As a professional dog walker, you might be walking six dogs at a time and those six dogs should produce at least one, if not two or more, poops per dog per walk.
So how do you carry all that waste?
Thankfully there are several methods available for you to see which works best for you, both ingenious and free, but also commercially produced and convenient.
Table of Contents
Poo bag in a poo bag in a poo bag
If you’re only walking a small number of dogs you can drop the first bag into the second, the second into the third etc. so you’re only ever carrying one bag. Think of it like the worst version of Russian dolls.
Buying larger poop bags makes this easier to do (we like the double thick XL poo bags)
Pros – Uses the bags you already have so no need to buy extra equipment.
Cons – Bags get heavy and still need to be carried in your hand. Sometimes they get so large that they won’t fit in the dog poo bin slot.
Dry bag
Dry bags (or canoe bags) are traditionally used when hiking or boating to keep your kit dry.
They’re basically a thick, durable waterproof bag with a top that rolls down and clips together making it watertight and airtight.
This closure clip can be used to clip the bag to a shoulder bag, belt or belt loop in order to carry it hands-free.
Pros – come in different sizes, airtight so smell free if you can’t find a bin before getting back to your vehicle, the waterproof interior can be rinsed out if a bag ever splits.
Cons – anything clipped or hanging from your bag or belt can be bumped, snagged or accidentally sat on.
Nalgene bottles
These are usually 1 litre, hard plastic bottles with a wide mouth.
Poo bags can be popped into the bottle and the top screwed shut making it airtight, smell proof and leakproof.
Bags can be shaken out into a bin when you pass one or they remain airtight for the journey back until you can find a bin.
Pros – durable and can slide into a bottle holder on a bag or rucksack
Cons – larger dogs and larger bags of poop might not fit in the hole.
Dicky bags
The Dicky Bag is a commercially produced (in the UK) poop bag carrier.
It’s a soft cylinder made of neoprene with a zipped top (rubber sealed) and you deposit your dog’s deposits inside with one of their scented discs to keep everything fresh.
It even has a space for empty poop bags in the lid and a carabiner clip to hang it off a bag or belt.
Pros – designed precisely for its purpose, looks great
Cons – relatively expensive compared to other methods
Neoprene Water Bottle Holder
These soft, bottle shaped neoprene sleeves work well as poop bag holders.
Most come with a shoulder strap and are available in various styles and colours to suit your personality or match up with your logo colours.
Pros – cheaper than a dicky bag
Cons – no lid or top on these so not airtight or leakproof
Poop bag slot holder
These soft, silicone rubbery holders wrap around a lead, or your belt or bag handle and the knot of the poop bag slides into one of the slots and the weight of the bag holds it in place.
Pros – relatively cheap and unobtrusive
Cons – only three poop bags per holder securely held in place. You could possibly squeeze three more on but they start to work their way to the centre hole and fall out.
Carabiner
Much like the silicone holders, a simple carabiner can be used to slide the bag handles onto and be clipped to your belt or bag.
Pros – Cheap and effective
Cons – lots of bags bouncing against each other might make them split.
Extra steps required for home boarders
If you’re a registered and licenced home boarder with your local council then your bagged dog waste will need to be disposed of as outlined by your local council and your licence. For some, this means double bagging it and putting it in your normal waste bin, for other councils they specify that you’ll need a contract with a waste carrier to dispose of it.
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 set out the requirements for individuals who offer home boarding services for dogs in England. According to the regulations, dog home boarders are required to dispose of dog waste in a hygienic and environmentally friendly manner.
Specifically, Regulation 6(3)(h) states that a person who is providing home boarding for dogs must ensure that “adequate measures are taken for the disposal of any waste products resulting from the activity in a hygienic and environmentally friendly way”.
Click to read our full guide on How to Start a Successful Dog Walking Business in 2022
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