Best Pooper Scoopers

Dog and cat owners consider their pets as their extended family. And there are a lot of psychological benefits to owning an affectionate pet. But, there’s also a downside: it’s estimated that all of the dogs and cats in the US produce about 30% of all of the poop that American humans do! And these droppings are not just an inconvenience, that you have to watch your step while walking outside. If not disposed of properly, dog poop can contaminate our soil and water with dangerous bacteria and parasites. And there are cities that enforce stiff fines for not cleaning up after your dog (such as Washington, D.C., where the fine can be as much as $2,000!). For this reason, it’s best to clean up after your pet. And a good pooper scooper is a convenient and neat way of doing just that!

But there are variations among pooper scooper designs. Some of them are in two parts, consisting of a dustpan. And there are pooper scoopers that can be operated with one hand, with jaws that close shut to help you carry the poop away to a garbage can. Some pooper scoopers use a neat plastic bag to seal it away hermetically. They also differ in the length of the handle, which can save you the trouble of bending over to pick up your pet’s latest mess.

We’ll go through some of the best pooper scoopers in the Best Reviews Guide top ten. You’ll find it interesting how many variations there are for getting rid of your furry baby’s poop! You’re sure to be able to find a version that works for you.

Looking at the Best Reviews Guide list of pooper scoopers, we see that they come in several forms:

• Two-piece rake and scooper spade: This is simple and low-tech, and might be a bit bulky to carry around. But it’s adequate for cleaning up in your yard since the rake is well-suited for grass or gravel surfaces. An example is the Four Paws Dog Rake & Scooper Set. It has a long 43” handle and is made from aluminum, which won’t rust or corrode.

Four Paws Dog Rake & Scooper Set

Some manufacturers introduce an improvement to the 2-piece set, by allowing the rake and scoop to snap together. That’s the case with the Pawler Dog Pooper Scooper. There’s a plastic clamp in the handle of the scoop, where you can insert the rake’s handle. That can free up one hand, to hold your dog’s leash if necessary. It also makes it easier to store it away.

Pawler Dog Pooper Scooper

• Two-piece rake and bag: The GoGo Stik ST Pooper Scooper and Dootie Rake is also in two parts. It also includes a rake but has a disposable bag to receive the poop. You can also try catching your dog’s poop directly in the bag, without the help of the rake. The manufacturers of the GoGo Stik also sell “Dootie Bags”, made from biodegradable cornstarch, instead of using plastic bags.

GoGo Stik ST Pooper Scooper and Dootie Rake

• One-handed scoop: There are also pooper scoopers that you can operate with one hand. The Nature’s Miracle Advanced Jumbo Pick-Up Pet Waste Scoop has a spring-action scoop that you operate with the device’s handle. The material is non-stick plastic that won’t absorb odors. It works well on grass, gravel, and concrete.

Nature’s Miracle Advanced Jumbo Pick-Up Pet Waste Scoop

• Handheld scoop: There is also a handheld scoop that comes without a telescoping pole. An example is the DogBuddy Pooper Scooper, where you scoop up the poop and dispose of it in a special plastic bag. It’s small enough to attach to your dog’s leash whenever you go outside!

DogBuddy Pooper Scooper

Here are some reactions from the customers who tried out these pooper scoopers:

• How much can it hold?: Some customers notice that their one-handed pooper scooper can only hold a few droppings at once. If you try to get one more inside, you risk dropping another! Therefore, you may have to carry around a 5-gallon bucket while walking your pet. You can also carry along a large bag as well.

• Why prefer the rake: One customer who used the Four Paws Dog Rake & Scooper said that he prefers a rake over the jaws of a more advanced pooper scooper. This is because a rake won’t pull out clumps of grass. Also, the jaws version will require that you use a new bag every time your dog relieves himself. When you use the rake with a large scoop, you dump out all of the poop at the end in one fell swoop.

Here are some tips on choosing the most effective pooper scooper for your needs:

• Handle parts click together: One of the advantages of the pooper scooper is that it maintains a distance between your hands and the poop! But, it might be difficult walking around with a 46”-long rake in your hand. The Pawler Dog Pooper Scooper uses a push-and-click push-pin construction that is more durable than telescopic tubing.

• Match the scoop to the size of your animal: You’ll notice that there are jumbo-sized scoops and medium-sized scoops. Which one is best for you depends on the size of your pet. A big dog might require a jumbo-sized scoop, while a small scoop is appropriate for small dogs and cats. Also, people noticed that the scoops that use a rake might not work so well if your dog’s poop is small enough to go in between the teeth of your rake.

• Not just for poop: Some prefer the rake and scoop version because it can be used for more than just poop. You can use it to pick up leaves and other garden debris as well.

• Different jaws for different surfaces: The Dogit Jawz Dog Waste Scooper has two types of jaws: one with sharp jagged teeth, for picking up poop on grass and gravel, and one with smaller teeth for picking up waste from the pavement and other flat surfaces.

• Easy to rinse: If you use a bag with your pooper scooper, there might be some instances where poop gets smeared on the device itself. Just rinse it off with a garden hose, or under running water. It's best to choose plastic, silicone, or aluminum pooper scoopers, which won't get damaged by exposure to water.

Final Verdict

We went through the features of some of the top 10 pooper scoopers in the Best Reviews Guide list. There are simple dustpan-type scoopers and sophisticated state-of-the-art pooper scoopers with serious spring mechanisms and formidable jaws. With this brief overview, you’re sure to be able to find one that suits the needs of your dog or cat!