I use the jaws kind from petco. Seems very durable. You know if it breaks, they take anything back at those places and give you your money back or a store credit.

In fact I was using a Hound Dog brand scooper that you loop the bag in but after a while that wasn't working so well so I exchanged it for the jaws kind. I think the jaws are the best scooper out there.

As for why not to use a plastic bag over your hand is because A.) That is gross and B.) You have to bend down. Then again if you are on a walk or something like that it is inconvenient to bring a scooper with you.

The best pooper scooper we ever had was a mini manure fork from the barn. It was the perfect size for picking up poo without getting tangled up in the grass. We scooped into a bucket lined with a trash bag.

Below is a link to one similar to the one we have. You can find them at livestock supply stores, some tack stores, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mini Future Fork

LOL Quirky, my thoughts exactly - apparently some of us (including my son) have a higher gross out factor than others -- I love the jaw ones myself, I had no idea they would take them back - that is pretty gross in itself, I don't know whether I could bring myself to go into the store with a used pooper scooper and ask for a refund....

We had been using a wood and metal flat spade/shovel kind, which worked okay but it had gotten loose and was falling apart.

I like the black plastic jaws one I got at PetsMart a few weeks ago, and it does seem sturdy. It scoops well on flat surfaces, but is harder to use if the ground is uneven. Hope it doesn't break like yours did.

Plastic Bags are fine on walks and maybe if you have small dogs- i've done it with my small dogs but the Rottie is more than a handful of poo at a time-eewww- double dipping is bad.

We thought about the Jaws of Poo, but we were worried about the durability. We ended up getting a rake/shovel combo- it works great. We rinse it and spray it with disinfectant after each potty break- so far so good.

I suspect the 'gross' factor and size of poop is a function of diet. I have large dogs, (greyhounds) but their poop is small and easy to pick up because two are on raw and the third is on Evo. If your dog has huge poop, maybe think about changing their kibble? :) I see kibble dog poop on walks sometimes and it IS disgusting!

I figured we'd get an endorsement for some brand of dog food in this thread. :-)

With the bag, it's not even so much the possibility there could be holes in there (There's a reason doctors don't examine patience with plastic bags on their hands instead of exam gloves), it's the feeling/sensation of picking up turds in my hands that does not feel right.

Here's what I do... I save empty paperboard soda cartons and cut them in half. Those boxes come in handy. But I make pooper scoopers out of them by cutting the halves in half again. Then I stick a couple of those in my pocket and a couple of plastic bags in my pocket when we go to the park or somewhere and that way I can scoop their poops into the plastic bag without touching them. And it all fits in my pocket.

And Blueiris, there is nothing more awkward than returning a used pooper scooper to the store but I assure you they made it really painless. I wrapped it in a white garbage bag and taped it closed so that only the handle was sticking out. Then I took it straight to the register and they knew right off the bat what I was there for and asked me if I wanted to get another one or if I wanted my money back. They ask little to no questions.

I keep my scooper outside leaning against the fence and let the rain do the cleaning.

I've tried a couple scoopers. IMO, nothing works as good as the plastic bag over the hand.

I use the hand in bag only on walks - and eww! The warm poo does gross me out! lol

For the yard I use a cat litter box scooper and a hand shovel. I push the poop into the scooper with the shovel. Works great every time and both are sturdy. I do have to bend over though, so if I ever had back problems I'd have to switch.

I have 4 dogs, so in a few days time there is plenty of poop. I line a container litter comes in with a grocery bag and drop the poo in. Easy to transport around the yard and the container keeps the bag open so no mess there. A quick tie and off to the garbage can.

You guys make me laugh all the time. You may get a laugh out of this:

We used to take our three dogs to the dog park regularly. There, the city supplied the bags and the trash can. My dogs usually "went" during the first few minutes inside the park - as they sniffed their way from the front gate to the back fence along the line of trees. We followed along behind with our bags. Sometimes you would be picking up dog#1's dropping and lose sight of the other two. Or maybe you would see him squat, but be too far away and not know which pile was 'yours' when there turned out to be more than one pile there. Anyhow - I always LIKED picking up the warm poop because I knew it was "mine"! Picking up cold poop became disgusting to me, especially cold squishy piles. I used to hum, "Happiness is a warm one" - a changed lyric to the Beatles little ditty, "Happiness is a Warm Gun."

Oh well, maybe you had to be there!

I often find myself picking up cold poo. I know what you mean about preferring the warm to the cold. I pick up cold piles because I walk my dogs in my neighborhood all the time; I don't want my neighbors thinking those piles are my dogs. I don't want to give them anything to complain about.

Going poopies is their ticket to going out on a walk so it's a convenient habit to have them go first before the walk. To tell you the truth a lot of times I don't take any bags with me on walks because they so seldom potty on their walks and if they do potty I just remember where they went and drive or walk back there later on and get it.

The food comment is really true by the way. I use biodegradable (sp) bags to pick up Riley's poop. But I also wear my gardening glove- that way it cuts down on the gross factor. And bending over is good exercise. In the back yard I use the pooper scooper I used on the cat liter before I got them a Litterrobot.

I make my dogs do their business in our yard before we go for a walk. But inevitably one of them will go again, especially if we go on a long walk. Its that one time that I don't have a bag, or I have used up the bags I had with me, when they decide they need to go again...I have learned to always be prepared, because you just never know.

I love the Doody Digger! It is the best pooper scooper. My kids use it too since it is so easy. Just scoop the poop, then tilt it up and the poop goes directly in the bag. It is very light and has a nonstick surface. I use it on grass, concrete, and even gravel. No more back strain! You will love it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Doody Digger

Just wanted to let you know that I love using the Doody Digger! I was concerned how it would work on the small river rock. No problem! The clever design of the tip makes it easy to pick up the doody and leave the decorative rocks! I will be recommending this to everyone!
Thank you so much for this wonderful product!

http://www.doodydigger.com/

The Doody Digger was swell until my dog had a bout of loose stools. Then the tube got clogged and it was a MAJOR gross out to "flush" the tube out. I am picking up by hand until I find the right scooper to try again. I am eager to see more updates to the blog.

www.scoopandsackit.com

Fabulous!!!

I recently ordered the best pooper scooper from www.jibbergear.com It is my favorite ever.

Someone else posted a reference to a mini manure fork. This scoop from Jibber Gear is much like a fork. It is a heavy duty pooper scooper, It's handmade and it's sturdy. It isn't heavy at all though, it's a breeze and nice to use.

The description and information on the website is true. It's the easiest I've ever used and keeps my grass in good shape. I used to dread having to clean up the yard, but now it's easy. Check it out and order one, you will be glad you did. I sure am. I think this is a new company, but my experience in buying and using it has been excellent.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jibber Gear - pooper scooper

After research, just bought a scoopandsackit. Invented by a little boy for a school project. Hoping it picks up the doodie well. www.scoopandsackit.com

I've just developed this product. In the back yard I use a shovel and a plastic bag. This product combines the two into a simple to use biodegradable disposable device. A shovel and a bag in one!

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.thebowbag.com

The best is not something you buy, but rather something simple and cheap. Why are dog treats designed to appeal to owners more than dogs? Simple. People buy them.

I often use three sheets of newspapers. Another method is to take a peanut butter jar (plastic and with wide mouth) and collect the poop with a cheap spoon (like a big plastic spoon from the dollar store). I use sawdust from my basement to keep odors in the jar at a min. Rather than add the mix to my compost pile, I dig a hole for the stuff and bury it.

Two years ago I made a below ground dog poop digester system, but it did not work out as well as expected. Dug a hole 150% area of my 100# HTH container I buried with wood chips inside. Drilled holes in bottom and lower half on container. Added more wood chips outside container, then put lid on and covered with inch dirt. The idea was to put poop material in bucket and let it slowly leach out to surrounding wood chips. But the poop material was not liquid enough to move easily. Maybe should have used a leach field type product.

I use a shovel and a bag. On walks I use thebowbag.com disposable shovel attached to a bag, they work great!

Really if you ask me...all those "tools" are much grosser than a bag over your hand. It gets on nothing and you just turn the bag inside out and throw it away. What could be more sanitary? All those tools get poo all over them and then you have go wash them and that is just gross. I mean if you are so grossed out. I just feel like dealing with poo is part of being a responsible pet owner and it infuriates me when people walk our public paths in the park and do not pick up after them. Doesn't bother me as much when they go well off the path but people don't pick up after their dogs after they poop right on the path where people are walking and that is just rude! I guess it's just too gross to use the FREE bags they provide!

At home I use a small garden trowel and some grocery bags. Those get thrown into the trash on garbage day. I pick up each poo right after it happens so it won't get stepped in!

Here is another great and easy option, a manure scoop. I saved an old paint bucket, lined with a garbage bag to dispose of the poo.

Here is a link that might be useful: Manure Scoop

I have not read all of the follow-up's but a plastic bag will work better than any gimmick tool on the market. Take it from a man whose wife will purchase anything that claims to work and later finds that it does not. We have spent a few hundred dollars on dog leashes that claim to make your dog walk calmly, to find out the collar with spikes trained her instantly.

I'd like to thank those who actually posted helpful suggestions.

Not everyone can bend down repeatedly to pick up after several dogs, so 'gross' (or not) is really not the issue.

I think I'm going to try the Doody Digger - thank you, ArizonaBowie. It looks like it should work well for very large AND very small dogs...and, really, nothing is going to work well for loose stools, so it'll be back to the glove and bag method for those (hopefully) rare occassions!

I use this and it's cheap and effective enough for me. I scoop everything into a 5 gal bucket with a bag in it, toss the bag out and then bleach water in the bucket and soak it. It's the poop bucket, or the i don't want to touch that bucket.

For picking up loose stool, if you are unlucky enough to have sandy soil like me dump some on there, or clumping cat litter.

Here is a link that might be useful: poop rake

I use a long handle dust pan with a rake, the small shrub rakes. They are both black and disappear out by the poo composter. The dust pan sits flat, then turns into a bucket when lifted, pivot hinges. Holds alot. Mine eat raw but with two big pups.....Just one trip to the back to dump the dump. Easy to unload with a tilt. But i wouldn't know, lol, not my job.
Out on the town i just use the tiny poop bags for dogs.

(in the yard i tap a tissue on top when i come across one he missed....
with allergies i always have tissue.)

Here is a link that might be useful: dust pan w/handle

Good for non edible plants