Poop Bags for Winter: Gloves, Snow and Dark Walks

Quick answer: winter pickup is harder for three reasons: gloves, snow and darkness. Get a bag out before your gloves go on, pick up right away before it freezes into the snow, and carry a light so you can see where your dog went. Whatever you miss in January is still waiting for everyone in March.

The glove problem

Try tearing a poop bag off a roll in ski gloves. Then try rubbing it open, while your dog stands over a steaming pile looking at you with mild concern. It does not work, and taking a glove off at 10 degrees is its own kind of misery.

Three fixes:

• Pull bags before the gloves go on. Take two or three out at the door, open them, and stuff them in an outer pocket.
• Wear thin liner gloves under warm ones. Pull off the outer glove for the pickup and the liner keeps your fingers working.
• Use a bag you can start with one hand. Ours have an easy-open lip designed for that, which is a lot more useful in February than in June.

Length helps with gloves too. A gloved hand is bigger than a bare one, and it needs room inside the bag with space left over to tie. Most bags are about 13 inches long, and ours are 14.

Frozen poop

Here is the one piece of good news. Fresh poop on cold snow is often easier to pick up than poop on summer grass. It sits on top, and it comes up clean.

The trouble starts when you wait. Leave it, and it freezes into the snow or bonds to an icy sidewalk, and now you are chiseling. So pick up right away. If one is already stuck, rock it free through the bag rather than pulling straight up, or use the edge of a scooper. Do not kick it loose. Nobody wins.

Snow hides it. Spring shows everyone.

Every snowy winter ends the same way: the thaw, and the slow reveal of every pickup somebody skipped since December. It is not just unpleasant. The CDC says "pet waste should be picked up daily", and notes that roundworm eggs take 2 to 4 weeks in the environment to become infective. A pile buried under snow for two months has had plenty of time.

Then the snow melts. The EPA notes that stormwater can pick up pet waste left on the ground and carry it into nearby streams, lakes and rivers, and snowmelt is stormwater. And no, the law does not take the winter off either. See what city codes actually say.

Dark walks

In December, plenty of people do both daily walks in the dark. That creates two problems: drivers cannot see you, and you cannot see the poop.

For the first, the CDC's advice is to "improve your visibility by wearing bright and reflective clothing" and to "use lights when it's dark." A reflective leash or collar light does the same job for your dog.

For the second, a headlamp beats a phone flashlight, because it leaves both hands free for the leash and the bag. And watch your dog. When they squat, note the spot against something fixed, like a tree or a mailbox, and walk straight there.

Your dog's side of winter

The American Veterinary Medical Association says you will probably need to shorten your dog's walks in very cold weather. It also advises wiping down your dog's feet, legs and belly after walks, because they can pick up de-icing products, antifreeze or other chemicals that could be toxic if licked off. And if your dog suddenly starts limping mid-walk, the AVMA notes it may be ice built up between the toes.

Shorter walks do not mean fewer bags. Your dog still goes as often as always, just faster.

The winter walk kit

Common questions

How do you pick up frozen dog poop?

Ideally, before it freezes. If it is stuck, rock it free through the bag or use the edge of a scooper.

Do I have to pick up dog poop in the snow?

Yes. Pickup rules do not pause for winter, and whatever you leave resurfaces when the snow melts.

How do I find dog poop in the dark?

Wear a headlamp, watch your dog, and mark the spot against something fixed before you walk over.

Can you use poop bags with gloves on?

It is hard with a roll. Pull and open bags before you put your gloves on, and use a bag you can start with one hand.

What we would pick

A Tissue Box ($24) by the door makes the pre-pull easy: 200 bags you take out one at a time, no tearing, while your hands are still warm. The Walk Dispenser ($15.99) clips to the leash so you are not unzipping layers to find a roll, and its hook holds the used bag so you are not gripping it with numb fingers. The Complete Setup ($67.99) gets you both plus a Classic Box and a bonus roll.

If cold hands and stiff joints are a daily issue, our guide to easy-open poop bags for arthritis and limited grip has more. And for the other end of the year, there is the summer dog walking guide.