Weekly vs. Every-Other-Week Dog Poop Pickup: Which Is Right for Your Yard?

Weekly pickup is the right choice for most households with one or two dogs. Every-other-week pickup works well for one small dog, or for yards where the dogs spend most of their time inside. If you have three or more dogs, twice-a-week service is usually the better fit.

That is the quick rule of thumb. Below is how to think through it for your own yard, especially with the heat, rain, and fire ants we deal with in Waller County and northwest Houston.

How much waste are we really talking about?

A medium-size dog typically goes one to three times a day. Over a week, that is somewhere between seven and twenty piles from one dog. Over two weeks, double it. With two dogs, double it again.

On a small fenced backyard, two weeks of waste from one small dog is manageable. On a family yard with two labs, two weeks is a lot. It covers more ground, it is harder to avoid, and it starts to affect how the yard looks and smells.

The case for weekly

Weekly service is our most popular plan for a few practical reasons:

• The yard never gets bad. There is never more than a week of waste out there.
• Summer odor stays under control. In July and August, a week-old pile and a two-week-old pile smell very different.
• Fewer flies. Flies lay eggs in dog waste, and Texas heat speeds up that cycle.
• Mowing stays clean. If your mowing schedule is weekly, weekly scooping means you are never running over a mess.
• Kids and guests can use the yard any day of the week without a quick check first.

With LP's, weekly service is $22 per visit for one dog on a yard up to half an acre.

The case for every other week

Every-other-week service costs less per month, and for the right yard, it does the job. It tends to work best when:

• You have one small dog.
• Your dog is mostly indoors and only goes out for quick breaks.
• The yard is mostly for the dog, not for kids, parties, or gardening.
• You are fine doing a quick pickup yourself in between if something is in the way.

With LP's, every-other-week service is $32 per visit. The per-visit price is a little higher than weekly because there is twice as much to pick up, but you pay for half as many visits.

When twice a week makes sense

If you have three or more dogs, or a couple of big dogs on a small yard, twice-a-week service keeps things from building up between visits. It is $19 per visit, and it is the plan we recommend for busy multi-dog homes and for families with toddlers who are in the yard every day.

How Texas weather changes the answer

Our weather is a big part of this decision. In the summer, heat breaks waste down fast on the surface and makes odor stronger, especially near the house. In the spring and fall, heavy rain washes waste into the grass and soil, and it can run toward drains, ditches, and ponds on rural properties.

Some families run weekly service from spring through fall and drop to every other week in the cooler months. That is a reasonable approach. Since there are no contracts, you can switch plans whenever your needs change. Just text us.

What about yard size?

On big lots outside Waller, Hempstead, and Hockley, dogs spread out. Waste is less concentrated, so the yard can look fine longer. But it also takes longer to find everything, especially in taller grass. Every-other-week can work for one dog on acreage, as long as the area near the house where people walk is not a problem between visits.

In Cypress, Tomball, and Magnolia neighborhoods, yards are smaller and dogs use the same few spots. That concentration is why weekly tends to be the better fit there.

A simple way to decide

Ask yourself three questions:

• Does anyone besides the dogs use the yard most weeks? If yes, go weekly.
• Do you have more than one dog, or one dog over 50 pounds? If yes, go weekly or twice a week.
• Would you notice two weeks of buildup near the patio in August? If yes, go weekly.

If you answered no to all three, every other week will probably work fine. And if you are not sure, start weekly for a month and see how it feels. You can always step down.

See both prices side by side

Our quote form shows your exact price for any plan in about a minute. Try weekly, then switch to every other week and see the difference. If you want a second opinion, text Larry at (936) 931-7056 and tell him about your dogs and your yard.