Why I Don’t Use a Doggie Poo Bag Dispenser

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Some may wonder why I don’t make my life easier and purchase doggie poo bags that come in a dispenser. Well, I’ve dealt with so many little gadgets (many of them plastic) that disappoint me long before they have reached what should be a reasonable useful life.

⭐ My pick for every walk: Earth Rated doggie poo bags — over 215,000 reviews on Amazon.ca and the bags I carry on every walk.

I have never used a doggie poo bag dispenser. Perhaps they are wonderful. Perhaps I am missing out on some great convenience. But I do have questions.

And when I see people walking with a dispenser dangling from the leash, one of my first thoughts is, “That would annoy me.”

I already have a lot to think about on a walk. I have to watch my dog, watch the traffic, watch for other dogs, and pay attention to my surroundings. A dispenser bouncing along beside me—swinging, knocking against my leg, or occasionally coming loose and falling off—would definitely annoy me. Why put myself through that?

Are there advantages to a dispenser? Some people certainly think so.

Advantages

• You always have bags with you.
• You don’t forget them in another jacket pocket.
• They dispense one bag at a time.
• They’re handy for people who walk multiple dogs or carry other items.

Disadvantages

• They can dangle and swing.
• Some models jam if the roll is too large.
• Plastic clips can break.
• Retrieving a bag can be fiddly, especially in cold weather or while wearing gloves.
• And do you buy a new dispenser when it is empty, or do you struggle to refill it? (Too much extra stress for me. 😞)

Besides all of those negatives, I still have questions.

• How do you know how many bags are left in the dispenser?
• Do you keep count?
• Is there only one left?
• Are there enough for today’s walk?
• Can you pull out the last bag without tearing it?
• Are the last bags still in good condition?

And that brings me to another concern. Is it easy to rip a hole in a bag?

The bags in a dispenser are attached to one another and separated by perforations. Perhaps they work perfectly most of the time. But what happens if you pull one a little too quickly or at the wrong angle?

A tiny hole in a grocery bag may not matter very much. A tiny hole in a doggie poo bag matters a great deal. One small tear is one tear too many.

I already have enough challenges with kitchen garbage bags, and they are much easier to handle than little doggie poo bags.

Instead, I rely on routine.

Sometimes the simpler solution really is the better one.

If remembering bags is a challenge, make yourself a simple checklist and follow it. That’s an easy, practical, and logical solution.

My own system is remarkably low-tech. Before leaving the house, I fold two or three bags and put them in my pocket. That’s it. They fold flat, just like a sheet of paper.

I use an easily accessible outside pocket so I can reach the bags quickly when needed. My routine is specific to me. I purposely wear the same shorts every day on my walk—in part because they may get dirty, which is bound to happen eventually. There is never any question about where my bags are. They are always in the same pocket, and they are certainly not bulky.

In colder weather, if I want to wear tights, I simply wear the shorts over the tights. 😊 Voila! The same pocket and the same bags. Easy peasy!

I walk one dog. I carry my phone in my BillieBeen water and phone bag. I like simple solutions, and I dislike unnecessary gadgets. I want my hands as free as possible, and I want quick, easy access to what I need on my walk.

So for me, there is no dispenser, no wondering how many bags I have left, and no extra gadget bouncing against my leg or leash.

I know exactly how many bags I have. I know they aren’t torn. I know I won’t be surprised by an empty dispenser halfway through a walk.

Sometimes the simplest solution really is the best one.

For me, the simplest dispenser is my pocket.