How do I handle dog poop on my clients lawn? {And make extra $$$}

Lawn care pros:
Turning dog poop challenges into extra cash!

It’s inevitable, that if you mow lawns for any length of time, you are going to have to deal with dog poop. 

As annoying as it may be, dealing with dog poop is simply part of cutting grass. 

So, what is the proper way to deal with dog poop on your client's lawn? 

Should you charge more, cut the client, or suck it up and mow the lawn?

Below you will find a money-making opportunity that most lawn care pros miss. 

Why do dogs poop on lawns?

Before going into the proper ways to handle dog poop, we should really understand why exactly it is that dogs poop on lawns. 

You see, much like humans dogs eat food. And once that food is digested the waste has to go somewhere. 

Here’s the deal, dogs, in general, can’t use toilets as we do, and so they simply have to go on the lawn. 

And that is why dogs poop on lawns. Which can over time make the lawn dangerous for dogs.

All joking aside, here is what you need to know about upselling your lawn care services.

How do lawn professionals (Professionally) handle dog poop on the lawn?

So, you have a client who has a dog/s that use the lawn as a liter box, how can you address the issue?

Look, there are basically 3 simple solutions:

1. Charge More

2. Don’t Charge More

3. Cut the Client

Before I offer advice from my experience, check out what our poll of over 500 lawn care professionals told us about how they handle the issue. 

Hands down, the most common answer we received by far was to simply cut the lawn and move on to the next one. 329 of the respondents said that they simply cut the grass with no extra charges. 

Yet, a lot of lawn care professionals, 125, said that they charge more when they have to cut a lawn with dog poop. 

This is crazy but a small segment of lawn care pros said they would simply cut the client. And a smaller segment still said that they would mow around it and tell the client that the waste must be removed. 

However, a lot of lawn care professionals may be overlooking a good opportunity to make more money. 

Let me break it down…

Should I charge more for pet waste removal?

Now there is a HUGE DIFFERENCE between charging more to cut a lawn that has pet waste, and actually removing the pet waste from the lawn. 

This is crazy but, only 25 of over 500 respondents seemed to catch this business opportunity. 

Here’s the deal, if you are already going to be cutting the lawn and getting dog poop on your mower. Why not offer pet waste removal services instead? After all removing dog poop from the lawn is a good yard clean-up tip.

You are already there, and it will only take a few minutes to pick it up and you can make an extra $10-$20 for each cut. And avoid getting it on your equipment. Best of all you can leave it in their trash can.

And selling this service isn't that difficult at all. 

For example, you could easily sell them on the idea by showing them this article about the dangers of dog poop. No one wants fecal matter on their lawn when they really take the time to consider it.

If you pitch the add-on service and they say no thanks. And you are already one of the nearly 70% of lawn care professionals that would simply mow the lawn anyhow. There is no love lost between you and the client. Just sling that $h-t everywhere then. 

How much should I charge to clean up dog poop?

If you do sell your client on pet waste removal, how much should you charge? After all pricing, your lawn care services correctly is an important part of running your business. 

Well, it depends on how much you have to deal with each week. 

However, a quick $10-$20 charge for 5 minutes of work is a good way to make some extra cash with your lawn care clients. Some lawn care pros suggest $10 per dog, while others say a $20 flat rate.

Or you could just keep “fertilizing” it into the lawn and cleaning your lawn mower each cut. While it may be good for your client's lawn, it may not be safe for their dogs. And if you do, here is how to clean your lawn mower deck. 

Dealing with Dog Poop at the End of the Day

Here’s the deal, while most lawn care pros simply mow the lawn with dog poop present, many homeowners would gladly pay a little bit extra to have you clean it up instead. Especially if you can sell it to them the right way.

And if you can get them to pay you to remove the waste, not only are you increasing the amount you make each day, but you also have a clean lawn mower at the end of the day. Look, you have to deal with poop on your lawn or mower one way or another, why not make some extra money?

Best of all you can avoid any unfortunate aim with your weed eater that may make it land where you don't want it to. 

Is your client's dog ruining your lawn? Here are some ways to stop a dog from ruining the lawn.