Recognising and making up for dog walkers’ fallibility with poop scooping

1. Introduction
Dogs are wonderful, dog poo left unpicked up is awful. As Keep Wales Tidy says: “Dog fouling frequently tops people's list of concerns regarding litter and refuse.” Most people out with dogs now pick up after them, but there is still a residual problem, one that could be significantly improved if those of us walking dogs could recognise and act on our fallibility. However conscientious we are, and especially if our dogs are off the lead, the reality is that we don’t watch them every second and we can inadvertently not see that they’ve done a poo. We’re only human and sometimes miss a dollop.
There is a simple way of making up for this. As a respondent to an informal survey I did commented: “In case one of my dogs has done a poo when I’m out of sight and have missed it - I feel that picking up someone else’s redresses the balance a bit.” Those of us with dogs should pick up any poo we see, because it’s the right thing to do (like picking up crisp packets and other litter we encounter), because we’ve got the kit and the stomach for it, and because most of us sometimes “miss a dollop”. We should pick up always and everywhere. Not tutting, walking past and potentially posting on social media. But bagging and binning it – Job Done! Since most people do pick up after their dogs, it only requires more rather than all people walking dogs to extend this to picking up any poo we see.
2. Who doesn’t pick up?
The dominant theory is that this anti-social behaviour is the fault of ‘irresponsible owners’. But it seems that the situation is more complex and contextual, more of a continuum than a binary division.
In research by Christopher Lowe and colleagues, they found that: “A fifth of respondents stated that they had bagged dog faeces but not placed it in a bin. Stated reasons for this behaviour included forgetfulness, changes to the route and as a protest (e.g., against a lack of dog waste bins). Furthermore there was a reported high level of uncertainty regarding the legitimacy of disposing of bagged dog faeces in litter bins.” They described a typology people walking dogs in relation to bagging and binning:
Proud to pick up – happy to be seen carrying dog waste, will pick up in all locations and take it home if no bins are available.
It is the right thing to do – will pick up in public places but will seek to dispose of the waste as soon as it is practical.
I have done my job... if there is no bin available will leave the bagged waste to be dealt with by others.
Only if I have to – will only pick up in the presence of other people – likely to discard when no one is looking.
Disengaged – will not pick up in any situation even if they are aware of the environmental consequences of their actions.
The Behavioural Insights Team’s research on littering also suggests moving away from a focus on ‘irresponsible owners’ “… to design an effective behavioural change intervention or campaign among litterers, it is best to start with the “low hanging fruit”, i.e. people who litter only occasionally and who are ready to change. With time, as these people stop littering, the heavier users will see their behaviour becoming more unacceptable and abnormal and, most importantly, will be ready to change, as their threshold for change (i.e. the minimal required number of people around them not littering and disapproving of it) will be reached as well.”
Similarly, a Zero Waste Scotland review of littering behaviour and anti-litter policies states even more boldly: “All of this suggests that the concept of ‘litterers’ may be a misleading one. A dichotomy between ‘people who litter’ and ‘people who do not litter’ may not be helpful in tackling the littering problem – not to mention the fact that ‘non-litterers’ may well not exist. This is reflected in the segmentation models reviewed, none of which contain a clear ‘non-litterer’ segment. Given the variation in possible definitions of what constitutes litter, and the opportunities for excuses and denial, it seems likely that the vast majority of people do litter some items in some social and material contexts – whether or not they themselves consider it littering.”
There are many circumstances in which people who are highly responsible, civic-minded, environmentally concerned and strongly opposed to littering may nevertheless inadvertently not pick up after our dogs. The cartoon at the beginning of the article neatly illustrates one such situation, with the human conscientiously picking up after one dog and not noticing that her other dog is pooing behind her - and this is with dogs on the lead. As soon as dogs are off the lead, they are potentially out of sight and may be fouling. If the human is distracted (eg on the phone, exchanging pleasantries with other humans and dogs, scanning the environment for potential risks etc etc), they may be ‘missing a dollop’. An autumn scenario familiar to many of us with smaller dogs is when we are carefully watching them do a poo in a lovely leafy spot, and then are simply unable to locate it as it is so effectively camouflaged. Or increasingly desperately rummaging through coat pockets, jeans pockets, backpack to find the poo bags we were sure were in there…..
There are indeed also irresponsible dog walkers, and it is hard to interpret bags hanging on bushes as anything other than selfish, lazy and inconsiderate behaviour whatever justification the offenders may give. So there are two issues. Firstly, the “feckless“, irresponsible, minority. And then the “fallible“, well-intentioned majority. Job Done addresses the fallible, and seeks to prevent the escalating damage partly caused by the former..
The dominant theory is that this anti-social behaviour is the fault of ‘irresponsible owners’. But it seems that the situation is more complex and contextual, more of a continuum than a binary division.
In research by Christopher Lowe and colleagues, they found that: “A fifth of respondents stated that they had bagged dog faeces but not placed it in a bin. Stated reasons for this behaviour included forgetfulness, changes to the route and as a protest (e.g., against a lack of dog waste bins). Furthermore there was a reported high level of uncertainty regarding the legitimacy of disposing of bagged dog faeces in litter bins.” They described a typology people walking dogs in relation to bagging and binning:
Proud to pick up – happy to be seen carrying dog waste, will pick up in all locations and take it home if no bins are available.
It is the right thing to do – will pick up in public places but will seek to dispose of the waste as soon as it is practical.
I have done my job... if there is no bin available will leave the bagged waste to be dealt with by others.
Only if I have to – will only pick up in the presence of other people – likely to discard when no one is looking.
Disengaged – will not pick up in any situation even if they are aware of the environmental consequences of their actions.
The Behavioural Insights Team’s research on littering also suggests moving away from a focus on ‘irresponsible owners’ “… to design an effective behavioural change intervention or campaign among litterers, it is best to start with the “low hanging fruit”, i.e. people who litter only occasionally and who are ready to change. With time, as these people stop littering, the heavier users will see their behaviour becoming more unacceptable and abnormal and, most importantly, will be ready to change, as their threshold for change (i.e. the minimal required number of people around them not littering and disapproving of it) will be reached as well.”
Similarly, a Zero Waste Scotland review of littering behaviour and anti-litter policies states even more boldly: “All of this suggests that the concept of ‘litterers’ may be a misleading one. A dichotomy between ‘people who litter’ and ‘people who do not litter’ may not be helpful in tackling the littering problem – not to mention the fact that ‘non-litterers’ may well not exist. This is reflected in the segmentation models reviewed, none of which contain a clear ‘non-litterer’ segment. Given the variation in possible definitions of what constitutes litter, and the opportunities for excuses and denial, it seems likely that the vast majority of people do litter some items in some social and material contexts – whether or not they themselves consider it littering.”
There are many circumstances in which people who are highly responsible, civic-minded, environmentally concerned and strongly opposed to littering may nevertheless inadvertently not pick up after our dogs. The cartoon at the beginning of the article neatly illustrates one such situation, with the human conscientiously picking up after one dog and not noticing that her other dog is pooing behind her - and this is with dogs on the lead. As soon as dogs are off the lead, they are potentially out of sight and may be fouling. If the human is distracted (eg on the phone, exchanging pleasantries with other humans and dogs, scanning the environment for potential risks etc etc), they may be ‘missing a dollop’. An autumn scenario familiar to many of us with smaller dogs is when we are carefully watching them do a poo in a lovely leafy spot, and then are simply unable to locate it as it is so effectively camouflaged. Or increasingly desperately rummaging through coat pockets, jeans pockets, backpack to find the poo bags we were sure were in there…..
There are indeed also irresponsible dog walkers, and it is hard to interpret bags hanging on bushes as anything other than selfish, lazy and inconsiderate behaviour whatever justification the offenders may give. So there are two issues. Firstly, the “feckless“, irresponsible, minority. And then the “fallible“, well-intentioned majority. Job Done addresses the fallible, and seeks to prevent the escalating damage partly caused by the former..
3. What has been tried?
All sorts of attempts have been made to tackle the residual problem with dog fouling, beyond the obvious fines and other statutory controls and penalties, which are very hard and expensive to enforce. Many have had considerable short-term success in the areas where they have been piloted, but the challenge remains to find an equivalent sustainable, national approach to the hugely successful “bag and bin it”, exemplified by the fabulous (no such thing as a….) “poo fairy” campaign.
Keep Wales Tidy have very positive, attractive, social media-friendly projects using images such as:
All sorts of attempts have been made to tackle the residual problem with dog fouling, beyond the obvious fines and other statutory controls and penalties, which are very hard and expensive to enforce. Many have had considerable short-term success in the areas where they have been piloted, but the challenge remains to find an equivalent sustainable, national approach to the hugely successful “bag and bin it”, exemplified by the fabulous (no such thing as a….) “poo fairy” campaign.
Keep Wales Tidy have very positive, attractive, social media-friendly projects using images such as:

A partnership between the Dogs Trust and Keep Britain Tidy, called Walk This Way, had the practical elements of popular dog walking routes having a makeover to include more bins and clear signage to find them – resulting in a 38% decrease in dog fouling over the four week trial period.
Green Dog Walker is a popular community project, with delightful visuals, encouraging people to pledge to pick up after their dog. Other initiatives range from the expensive (e.g. DNA testing) or divisive (eg naming and shaming) to even tracking down piles of poo and sticking a flag in them! Another Keep Britain Tidy campaign, We’re Watching You, achieved short-term results with a more confrontational approach of market-tested, glow in the dark staring eye posters.
Green Dog Walker is a popular community project, with delightful visuals, encouraging people to pledge to pick up after their dog. Other initiatives range from the expensive (e.g. DNA testing) or divisive (eg naming and shaming) to even tracking down piles of poo and sticking a flag in them! Another Keep Britain Tidy campaign, We’re Watching You, achieved short-term results with a more confrontational approach of market-tested, glow in the dark staring eye posters.
4. Job Done as niche community litter picking
The concept of people with dogs picking up others’ dogs’ poo is a more specific version of the well-established model of community litter-picking events and indeed of individuals simply picking up and binning bits of litter they come across.
My hero and role model is the humorous author David Sedaris who diligently goes on marathon litter picking expeditions around his home area in Sussex. In response to the honour of having a local garbage truck named after him, he wrote: ‘When I first moved to Horsham district three years ago I was struck by the area’s outstanding natural beauty but I was also struck by all the rubbish that people leave lying around the roads. I’m angry at the people who throw these things out their car windows, but I’m just as angry at the people who walk by it every day. I say pick it up yourself. Do it enough and you might one day get a garbage truck named after you. It’s an amazing feeling.’
Although I don’t have aspirations for so much as a poo bin being named after me, I very much agree with Sedaris that picking up any litter, human or animal, can become deeply satisfying and is simply the right thing to do. National and local agencies encourage community groups and individuals to carry out litter-picking, using social media to recruit, inform and validate these environmental improvements. Paws on Plastic’s Facebook page has this delightful description: Members of this group pledge to pick up 2 pieces of litter while out walking our beloved hounds. Simply pick items up using a spare poo bag and take it home to empty, into your recycling bin if possible, saving the bag to use again. Post a lovely photo of your dog on this page to celebrate your efforts & spread the word! Pristine Parishes provide free litter-picking equipment and help with co-ordinating twice weekly litter picks in a local area. Litter-picking as exercise, originating in Scandinavia, has even become a thing – plogging.
The concept of people with dogs picking up others’ dogs’ poo is a more specific version of the well-established model of community litter-picking events and indeed of individuals simply picking up and binning bits of litter they come across.
My hero and role model is the humorous author David Sedaris who diligently goes on marathon litter picking expeditions around his home area in Sussex. In response to the honour of having a local garbage truck named after him, he wrote: ‘When I first moved to Horsham district three years ago I was struck by the area’s outstanding natural beauty but I was also struck by all the rubbish that people leave lying around the roads. I’m angry at the people who throw these things out their car windows, but I’m just as angry at the people who walk by it every day. I say pick it up yourself. Do it enough and you might one day get a garbage truck named after you. It’s an amazing feeling.’
Although I don’t have aspirations for so much as a poo bin being named after me, I very much agree with Sedaris that picking up any litter, human or animal, can become deeply satisfying and is simply the right thing to do. National and local agencies encourage community groups and individuals to carry out litter-picking, using social media to recruit, inform and validate these environmental improvements. Paws on Plastic’s Facebook page has this delightful description: Members of this group pledge to pick up 2 pieces of litter while out walking our beloved hounds. Simply pick items up using a spare poo bag and take it home to empty, into your recycling bin if possible, saving the bag to use again. Post a lovely photo of your dog on this page to celebrate your efforts & spread the word! Pristine Parishes provide free litter-picking equipment and help with co-ordinating twice weekly litter picks in a local area. Litter-picking as exercise, originating in Scandinavia, has even become a thing – plogging.
5. Social marketing and behavioural insights’ principles that align with Job Done
There is a strong body of evidence which shows that people are less likely to litter in spaces that are relatively free of litter, some of which are cited in Rangoni and Jager’s work.
Secondly, some of the core elements in Patterson’s book Influencer could be harnessed. They describe six sources of influence, which help me describe my own reasons for picking up ‘missed dollops’:
The low-cost, low-hassle nature of the Job Done concept is in keeping with the Behavioural Insights Team’s EAST model:
1. Make it Easy – it only requires carrying a few more poo bags with us to pick up from others’ dogs. Some councils provide free poo bags, on dog walking routes and/or from their offices
2. Make it Attractive – in contrast to ugly or aggressive messaging and other confrontational techniques
3. Make it Social – my first introduction to the idea of picking up from other dogs was in London when there was a risk that dogs would have unnecessary restrictions placed on them in our local park. So a Facebook group was set up (it is still going strong, about 20 years on) and a very effective community Let’s Clean Up the Park was organised. After that introduction to picking up from others’ dogs, I kept going.
4. Make it Timely – ‘doing the right thing’ is more likely to happen when we are reminded and helped at the relevant moment. In this case, not while sitting on our sofa at home but out on walks with our dogs.
Job Done has a positive emphasis, about doing the right thing by picking up other dogs’ poo to off-set our own ‘missed dollops’, rather than emphasising (and inadvertently reinforcing) the problem of dog poo being left unbinned. This follows the Behavioural Insight Team’s advice that initiatives should: “show that most people perform the desired behaviour. Describing what most people do in a particular situation encourages others to do the same. Similarly, policy makers should be wary of inadvertently reinforcing a problematic behaviour by emphasising its high prevalence.”
Again, Keep Wales Tidy’s exemplifies the approach of encouraging people to follow social norms with this attractive poster:
There is a strong body of evidence which shows that people are less likely to litter in spaces that are relatively free of litter, some of which are cited in Rangoni and Jager’s work.
Secondly, some of the core elements in Patterson’s book Influencer could be harnessed. They describe six sources of influence, which help me describe my own reasons for picking up ‘missed dollops’:
- Personal motivation – do you want to do it? (I now actively enjoy bagging and binning all poo I see, as it is satisfying and adds a ‘treasure hunt’ element to our dog walks!)
- Personal ability – do you think you can do it? (I have developed the stomach to do it but at first had to steel myself)
- Social motivation – who is motivating you to do it? (David Sedaris and dog walkers who do pick up from others, and all the many people who subsequently walk past an area I’ve cleaned up)
- Social ability – who can help you do it? (other villagers also pick up abandoned poo and are appreciative if they see me doing this)
- Structural motivation – what tangible or practical things encourage you to do it? (the main one is seeing the difference when a path, field, pavement etc is suddenly poo-free through my simple actions)
- Structural ability – what practical help is there for you to do it? (bins all round the village and buying bio-degradable poo bags)
The low-cost, low-hassle nature of the Job Done concept is in keeping with the Behavioural Insights Team’s EAST model:
1. Make it Easy – it only requires carrying a few more poo bags with us to pick up from others’ dogs. Some councils provide free poo bags, on dog walking routes and/or from their offices
2. Make it Attractive – in contrast to ugly or aggressive messaging and other confrontational techniques
3. Make it Social – my first introduction to the idea of picking up from other dogs was in London when there was a risk that dogs would have unnecessary restrictions placed on them in our local park. So a Facebook group was set up (it is still going strong, about 20 years on) and a very effective community Let’s Clean Up the Park was organised. After that introduction to picking up from others’ dogs, I kept going.
4. Make it Timely – ‘doing the right thing’ is more likely to happen when we are reminded and helped at the relevant moment. In this case, not while sitting on our sofa at home but out on walks with our dogs.
Job Done has a positive emphasis, about doing the right thing by picking up other dogs’ poo to off-set our own ‘missed dollops’, rather than emphasising (and inadvertently reinforcing) the problem of dog poo being left unbinned. This follows the Behavioural Insight Team’s advice that initiatives should: “show that most people perform the desired behaviour. Describing what most people do in a particular situation encourages others to do the same. Similarly, policy makers should be wary of inadvertently reinforcing a problematic behaviour by emphasising its high prevalence.”
Again, Keep Wales Tidy’s exemplifies the approach of encouraging people to follow social norms with this attractive poster:
6. Risks
There is a risk that even an excellent campaign, rooted in social marketing and behavioural science expertise might result in not many more people with dogs picking up others’ dogs’ poo. As two respondents to our survey commented:
“Good luck encouraging people to pick up others dog poo. I am happy to do my dogs poo but not keen on other poo. Particularly when out walking and having to carry many filled poo bags”
And the succinct: “Icky”.
The more concerning risk was also well-put by a respondent:
“I’ll pick it up if I think someone might step in it or if the poo is near to where my dog pooped but I think it might make the careless owners think that the poo fairy really exists!”
Intriguingly, someone has confronted this conundrum head-on. The BBC website (Nov 2021) reports that:
A man is dressing up as a giant bearded "poo fairy" in an effort to highlight the importance of clearing up after your dog. Jason Alexander's alter ego, Morris the dog poo fairy, has been walking around Ipswich in his pink and gold outfit, with accompanying set of wings. Mr Alexander goes on regular litter-picking walks but came up with the new look after finding a lot of dog mess. He said his eccentric costume got people talking and raised awareness. "What I'm hoping to do is just say thank you to all the wonderful dog owners who do bag their dog poo and pop it in a bin - that's absolutely brilliant and gives me a lot less work to do," he said. "Hopefully I can encourage some of the other dog owners to do the same."
Having many more dog walkers picking up any poo we see wouldn’t, in fact, suggest there is a poo fairy, any more than people picking up food packaging litter suggests there is a Big Mac Wrapper fairy.
I contacted Prof Daniel Read, Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School and co-author of Using behavioural science to reduce littering about this risk and he replied: "I think that being seen picking up waste is more likely to encourage others to do so than to encourage free riding. So if those who do not pick up see others doing so, they will see that it is the ‘norm’ and want to do so themselves. I doubt that those who are currently picking it up will conclude they no longer have to bother. To be absolutely sure you would have to test any new system, but I am pretty confident your scheme would not backfire."
One of the key objectives of developing the Job Done concept would be to test any potential risks of the approach and create strategies for avoiding and mitigating negative effects.
We have begun piloting the approach in the Cotswolds, and the immediate effect in a small village was very positive. Comments on the village Whatsapp group included: “Definitely a big improvement, noticed finally after a long walk so .” “Definitely better on path up to [the church].”
We have also got a very welcome endorsement from Rory Cellan-Jones, the journalist, author, campaigner and adopter of the hyper-anxious rescue dog Sophie, who tweeted to his 350,000 followers:
There is a risk that even an excellent campaign, rooted in social marketing and behavioural science expertise might result in not many more people with dogs picking up others’ dogs’ poo. As two respondents to our survey commented:
“Good luck encouraging people to pick up others dog poo. I am happy to do my dogs poo but not keen on other poo. Particularly when out walking and having to carry many filled poo bags”
And the succinct: “Icky”.
The more concerning risk was also well-put by a respondent:
“I’ll pick it up if I think someone might step in it or if the poo is near to where my dog pooped but I think it might make the careless owners think that the poo fairy really exists!”
Intriguingly, someone has confronted this conundrum head-on. The BBC website (Nov 2021) reports that:
A man is dressing up as a giant bearded "poo fairy" in an effort to highlight the importance of clearing up after your dog. Jason Alexander's alter ego, Morris the dog poo fairy, has been walking around Ipswich in his pink and gold outfit, with accompanying set of wings. Mr Alexander goes on regular litter-picking walks but came up with the new look after finding a lot of dog mess. He said his eccentric costume got people talking and raised awareness. "What I'm hoping to do is just say thank you to all the wonderful dog owners who do bag their dog poo and pop it in a bin - that's absolutely brilliant and gives me a lot less work to do," he said. "Hopefully I can encourage some of the other dog owners to do the same."
Having many more dog walkers picking up any poo we see wouldn’t, in fact, suggest there is a poo fairy, any more than people picking up food packaging litter suggests there is a Big Mac Wrapper fairy.
I contacted Prof Daniel Read, Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School and co-author of Using behavioural science to reduce littering about this risk and he replied: "I think that being seen picking up waste is more likely to encourage others to do so than to encourage free riding. So if those who do not pick up see others doing so, they will see that it is the ‘norm’ and want to do so themselves. I doubt that those who are currently picking it up will conclude they no longer have to bother. To be absolutely sure you would have to test any new system, but I am pretty confident your scheme would not backfire."
One of the key objectives of developing the Job Done concept would be to test any potential risks of the approach and create strategies for avoiding and mitigating negative effects.
We have begun piloting the approach in the Cotswolds, and the immediate effect in a small village was very positive. Comments on the village Whatsapp group included: “Definitely a big improvement, noticed finally after a long walk so .” “Definitely better on path up to [the church].”
We have also got a very welcome endorsement from Rory Cellan-Jones, the journalist, author, campaigner and adopter of the hyper-anxious rescue dog Sophie, who tweeted to his 350,000 followers:
7. Conclusion
A survey respondent neatly covered many of the issues when they wrote: “My dog eats dog poo so I am motivated by that but I also recognise that we have all probably missed our dogs doing at least one poo or been caught without a bag on occasions so with that in mind it makes sense just to pick it up if you see it. I also think it gives all dog owners a bad name when there is so much dog poo around and I don’t want to be hated by non dog owning people.”
The Job Done approach needs to be piloted, perhaps testing different messages and incentives, and also the impact of publicising that dog walkers are picking up ‘missed dollops’ compared with not publicising. Testing in different types of environments (such as urban, rural, wealthy, deprived) would also be beneficial.
There are a wide range of organisations, companies and individuals with a strong interest in reducing dog fouling (such as dog, litter, environment, farming, wildlife, tourism, walking agencies) whose involvement would strengthen the implementation of positive findings from the project. The exemplary forum on dog fouling held by Keep Wales Tidy in 2019 included people from a wide range of organisations and interest groups. One of the workshops brainstormed a superb list of people, places and opportunities to involve in reducing dog fouling, with ideas ranging from dog shows to running clubs.
I am looking forward to a time when most people walking dogs are aware of our responsibility to offset poos inadvertently not picked up by us when walking our dogs. People would carry a few extra poo bags with them on walks and enjoy the satisfaction of seeing places they live in and visit looking instantly better through their actions. There would be a national shift from what one respondent described like this: “I hadn't thought about doing it before today, I usually just tut!”
People with dogs would see a missed poo and without tutting, or moaning about it on Facebook, will bag it, bung it in the bin, feel great. Job Done! Or to borrow a slogan proposed at the Keep Wales Tidy dog fouling Forum:
”Dog walkers who care pick up everywhere.”
A survey respondent neatly covered many of the issues when they wrote: “My dog eats dog poo so I am motivated by that but I also recognise that we have all probably missed our dogs doing at least one poo or been caught without a bag on occasions so with that in mind it makes sense just to pick it up if you see it. I also think it gives all dog owners a bad name when there is so much dog poo around and I don’t want to be hated by non dog owning people.”
The Job Done approach needs to be piloted, perhaps testing different messages and incentives, and also the impact of publicising that dog walkers are picking up ‘missed dollops’ compared with not publicising. Testing in different types of environments (such as urban, rural, wealthy, deprived) would also be beneficial.
There are a wide range of organisations, companies and individuals with a strong interest in reducing dog fouling (such as dog, litter, environment, farming, wildlife, tourism, walking agencies) whose involvement would strengthen the implementation of positive findings from the project. The exemplary forum on dog fouling held by Keep Wales Tidy in 2019 included people from a wide range of organisations and interest groups. One of the workshops brainstormed a superb list of people, places and opportunities to involve in reducing dog fouling, with ideas ranging from dog shows to running clubs.
I am looking forward to a time when most people walking dogs are aware of our responsibility to offset poos inadvertently not picked up by us when walking our dogs. People would carry a few extra poo bags with them on walks and enjoy the satisfaction of seeing places they live in and visit looking instantly better through their actions. There would be a national shift from what one respondent described like this: “I hadn't thought about doing it before today, I usually just tut!”
People with dogs would see a missed poo and without tutting, or moaning about it on Facebook, will bag it, bung it in the bin, feel great. Job Done! Or to borrow a slogan proposed at the Keep Wales Tidy dog fouling Forum:
”Dog walkers who care pick up everywhere.”
Appendix
Survey
In July 2019 I posted a message on the very active Many Tears Rescue (MTR) Facebook group page asking for people to complete an online survey about dog fouling. I also posted on our village Facebook page, which produced some responses, but the majority of the 642 were from MTR. Their members also generously provided 185 additional comments on the Facebook page, in addition to those on the linked Survey Monkey.
Survey
In July 2019 I posted a message on the very active Many Tears Rescue (MTR) Facebook group page asking for people to complete an online survey about dog fouling. I also posted on our village Facebook page, which produced some responses, but the majority of the 642 were from MTR. Their members also generously provided 185 additional comments on the Facebook page, in addition to those on the linked Survey Monkey.
I called the survey Lovelier Locally. Its purpose was for me to get a sense of whether more people might be prepared to pick up after others’ dogs and what would help or hinder this. Part of the ‘informal’ nature of this exploration is that the MTR group are probably unrepresentative of people with dogs as they are not only willing to take rescue dogs, but MTR works particularly with disabled and challenging dogs. It is also astonishing that of the respondents, 97% were female! This probably reflects that the Facebook page contributors are mainly women who have adopted MTR dogs and enjoy posting poignant photos such as the one I used to illustrate my survey request. There was a more balanced spread of ages, although respondents were mainly in their 40s-70s, and of where people lived in terms of urban/rural, size of location etc.
I was very grateful for all the responses with people raising interesting points, and providing depth and colour to my tentative concept. Because the aim of Job Done is for more rather than an over-optimistic all people with dogs to pick up after others’ dogs, the responses made me feel entirely optimistic that a skilful campaign could achieve this. And that this could be sustainable in the way that most poo continues to be picked up by dogs’ humans. For example, about 60% of respondents said they already always or sometimes pick up others’ dogs’ poo – that’s brilliant, even given this is an unusually kind group of people.
Respondents gave an interesting range of reasons why they do pick up others’ dogs’ poo:
Digging deeper into this, the next (open-ended text) question, was: What, if anything, would make you more likely to pick up poo from other people's dogs? Respondents suggested more bins, nicer bins, more frequently emptied bins, free poo bags and gloves; more and heavier fines; CCTV and other kit. There was again particular concern about dog poo lying around in or near areas kids frequent such as parks, schools, playgrounds etc. People are more willing to pick up from these areas, in line with the Zero Waste Scotland point above, about littering having a strong contextual basis rather than being a binary people who do/don’t litter.
The question of what respondents think would encourage people in general to pick up after others’ dogs, yielded the following responses:
Nothing: 38%
More information about the harm caused by poo lying around: 35%
Recognition for making your locality lovelier: 24%
Feeling saintly: 13%
Payment: 11%
However, the question was not well thought through by me, as it overlaps too much with the question about what motivates the respondents themselves. I also regret not including as an option what might be an especially motivating, element – free poo bags and related accessories.
Across the Job Done survey there were responses with all sorts of creative ideas. For instance, respondents suggested:
•“Nationwide 'pick up a poo' day once a month like a competition as to who could poo pick the most and win a prize or something”
•“Maybe by being part of a local altruistic squad with good community spirit who tackles mess in the environment. We have volunteer clean-up mornings regularly where I live, such drives are well supported here.”
•“Anyone buying a puppy should have to go to puppy socialisation classes where it can be promoted”
•“Perhaps a social media page for people who pick up others dog poo so they can show everyone how great they are?”
•“A type of ‘lending library’ of litter pickers / gloves etc. - some of the offending bags are left in a truly gruesome state and I wouldn’t touch them with bare hands, though I frequently pick up other litter”
•“if we had people who liaised with dog walkers too, talking to them face to face and handing out free bags at the end of a convo.”
The range of responses, suggestions and critiques were really helpful, and illustrated over and over that motivations for proper disposal of litter include the personal and the social. Personal motivations cited in Zero Waste Scotland’s Rapid Review of Evidence included:
•Sense of personal responsibility for litter, and for the physical space
•Pride in local area or neighbourhood
•Respect for others
•Personal values and norms that are against littering
•Sense of guilt or embarrassment from littering
•Fear of the health impacts of litter
Social motivations included:
•Injunctive social norm of littering being unacceptable
•Descriptive norm of other people not littering
•Being in the company of ‘respectable’ people
•Setting an example for children
•Immediate presence of peer group (for older age groups)
I was very grateful for all the responses with people raising interesting points, and providing depth and colour to my tentative concept. Because the aim of Job Done is for more rather than an over-optimistic all people with dogs to pick up after others’ dogs, the responses made me feel entirely optimistic that a skilful campaign could achieve this. And that this could be sustainable in the way that most poo continues to be picked up by dogs’ humans. For example, about 60% of respondents said they already always or sometimes pick up others’ dogs’ poo – that’s brilliant, even given this is an unusually kind group of people.
Respondents gave an interesting range of reasons why they do pick up others’ dogs’ poo:
- Responsibility to offset: “I'm aware we can all miss a dollop sometimes.” “I call it a karma poo in case I’ve missed one of my dogs doing one”.
- Risk of getting unfairly blamed: “I don't want people thinking it was me who left it there”. Several people mentioned they pick up from other dogs if it’s near where they are picking up from their own. I was intrigued by this and then came across this explanation: “I’ve picked up when it’s been near to my dog’s poo as I’d hate the thought of someone thinking I’d left it!”
- Risk of severe local restrictions on dogs: “I always pick up others dog poo on our sports fields or we are in danger of being banned”
- Self-esteem and civic duty: “Good deed for the day.” “Happy to help.” “Because it's the right thing to do”.
- Social norms: “Seeing other people doing it.” “If we all did a little extra that would help a great deal” “We should all lead by example”
- Anti-littering: “I hate the fact litter could harm wildlife.” “Regular beach user- always pick up a bag of litter when we leave. Teaches the children to be responsible”
- Location: “If outside my house”, “It’s better than someone’s child taking it home on their shoes”
- Who is at risk from harm: ” If it was on paths or grass used by children, including my grandchildren”. “If my dogs are trying to eat it or it's in my / my dogs path”
- Empathy for people with difficulties picking up: "Maybe champions that can help others. There are often elderly people that struggle with picking up after their dogs."
Digging deeper into this, the next (open-ended text) question, was: What, if anything, would make you more likely to pick up poo from other people's dogs? Respondents suggested more bins, nicer bins, more frequently emptied bins, free poo bags and gloves; more and heavier fines; CCTV and other kit. There was again particular concern about dog poo lying around in or near areas kids frequent such as parks, schools, playgrounds etc. People are more willing to pick up from these areas, in line with the Zero Waste Scotland point above, about littering having a strong contextual basis rather than being a binary people who do/don’t litter.
The question of what respondents think would encourage people in general to pick up after others’ dogs, yielded the following responses:
Nothing: 38%
More information about the harm caused by poo lying around: 35%
Recognition for making your locality lovelier: 24%
Feeling saintly: 13%
Payment: 11%
However, the question was not well thought through by me, as it overlaps too much with the question about what motivates the respondents themselves. I also regret not including as an option what might be an especially motivating, element – free poo bags and related accessories.
Across the Job Done survey there were responses with all sorts of creative ideas. For instance, respondents suggested:
•“Nationwide 'pick up a poo' day once a month like a competition as to who could poo pick the most and win a prize or something”
•“Maybe by being part of a local altruistic squad with good community spirit who tackles mess in the environment. We have volunteer clean-up mornings regularly where I live, such drives are well supported here.”
•“Anyone buying a puppy should have to go to puppy socialisation classes where it can be promoted”
•“Perhaps a social media page for people who pick up others dog poo so they can show everyone how great they are?”
•“A type of ‘lending library’ of litter pickers / gloves etc. - some of the offending bags are left in a truly gruesome state and I wouldn’t touch them with bare hands, though I frequently pick up other litter”
•“if we had people who liaised with dog walkers too, talking to them face to face and handing out free bags at the end of a convo.”
The range of responses, suggestions and critiques were really helpful, and illustrated over and over that motivations for proper disposal of litter include the personal and the social. Personal motivations cited in Zero Waste Scotland’s Rapid Review of Evidence included:
•Sense of personal responsibility for litter, and for the physical space
•Pride in local area or neighbourhood
•Respect for others
•Personal values and norms that are against littering
•Sense of guilt or embarrassment from littering
•Fear of the health impacts of litter
Social motivations included:
•Injunctive social norm of littering being unacceptable
•Descriptive norm of other people not littering
•Being in the company of ‘respectable’ people
•Setting an example for children
•Immediate presence of peer group (for older age groups)
References
BBC (2021) Ipswich dog poo fairy tackles town's pet mess
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-59133490
Behavioural Insights Team (2014)
https://www.bi.team/publications/east-four-simple-ways-to-apply-behavioural-insights/
Cellan-Jones, Rory – Sophie from Romania https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/458907/sophie-from-romania-by-cellan-jones-rory/9781529918588
Dogs Trust https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/latest/issues-campaigns/dog-fouling/the%20big%20scoop%20report%20-%20december%202017.pdf
Falkirk Council https://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/bins-rubbish-recycling/rubbish-litter/dog-fouling/green-dog-walkers.aspx
Forestry Commission https://www.forestryengland.uk/dog-code
Harris L., Hargreaves J., Tehan R., Hutton J. and Lee Paris L. “The Big Scoop: a novel intervention to encourage human behaviour change to reduce dog fouling in public places” (2019) Journal of Litter and Environmental Quality Vol. 3, No. 1 pp. 24-30.
Keep Britain Tidy - Dog fouling https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/local-authorities/reduce-litter/dog-fouling
Keep Britain Tidy Walk our Way campaign
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/news/walk-way-our-award-winning-campaign
Keep Britain Tidy – plogging partnership
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/news/plogging-good?gclid=CjwKCAiAp8iMBhAqEiwAJb94z68bykE5BoZf10yMpnNxf4vfwd-5mY69YUUJVAzdJLLypRNnrGCXIBoCW78QAvD_BwE
Keep Britain Tidy – We’re watching you campaign
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/local-authorities/reduce-litter/dog-fouling/solutions/were-watching-you
Keep Wales Tidy Dog Fouling (2016)
Keep Wales Tidy Dog Fouling Forum
https://keepwalestidy.cymru/caru-cymru/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/Dog-Fouling-Forum-31-July-2019-partner-presentation.pdf
Kennel Club https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/about-us/campaigns/access-for-owners-and-dogs/advice-for-local-authorities/
Kolodko J., Read D., Taj U. (2016).Using behavioural insights to reduce littering in the UK.
http://www.cleanupbritain.org/WBS-Report-for-CLUB.pdf
Lowe, C.N., Williams, K.S., Jenkinson, S. and Toogood, M. (2014) “Environmental and social impacts of domestic dog waste in the UK: investigating barriers to behavioural change in dog walkers”, International Journal of Environment and Waste Management
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264438856_Environmental_and_social_impacts_of_domestic_dog_waste_in_the_UK_Investigating_barriers_to_behavioural_change_in_dog_walkers
Patterson K., Grenny J., Maxfield D., McMillan R., Switzler A. (2007) Influencer: The Power to Change Anything McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.
Paws on Plastic https://www.facebook.com/pawsonplastic
Pristine Parishes https://eden.enterprises/
Rangoni R., Wander Jager W. (2017), “Social Dynamics of Littering and Adaptive Cleaning Strategies Explored Using Agent-Based Modelling” Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Vol. 20, issue 2, 1
West Sussex County Times 28th July 2015 “South Downs litter picker has truck named after him.
https://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/environment/south-downs-litter-picker-has-truck-named-after-him-2275777
Zero Waste Scotland Rapid evidence review of littering behaviour and anti-litter policies (2014)
https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/sites/default/files/Rapid%20Evidence%20Review%20of%20Littering%20Behaviour%20and%20Anti-Litter%20Policies.pdf
BBC (2021) Ipswich dog poo fairy tackles town's pet mess
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-59133490
Behavioural Insights Team (2014)
https://www.bi.team/publications/east-four-simple-ways-to-apply-behavioural-insights/
Cellan-Jones, Rory – Sophie from Romania https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/458907/sophie-from-romania-by-cellan-jones-rory/9781529918588
Dogs Trust https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/latest/issues-campaigns/dog-fouling/the%20big%20scoop%20report%20-%20december%202017.pdf
Falkirk Council https://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/bins-rubbish-recycling/rubbish-litter/dog-fouling/green-dog-walkers.aspx
Forestry Commission https://www.forestryengland.uk/dog-code
Harris L., Hargreaves J., Tehan R., Hutton J. and Lee Paris L. “The Big Scoop: a novel intervention to encourage human behaviour change to reduce dog fouling in public places” (2019) Journal of Litter and Environmental Quality Vol. 3, No. 1 pp. 24-30.
Keep Britain Tidy - Dog fouling https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/local-authorities/reduce-litter/dog-fouling
Keep Britain Tidy Walk our Way campaign
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/news/walk-way-our-award-winning-campaign
Keep Britain Tidy – plogging partnership
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/news/plogging-good?gclid=CjwKCAiAp8iMBhAqEiwAJb94z68bykE5BoZf10yMpnNxf4vfwd-5mY69YUUJVAzdJLLypRNnrGCXIBoCW78QAvD_BwE
Keep Britain Tidy – We’re watching you campaign
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/local-authorities/reduce-litter/dog-fouling/solutions/were-watching-you
Keep Wales Tidy Dog Fouling (2016)
Keep Wales Tidy Dog Fouling Forum
https://keepwalestidy.cymru/caru-cymru/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/Dog-Fouling-Forum-31-July-2019-partner-presentation.pdf
Kennel Club https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/about-us/campaigns/access-for-owners-and-dogs/advice-for-local-authorities/
Kolodko J., Read D., Taj U. (2016).Using behavioural insights to reduce littering in the UK.
http://www.cleanupbritain.org/WBS-Report-for-CLUB.pdf
Lowe, C.N., Williams, K.S., Jenkinson, S. and Toogood, M. (2014) “Environmental and social impacts of domestic dog waste in the UK: investigating barriers to behavioural change in dog walkers”, International Journal of Environment and Waste Management
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264438856_Environmental_and_social_impacts_of_domestic_dog_waste_in_the_UK_Investigating_barriers_to_behavioural_change_in_dog_walkers
Patterson K., Grenny J., Maxfield D., McMillan R., Switzler A. (2007) Influencer: The Power to Change Anything McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.
Paws on Plastic https://www.facebook.com/pawsonplastic
Pristine Parishes https://eden.enterprises/
Rangoni R., Wander Jager W. (2017), “Social Dynamics of Littering and Adaptive Cleaning Strategies Explored Using Agent-Based Modelling” Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Vol. 20, issue 2, 1
West Sussex County Times 28th July 2015 “South Downs litter picker has truck named after him.
https://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/environment/south-downs-litter-picker-has-truck-named-after-him-2275777
Zero Waste Scotland Rapid evidence review of littering behaviour and anti-litter policies (2014)
https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/sites/default/files/Rapid%20Evidence%20Review%20of%20Littering%20Behaviour%20and%20Anti-Litter%20Policies.pdf

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