused to be defeated by the challenge, here we’ll share our top tips for reducing the impact of this issue – the do’s and the don’ts of dealing with dog waste in secure fields.
Do:
- Make dog poo bags available in your field
- Have multiple poo bins
- Sweep your field DAILY and pick up any stray waste
- Keep a record of when it’s at its worst
Don’t:
- Complain about it on social media (trust us on this one)
- Assume it’s customers with multiple dogs
- Ignore it and accept it as inevitable
All Dog Fields Have This Problem
Anyone who says they don’t have an occasional dog poo problem is probably in their first few months of operation.
For some inexplicable reason, people are better at picking up after their dogs when a new field opens. After years of in-depth study into this phenomenon, I still can’t fathom it but it’s just the way it is.
Having grubby fields hurts your business. Big time. Dog fields are under increased competition and failing to deal with a dog poo problem is going to affect the number of bookings you have.
Aside from it being very unpleasant all round, there are dogs who have a habit of scoffing ‘other’s deposits’ and if you have one of those dogs, nothing is going to convince you to use a field that doesn’t deal with the matter.
I know from personal experience that people leaving dog poop in your field is infuriating and time consuming but if you want to retain your clientele when new fields open locally, you have to tackle the issue head on.
Why This Matters (Beyond ‘It’s Gross’)
Dog poo in your field isn’t just unpleasant:
- It’s a health issue – parasites and general bugs are not something you want circulating in an enclosed space where the same dogs visit regularly.
- It’s a reputation issue – one bad experience and people will head straight to the next ‘cleaner looking’ field down the road.
- And while your field is private land, most dog owners now know that failing to pick up in public spaces can mean fines – so their expectations of standards are higher than ever.
Get a handle on your poo problem and you’re protecting your customers, your bookings and your blood pressure.
First we’ll talk about the things you can do to reduce the problem.
Make Poo Bags Obvious and Available In Your Fields
I will testify that where poo bags are not available, the amount of missed poos is higher. Fact. Investing in poo bag dispensers, good quality bags, and most importantly, making sure that they are always topped up, will have an instant impact on your dog field hygiene.
Just be clear in your wording that bags on-site are a backup, not a replacement for bringing their own. In most places, owners are now expected to always carry bags – your field shouldn’t feel like a downgrade in standards, just a more supportive environment.
As part of our Field Trials series, we’ve tested a frankly ridiculous number of so-called ‘eco-friendly’ poo bags in real fields so you don’t have to. Some are great, some disintegrate if you look at them funny, and some are basically just green virgin plastic. BDF Members can see the full Field Trials write-up – what we tested, how we tested it and what we’d buy again – in the members’ area.
Have Multiple Poo Bins Available
If your field is any bigger than an acre you will benefit from having more than one bin. On average (orientation dependent) in a 2 acre field, we recommend 4 poo bins and one general waste bin. This means more cleaning, more emptying and more expense. It also means more waste in the bins and less on the ground – something we consider to be worth the effort.
We also highly recommend cleaning the touch surfaces daily and emptying these smaller bins into your main waste wheelie bin, out of sight and out of smell range.
Before you get into specific products, it can help to think in terms of simple ‘set-ups’:
- A budget starter kit – basic but functional, good if you need a few bins spread around a big paddock.
- A mid-range, neat set-up – looks smart enough for most sites, easier to keep clean and empty.
- A premium ‘National Trust’ look – if your whole brand is high-end, you probably want to go down this route.
You can absolutely start at the cheaper end and upgrade once you know your booking levels justify it.
What Happens When You Don’t Provide Bins
If you don’t give people anywhere obvious to put their bags, a decent chunk of them will just… create their own solution.
That usually looks like this:
- Little piles of full poo bags tucked into long grass
- Bags hung on fences ‘to pick up later’ that mysteriously never move
- One horrible ‘bag graveyard’ spot that quietly grows until you discover it by smell
The photo above is from a field with no proper dog waste bins – customers did technically pick up, but then dumped the bags in a handy corner. From a customer’s point of view, it feels better than leaving poo loose on the ground. From an owner’s point of view, it’s a biohazard sculpture you now have to deal with.
If you want people to behave differently, you have to make the easy option the right option: a bin in the right place, that’s clearly for dog waste, emptied regularly.
For the avoidance of doubt: do not run a dog field without bins. You won’t avoid the poo; you’ll just move it into corners you can’t see until it’s a much bigger job.
Dog Waste Bin Options
There are lots of bin options out there – from ‘Royal Park’ heavy duty metal to modest little caddies, but in most dog fields, quantity over quality wins. You’re better off with a few decent, well-placed bins than one giant, fancy one nobody walks to.
We’ve put a lot of different dog waste bins through their paces in real fields as part of our Field Trials series – real weather, real people, real volumes of poo. The current round of testing runs right through to mid-winter so we can see how they cope across all seasons: summer stink, autumn storms and frozen January mornings.
Members will find the full comparison spreadsheet of all the bins in testing in the Field Trials section of the members’ area: every bin we tried, supplier, price, capacity, how easy it is to empty and how well it’s holding up.
Below we’ve outlined the main styles and price points so you can decide what makes sense for your field.
Here are some of our top picks at each price point.
Mid-Range Bins – these are robust and can be mounted on posts or fences – they’ll set you back a bit but don’t tend to fade in the sun and are easy to keep clean. These are becoming more popular because they are designed to be easily fitted without faff, unlike the budget friendly option.
Cheap and Cheerful:
Caddies – a little harder to fix in place, but these mini-caddies do a good job. Stick a ‘Dog Waste’ sticker to the front (you can pick them up for a few quid here) and you’ve got yourself some affordable dog waste bins. They’re a little harder to keep clean and they fade a little in the sun but if you’re on a budget or have a large field and want a few inconspicuous options, these are great.
Feeling Spendy? For around £425 you can get a really fancy dog waste bin – these are the most durable, easiest to keep clean and look very flash. If you’re going for a National Trust feel in your field then you don’t want your dog bin to let the side down!
Note: Why we don’t recommend floor-standing bins
Floor-standing bins look like a good idea, but in most dog fields they’re more hassle than help. They’re easier for dogs and children to interfere with, harder to secure properly, more likely to get knocked or blown over, and once the lids start warping or flipping up in the wind you’re straight into ‘open compost cauldron’ territory. More robust ones simply get muddle and then it’s inconvenient to clean them.
They also very quickly become a convenient pee post – right on the bit people have to touch to open, close or move them.
Wherever you put your bins, do not to mount them directly onto your main dog-proof fence line. Aside from invalidating any warranty on your fence, bins add weight and wobble to posts that are supposed to be doing a fencing job, they attract dogs (and therefore wee) to the boundary, and every time someone wrestles a bag into a flappy bin you’re putting extra strain on your fence. A short, dedicated posts strategically placed are a much better solution.
Post-mounted or wall-mounted bins are usually a better bet overall – easier to site sensibly and easier to empty into a main wheelie bin.
Don’t be tempted by a big bin – 25L-30L is plenty big enough – we highly recommend emptying bins daily and you’re certainly not going to get 25L of dog poo in one day however busy you are!
Sweep your Field Daily
You will never eliminate poo from your fields so on your daily check, make sure you’re using the time to scour the ground and if you’ve been open for a while, you’ll likely know that there are preferred spots.
A simple ‘sweep route’ that you walk every day (for example, round the boundary and then across a couple of lines) makes this less overwhelming than ‘stare at the entire field and hope for the best’.
For those with wild areas, this isn’t always as easy – which means it isn’t as easy for your customers either – mowing on rotation will give you a chance to make sure these areas don’t become cesspits.
In winter or on darker evenings, a bit of lighting near the gate and bin area can also help – fewer excuses and an easier job if you’re doing a quick check at dawn or dusk.
Keep a Record
There are repeat offenders. Sad but true. It’s very unwise to chuck accusations around unless you are absolutely certain, but if you are, you might want to consider approaching individuals.
Nobody wants to feel spied on in a field but if it’s becoming a huge issue and you have the means to observe your customers, identifying the culprits and having a chat is sometimes all it takes to remedy the situation.
If you are using CCTV as part of this, make sure your signs and privacy notice are clear about where cameras are and why they’re there – ‘we’re trying to keep the field safe and well-maintained’ is very different to ‘we’re secretly watching you from the hedge’.
Below you’ll find Jack at Rural view demonstrating a useful feature of their cameras! (only recommended if you’ve got a serious issue and you have a suspect!)
There are people new to using dog fields, who, despite your best efforts and clear communication, will think it’s your job to clear up after their dogs. If you get the sense that this is the type of person you’re dealing with, you can do worse things than just to ask them not to come back. You must remember that avoiding confrontation with one customer might be costing you the business of 5 others, which doesn’t make a whole lot of business sense.
Anyone who has been a customer of ours will know that occasionally we have been known to send out tongue-in-cheek emails on days when we’ve had some naughty field users. Whether this is to highlight a poo clear-up problem or something else, it usually has the desired effect and narrows the ill feeling down to a much smaller group. You have nothing to apologise for when communicating with your customers about unfavourable behaviour, but making it a little lighter can make it more palatable for those who are not guilty!
BDF Members will find sample emails and message templates for each stage of this in the Poo Policy Pack in the members’ area so when you do need to speak to someone, you’re not starting from a blank screen.
Clean-Up Fees as Your Nuclear Option
In public spaces, “I couldn’t find it” doesn’t get you off the hook. You’re still expected to pick up, and you can still end up with a fine.
Just because your dog field is private land doesn’t mean the standard should suddenly drop. If anything, the bar should be higher.
I’m not a fan of turning everything into a punishment game, but there is a place for a clearly stated ‘nuclear option’ when you’ve got a genuine, repeat offender or are having a cataclysmic issue – especially when you’ve already:
- Provided bins and backup bags
- Explained your expectations clearly in your booking info and on your website
- Logged incidents and spoken to them at least once
In those cases, a clean-up fee can be useful. Not as a money-spinner, but as a very clear line in the sand:
‘If you repeatedly fail to pick up after your dog(s), we reserve the right to charge a clean-up fee of £XXX and/or refuse future bookings.
If you decide to do this, make sure:
- It’s written into your terms and conditions (not something you make up on the spot)
- You can provide proof that would actually stand up in court
- The amount is reasonable and you only use it when you’re confident it’s a genuine pattern, not just one rogue poo in long grass
- You’re prepared to apply it consistently – nothing kills a policy faster than only enforcing it with people who “won’t kick up a fuss”
For most people, just knowing the fee exists is enough. You may never actually need to use it – which is exactly how a nuclear option should behave.
WARNING: This route may significantly bother people, so be very careful with your wording and make it clear that this is not targeting the occasional missed poo (everyone does that) – this is targeting repeat and careless offenders. The reality is you will likely ban them before a fine is even a point of discussion but I know this to have been very effective with a dog walking firm that had one lazy employee who thought they were above the rules – it didn’t end well for them as I understand they were dismissed on provision of CCTV evidence.
Now for the Don’ts! (the stuff that simply doesn’t work)
Complaining on Social Media
I get it, honestly I do, but there are far more effective ways of communicating with your customers than telling literally anyone who will listen that you have a grubby field, covered in dog poop.
Here’s what you think you’re doing:
Venting your frustration and asking people to be more vigilant about picking up poo, which will lead to any culprits having a chat with themselves, realising they’re in the wrong and making sure it never happens again.
Here’s what you’re actually doing:
Telling anyone who will listen that your field is covered in dog poo and it’s got to epic levels. This in turn prompts all your best customers (who don’t leave poo in the field) to make comments of support and chastise all the horrible people who disrespect your field – thus prompting the algorithm to spread your news far and wide!
Here’s what you’re not doing:
Reaching your target audience. They’re not listening to your rants – if they don’t care enough to do a simple thing like pick up their dog’s poop, they are not listening to you on social media. Trust me.
Isolate the issue and communicate directly.
Below: A genuine dog field Facebook public page – (name blurred – they probably have no idea that this is the first impression people have of their field)
- Featured and pinned image of poo!
- 4 of the top 9 photos from the main page are also poo
- 1 incident made this field owner so angry, they posted the picture twice
Don’t Assume It’s The People With Multiple Dogs
It might be, but it’s not always. The best field customers in our experience are the professional dog walkers (and I mean ‘professional’). Not only will they help in your quest for a poo-free field by picking up the odd rogue deposit, but they’ll tell you when things are getting silly. They’re also pretty good at keeping on top of their own canine charges and here’s why – they think, that you think, that it’s them!
Here’s who it’s more likely to be:
- People on their phones
- People having a natter and not watching their dogs
- People who sit in their cars
- People who genuinely can’t find it after much diligent searching
- People who don’t care
Don’t Let It Fester
Ignoring this issue will not make it any better. In fact, if you want your £££££s investment in fencing, land, planning permission etc to go down the toilet, this is one of the easiest ways you can do it.
We said before – running a dog field is not a passive income but it’s also not hard. Dedicating a few hours a day to really taking care of your business shouldn’t be something you begrudge. If you’re new to the idea of dog fields and you want to know where to start, read our article How To Set Up A Dog Field – 5 Things You Need to Know Before You Begin.
No, it shouldn’t happen. But it does – I have met the occasional field owner who is adamant they have never had a poo problem – I simply don’t buy it. The only way this is possible is if you don’t have any customers.
Help Yourself with Good Design
The Poop-Paddock
If you’re in the process of designing your field, one of the best things you can do is create a ‘poop paddock’. Incorporating a fenced area directly adjacent to the parking area where dogs can ‘go’ before they run off into the field greatly reduces the amount of waste you’ll clean up from your field.
It doesn’t have to be that big – a grassy area that you can wash down and keep short will do the job. It doesn’t suit all dogs but enough will use it to save you some pain.
Gridding!
I’ve seen this used in a number of fields and it can be particularly effective in fields that are completely characterless! Using the fence posts as X and Y axis, you can play a game to identify the grid square you saw your dog ‘go’ in which makes things much easier when looking for a needle in a haystack! It only really works effectively in short grass paddocks of less than an acre but it’s a bit of fun and draws attention to your expectations!
Flags
Some fields have a stack of flags that they encourage you to use to highlight rogue poops. Much like the social media issue, I don’t think this works very well – all it does is highlight other people’s indiscretion but they can be useful for spotting holes or other problems in bigger fields. I know it’s tempting to add signs and flags everywhere, but it very quickly starts to look a bit ‘health and safety training ground’ rather than a calm, natural space people actually want to be in.
Simple things like mown paths you regularly walk, or a slightly wider, shorter strip along the main route people use, also help you spot issues quicker. Design your field so that it’s easy for you to keep an eye on it, not just pretty for Instagram.
Long Grass, Wild Areas and the Poo Illusion
I’m a big fan of fields with a bit of length and texture in the grass – it’s nicer for the dogs, better for biodiversity and feels more like a real bit of countryside than a mown football pitch.
However, long grass comes with a very specific problem: it hides poo brilliantly.
That doesn’t mean people are suddenly better at picking up. It just means:
- More poo gets missed because no one can see it
- Fewer people notice what’s been left behind
- You get fewer complaints, but not necessarily fewer deposits
All the same issues still exist – health, hygiene, reputation, it’s just that some of it is happening out of sight.
This is where a poo paddock / poop pen at the entrance, some rotational mowing and clear messaging in your booking info really earn their keep.
Encourage people to give their dogs a chance to ‘go’ before they disappear into the meadow, and make it clear that long grass doesn’t exempt anyone from picking up. It just makes your checks and your design choices even more important.
If you want help reworking your layout to reduce problems like this, it’s exactly the sort of thing we talk about in more depth inside BDF Membership.
A Dog Field User’s Perspective
As a dog field owner, I have always expected customers to pick up the occasional poop. I do the same and have a threshold of 3 before I start getting annoyed. Here’s how I deal with it as a dog field user:
- I never search for poos – there are people looking for a reason to complain – I’m not one of them, but if you’ve had a number of bad experiences at a field, you might be looking for fault
- I’ll pick up 3 without mentioning it
- I’ll pick up to 6 if you have bags available (very begrudgingly)
- I’ll message you privately if it’s more than 3
- If it’s more than 6 you’ll probably get a more shirty email because that’s not a one-off issue unless you’ve had a pack of huskies in, and even that’s unlikely as they are the best customers in terms of keeping things tidy
- I’m going assume you’re not checking your field daily if there are 6+ and that raises a lot more questions in my mind than missed dog poos
Most reasonable users have a similar internal ‘scale’, whether they’ve ever written it down or not. Your job is to keep your field firmly in the “this is annoying but I’ll still come back” territory, not the “I’m telling everyone not to book here” category.
Just a few simple suggestions to help with the maintenance and hygiene of your dog field. I hope you found this helpful!
If you’re thinking of starting a dog field or you’re in the very early stages and want to avoid the most common (and expensive) mistakes, join the mailing list below for practical advice, real-world examples and honest reviews of what actually works.
If you’re already a BDF Member, head to the member area where we’re building out a Poo Policy Pack with example wording for your website, booking confirmations, signs (if you really must) and complaint responses, plus simple tracking tools for dealing with serial offenders, and our Field Trials results and comparison spreadsheets.
If you’d like to become a BDF Member and get access to all of that (and a lot more), you can find out more here: BDF Annual Membership.