So with two dogs now, cleaning up the back yard has become a bit of a problem.  I've got one of those claw thingies for picking up the poop, but then there is the issue of disposing of it all.  6 or 7 poops a day.

So the Doggie Dooley seemed like a good idea.  It's marketed as a composter for dog waste.  I bought it at Petdumb and off I go.  I get home, open the box, and it's a lid.  It's a lid you can put over a hole in the ground.  There's some septic tank-like chemicals in a bag, but really... it's a lid.  For a 48" (!!!) hole in the ground.  That I have to dig myself! That cost $48.99!!

So... back to store I go.   Some people would probably not admit to having done this.  Me, I think it's funny.

What a cool bunch of folks you are - not to rail on me for buying something that was obviously a cover for a hole in the ground and then griping about it! 

Anyway, so now I'm digging this hole... (joke)

My Credit Card has been refunded.  The looks from the clerk when I told her why I was returning it were only somewhat nasty.  She says, "did you expect the hole to be included in the box?"  

Part of me thought that was pretty funny, part of me though she wasn't on a high enough pay-scale to speak to me that way... but I blew it off.  Meh.  Life is too short to waste it worrying about snotty clerks.  Murphy loves me.  I still don't know what to do with his poop, though.

That is halarious!  Hubby says thanks for the laugh.

For $48.99 you should have received a pair of post-hole diggers or a nice fiber-glass handled shovel for digging the hole! 

I've seen those things advertised.  Come to think of it...the ad never shows a container...just the green lid lying on the ground.  They want us to assume that the container is already installed in the ground, I guess. 

Talk about a rip-off!!

Debbie

that's funny!its kind of like those KITTY toilet training things ha? 'sept the hole is different!

Kim, how is your hand/finger?  Did it get infected?

Debbie

OMG...that is SO classic! I love it! LOL.....can't stop laughing! She really said did you expect the hole to be in the box? Awesome! Thankfully our yard is bordred by woods so we just dump poop in the woods.

  Seriously?!  LMAO!  Sorry you had to waste your time, but you gave me a good laugh   Now I know not to buy that!

Yeah, but... is the hole included when you buy a garbage can lid? 

You know, the instructions show a 48" hole, 8" wide... that is a deep, narrow hole!   I don't want to even try that... post-hole digger or not.

If anyone is really interested in pursuing the idea of a septic tank for doggie waste and you can't bring yourself to pay so much for so little (yeah, I'm talking 'bout you, Doggie Dooley), you can buy a small 2-3 gal aluminum or plastic trash can with a lid.  Cut out the bottom (this may be harder than you think).  The official Doggie Dooley chemicals (enough for a year?) cost $13.99 but I imagine you could use the same stuff used for septic tanks or boat/RV toliets, though I'm not absolutely sure about it. I have the doggie dooley stuff.

1. Dig the hole big enough at the top for the can to fit in with 2-3 inches above ground.  Then use a post-hole digger to dig (recommended total depth from surface is 48".
2. Fill with water up to about 10" from surface.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of the dooley chemical stuff to a gallon of warm water.  Let it sit for 10 minutes, then add it to the water in the hole.
4. Add the poops - says to add at least 6-7 eliminations.
5. Keep the lid closed.
6. Add waste daily.
7. Add 2 teaspoons of chemicals every month. 
8. Don't let it dry out.

Been using it for only a few days, but I did some reading on it and key factors are:

• You must not let the hole dry out, so depending on your situation, you may have to drag a water hose out every day or two.
• Add 2 teaspoons of chemicals (bacteria, really) every month or so.
• If you let it dry it, you have to "restart it" with water and fresh chemicals and poops.
• Digging a 4 foot hole  was no fun in my rocky, mostly-clay soil.  Also think about where underground lines are on your property.  Would be a good idea to check with city about anything running through your yard.  And of course, avoid digging where the sprinkler system lines are!
• Instuctions say to add waste daily. 
• Instructions say the bacteria is most active when it's really warm outside, and is almost inactive when below 40F.  If it does not get really warm in your area, this may not be a good choice.

I'll update this post from time to time with how it works out.

Update on homemade  Doggie Dooley:

I've been using the thing for a lttle more than a week and it's doing the job, the way you might expect a hole in the ground that is filled with water would work for disposing of dog poops.   My yard is in one of the lower spots of the subdivision, and so I have not had to add any water yet, even though we haven't had any rain.  I run the sprinkler system every night, so I'm sure this helps.  I can see this as being the make/break factor with this thing though.  You MUST keep water in it or it will stop digesting the poops and this might be hard to do if your soil drains better than mine.

Over all, it's way convienent to just drop the poops in a hole and walk away.  I think it was worth the effort.