Don't Eat the Yellow Snow

So, there is a problem which most native-Californians wouldn't even think about...dogs and snow. Yes, my dogs love the snow and have a great time running and playing out in the cold...Chloe even loves to lay in the snow that has collected on the porch...they love it!

But, that's not what we're talking about here...

We're talking about "Yellow Snow" -- well, I guess we're really talking about "Brown Snow." You see, back in California we heard about Yellow Snow...but now, in my mind, Yellow Snow isn't really a problem. Your pee is hot, the snow is cold...it basically burns a hole thru the snow straight to the ground. So, your "Yellow Snow Problem" is only about an inch in diameter. No Biggie!!



The REAL BIGGIE here is the Brown Snow! And dogs...what do you do with your dogs in the winter?!?! Our dogs go out about 3-4 times per day to go potty. They're usually pretty quick about it...they go and come back inside. We open the door to the porch, let them out to the backyard...and they come back when they're done.

Well, often times it's too cold, windy, rainy or snowy to go outside with them. We trust them and know they won't get lost or run away. (Oh, did I mention that we don't have a fenced backyard?) It's a big, open yard that has about 6 houses which open up to it. So, the dogs are free to roam where ever they wish to go potty. Usually it's right near our house. HOWEVER, our next door neighbors have been complaining about the poop in the yard and have said that their son has slipped in poop on 2 separate occasions.


First of all...I never even knew that had a son until he slipped in the poop! The kid is never outside! How in the hell did he step in poop?!?! And the only time I see the neighbors outside is when they are out having a cigarette on the patio. But, that's besides the point...


My question is: What do I do about the poop??
I 've changed their food to a more expensive brand, but that only seems to make them poop more...so I'm switching back. We used to buy Nutro Dog Food, which is supposed to cut down the amount of poop they produce, but they don't sell that brand of dog food here on the island. Right now they're on Science Diet and it's costing me about $50 every 3 weeks...but I think we're going back to Ol Roy.


We thought about getting a small fence to create a little dog run so that they were limited with where they can poop...but, guess what...??? The hardware store doesn't sell a waist-high fence! I can't make one myself because I'm not that crafty and I've looked into getting a fence shipped in, but that's going to cost too much. Look, we don't own the place we live...it's "government property" so I don't want to spend a whole lot of money on a permanent fence.


Our neighbors across the street have fenced yards. In fact, our houses that face the lake are the ONLY houses in ALL of Kodiak Government Property that DO NOT have fenced yards! They say that they are "planning" to put in a fence...but they've been "planning" for the last 3-4 years! I'm sure the hold-up is our rather steep hill that drops off toward the lake - and - fenced yards would really spoil the view from the porch...but, why not at least a dog run along the side of the house?!?!?!


Anyway...back to my original question: What do I do about the poop? I picked up the poop 2 days ago and there were about 15 new dog-piles when I went out there today! AMAZING!! I can't follow them around with a pooper-scooper, and I am not able to pick it up on a daily basis. So, the poop sits out there and the neighbor's kid is stepping in it!

How do I handle this situation??

Honestly, I have no idea what to do and I'd really welcome your comments or suggestions on this!