Yellow snow etiquette?

January 13, 2009 11:18 AM

Yellow snow etiquette? It's my dog's first winter in a snowy clime. I always scoop poop, of course, but what is the etiquette for cleaning up the yellow snow? I usually try to cover it up with a little fresh snow, but it still seems gross to me.
posted by lalalana to Pets & Animals (20 answers total)

I don't have a dog, but I live in snow and have kids. If you were my neighbor, I would prefer you not cover it up. They know not to play in yellow snow. If you camouflage it, that seems like a bigger problem to me.
posted by originalname37 at 11:23 AM on January 13, 2009 [10 favorites]

I have never heard of post-pee clean up procedures for winter and I would be surprised if anyone expected you to do anything at all.
posted by kate blank at 11:24 AM on January 13, 2009

What's the location of the yellow snow in question? In someone's yard or along the sidewalk?
posted by jerseygirl at 11:24 AM on January 13, 2009

As far as your main question, cleaning it up seems excessive to me. Animals pee in the snow. As long as it doesn't spell anything, it's not obnoxious.
posted by originalname37 at 11:25 AM on January 13, 2009

Consider that covering up yellow snow increases the changes of someone interacting with it unawares.
posted by onshi at 11:27 AM on January 13, 2009

If it seems gross to you, and it's on someone else's property, scoop up the yellow snow. But no matter where it is, don't just cover it up. Like others have said, that's an unpleasant surprise for anyone not aware of what lies underneath.
posted by katillathehun at 11:29 AM on January 13, 2009

Just leave it. If anyone asks, just say "MAYBE A SQUIRREL PEED THERE."
posted by allkindsoftime at 11:30 AM on January 13, 2009 [19 favorites]

don't worry about it....
posted by HuronBob at 11:32 AM on January 13, 2009 [1 favorite]

Don't do anything about it. Covering it up is actually worse. And yeah, it's gross. What can you do.
posted by chunking express at 11:48 AM on January 13, 2009

If you're really worried, you could follow along and attempt to strategicly hold a cup at the proper moment, to prevent any yellow-ization of the snow.

Which is to say: you're overthinking this, and being surprised by lightly covered yellow snow is much worse than just avoiding plainly visible yellow snow in the first place.
posted by owtytrof at 12:05 PM on January 13, 2009 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks guys. I'm a Miami girl in Boston with a lot to learn...
FWIW, there aren't many kids in my neighb...
posted by lalalana at 12:20 PM on January 13, 2009

I'm another one who used to cover it with fresh snow (and I grew up in Minnesota!), so don't feel too bad. Now that people are mentioning it, it totally makes sense why neighbors would want it to remain uncamouflaged.
posted by vytae at 12:27 PM on January 13, 2009

"It it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down" Or in your case if it's brown, scoop it up.
posted by wavering at 12:50 PM on January 13, 2009

FWIW, there aren't many kids in my neighb...
Have you no pity with all those who habitually eat snow at midnight? A lot to learn...
posted by Namlit at 1:01 PM on January 13, 2009 [1 favorite]

Make little flags with pictures of your dog. Attach them to little flagpoles.

Place a little flagpole in the center of the yellow snow when your dog pees. Everyone laughs, everyone wins - even midnight snow bingers.
posted by terpia at 3:06 PM on January 13, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm in Boston and yes, there are kids in all neighborhoods who will eventually walk by and PICK UP SNOW. Don't cover it.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 4:08 PM on January 13, 2009

Don't let your dog pee in places where you think yellow snow might be unappreciated.
posted by gjc at 4:58 PM on January 13, 2009

I agree with the "don't worry about it" mentality. In the summer, you wouldn't attempt to clean a tree or sign or fence post if your dog used such post for relieving himself. Just because snow highlights such excretions, I wouldn't expect for your behavior to change.

(And this is coming from a Milwaukee native who is used to snow, cold, and a dogs need to go...)
posted by richardhay at 6:32 PM on January 13, 2009

Nthing leave it. Unless it's all in the same spot - my dog likes to use the same little area in the back yard, and so we shovel the yellow snow out into the rest of the yard periodically to try an prevent more damage to the lawn in that area.

As an aside, I once convinced my younger brother that yellow snow was banana flavored. That was pretty fun.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 8:15 PM on January 13, 2009

Look around for patches of violet snow and have the dog pee them white. Then find some way to mark it in case a child passes by.
posted by Abiezer at 10:18 AM on January 14, 2009