A Doggie Dooley operates on a similar basis to a septic system to dispose of your pet's excrement in an environmentally friendly manner. You simply shovel the waste into the container, which is submerged underground. Friendly bacteria convert the waste to inert liquid that seeps away. Installation is fairly simple but proper maintenance is key to have your disposal system function properly.
Dig Right In
Select where you wish to install your Doggie Dooley. You'll want the container to be at least a few feet away from your home, convenient to the areas where your dogs defecate and reachable by a garden hose. You'll need to dig down about 4 feet, so select a site that is not on bedrock. Make sure to install in soil that drains, not in heavy clay. Use a post hole digger or garden spade to widen your hole to 14 inches in diameter and then drop the Doggie Dooley into the hole. The collar should rest securely on the ground surrounding the hole.
Test It Out
Before installing your Doggie Dooley in the hole, you'll want to make sure you have proper drainage. Fill the hole you just dug with water from the hose. It should drain away completely within 48 hours. If it doesn't, backfill the hole and try again in another part of the yard where drainage is better. An improperly draining hole causes the receptacle to back up, causing stinky overflow and preventing you from adding waste on a daily basis.
Start It Up
To get your Doggie Dooley up and running, mix 2 tablespoons of the digester powder to 6 gallons of lukewarm water inside the Doggie Dooley. The warm water provides the bacteria with the proper climate to get off to an optimal start. Adding cold water will work but will slow down the process. Once your Doggie Dooley is up and running, water straight from the hose is fine. Scoop up your dog's waste -- up to about two days' worth -- and add it to the tank.
Keeping It Running
Clean your yard every day or two to avoid overloading the Doggie Dooley. Add water each time you scoop waste. You'll need to add approximately 1 gallon, until the water begins flowing down the overflow tube. The Doggie Dooley bacteria slow down as weather cools off, and you won't see any action whatsoever when temperatures stay consistently below 40 degrees. At that point, stop adding waste for the winter and repeat the startup process when temps warm up in the spring. You also should repeat the startup steps if you leave home for two weeks or more.
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Writer Bio
Indulging her passion for vacation vagary through the written word on a full-time basis since 2010, travel funster Jodi Thornton-O'Connell guides readers to the unexpected, quirky, and awe-inspiring.