Surely, someone is picking up the poop---after three years of nothing being done its a wonder she still has neighbors.
So...let's assume someone is ridding the area and sometimes some is missed and gets to be swallowed up by the soil.

Such little amount wont do the soil that much harm. Soil thrives on bacteria to eat up what it will.

Besides, making a garden will entail certain improvements being made to encourage good growing of the plants.
And the dogs wont be dropping anything in the garden in the future---that then suggests the soil there will be kept in good condition.

Funny thing, I knew dogs would chase squirrels and mice and such, but I never appreciated them ever eating what they catch. The other day my little lhasa apso came to the back door with a mouse in her mouth. The little girl had actually chased and caught the thing.
We don't know whether she was just bringing it home as a gift for us...or whether she was intending to eat it in our kitchen.
She didn't get to keep it...and she hasn't caught another yet.....that we know of.
Good God we're going to have to keep an eye on her more than we do.

I wouldn't worry about the soil being harmed to any great extent...and the dogs have to go somewhere...let's hope though it is being cleaned up in reasonable time.

If you wash your food before you eat it, if you wash your hands after working in the garden, and if you don't eat dirt, then I wouldn't worry about past dog doo in the yard.

Curious. Most here agree that you should never compost poop from dogs and cats, yet it's ok for it to be on the soil? How does this make sense?

"It smells to high heaven and she feeds the a mix of human scraps and kibble."

Which butcher shop sells human scraps? I'm sure my dog would love some!

Gardenpooter: Though the others may know better than me, and the soil might indeed be just fine, I agree that the "ick factor" itself is pretty high. (Especially if they eat rodents- yuk!).

Would it be possible to build the vegetable garden in your own yard? Another option would be to build a new raised bed in Grandma's yard, starting with new soil, and keeping it fenced off from the dogs. You could do that either by buying new soil and compost, or building a lasagna bed.

I used to have a golden retriever which ate it own poop, then would come in and try to kiss us. Talk about yuk! And you should have smelled his breath! In the winter time, when my son was little he'd yell "Mom, he's eating poopsickles again!".

I also once had a collie who would dig up moles and voles and kill them. Fortunately he didn't eat them, he'd just play with them like toys. He'd be surprised when they stopped running away and lose interest.

Karen

Where I live, it could be my dog, the neighbors dog, racoons, possum, snake, deer, fox, turkeys, dragonflies, chipmunks, toads, coyote, lighting bugs or even the dreaded humming bird that poops on any given square foot of the yard. A healthy balance of preditor and prey, all of which produce poop. Poop happens.

You could fence in the area, clean away anything visable and let the rain and mom nature take care of the rest for a few week and be over it.

However, if the yard stinks, that's a whole 'nuther problem. Gardenening should be a pleasure. Gardening in a stinky space cannot be pleasant. In this case I would be forced to set an ultimatum: Either the yard be well cleaned and stay that way, or garden goes in a more pleasant place. Kay.

If the yard stinks then that means to dog feces have not been properly cleaned up, and even if those dogs have had their shots they still could be carriers of any of several disease pathogens and possibly worms. If grandma wants a garden then the yard first needs to be cleaned up and then a lot of organic matter needs to be added to the soil for a few years before a garden should be planted there.

Thank you everyone for answering!

1.No the poop has not been cleaned up, 3 years worth.

2.She did say that they can go in another part of the yard and stay, with plenty of room.

3. Heck yeah they EAT the rodents that they catch, Saw it with my own two eyeballs! LOL

4.They have theie shots , the Humane society came out several times to give them. (Senior Program). But the worming no.

I don't know what to do , I already have my own lot , I guess I will amend the yard and wait?! I am leaning on growing extras in my lot which is 125*56.

The garden Pooter!!!

Can you put her garden in the area she wants to move the dogs to instead of where they are now? Just a thought. I wouldn't want to garden that area anytime soon but can't cite scientific reasons.

melonhedd
Which butcher shop sells human scraps? I'm sure my dog would love some!
You don't get them at the butcher shop. You'll find them in the dehydrated food section. It's what they use to call soylent green but they had to change the name in the interest of full disclosure due to truth in advertising laws. BTW, always ask for 'Human Scraps' by name. Knock-off products like 'People Parts' and 'I Can't Believe It's Not Grandma' contain a lot of fillers like chicken and beef.

She's your grandmother.

She's 86.

She wants a garden.

Rake it all up, build raised beds, & plant flowering plants.

Do it now while you have the chance.

Pooter: If I was in your situation I would make some lasagna beds for grandma starting with a couple layers of cardboard. I would think this would separate any poop from your garden while it decomposes. Easy and cheap!

squonnk: thanks for the info. Guess I won't be buying any "Father Tastes Best" products even though I have a coupon...
Do you think Whole Foods would order the good stuff for me?

Why not start the garden with something you won't eat. Maybe a legume that you can till back into the soil to improve it. In a year any yuck factor will be gone and you can grow whatever you like.
I honestly don't understand the super squeemishness that poop seems to evoke. No I'm not crazy about handling it but, sing it with me, "Its the cirrrrcle of life!" So is eating living things, its only very recently that we don't live in a dog eat dog world...

I'm with SylviaTexas. If any old garden will do then make it a non-food garden. If you are in a bit of a hurry but don't want to step too much into the yuck plot then throw down something easy like cosmos seeds for now (I had lots come up last year by just tossing cosmos seeds on the ground with no care whatever).

I don't know if I missed something; OP indicated Godmother wanted a garden - didn't say vegetable or flower. Maybe at 86, seeing a succession of lovely blooms over the season would be more satisfying than chowing down on broccoli and Swiss Chard. :-) A lot less work for you, too, having to tend two gardens.

sylviatexas - I LIKE how you think - thank you!

Thanks all for answering my question, I will do the layered with cardboard and greens. She does want food and I will plant flowers. I just had someone rake up all the poop that they saw and then till the garden. You are right shes older and I want to give her whatever her heart desires sooooooo, a planting I will go! I will also wash eveything very well!

The Garden Pooter!

Garden Pooter - You are Awesome! What a job - and what a wonderful grandchild you are! Good luck & All the Best, Tree

You don't want to know what the wife and I do with our two dogs poop. (They eat raw meat and bones.)

We pick up some, crumble some back into the lawn and water in with a hose and....... well........,

Let me just say that our tomatoes, fruits and parsley just taste wonderful every year!

I know, I know....... LOL!!!!

My dog poop goes in the compost pile... so I'm right with you rdak.

Uh-oh Joe, we could be in trouble here!! LOL!!

I'm always in trouble. I tossed forbidden items into my pile once in awhile. I can't help it, its hidden rebel inside of me.

I'm a compost rebel too. The best compost and fastest I've had so far is from the year before last when I buried the thanksgiving turkey carcass in the pile. Last September I spread the compost and it was great. I have found a few leg bones and such but I just buried those in the garden as I found them.

Don't tell anyone Curt, but I have two dead moles and a chicken carcass in my pile right now.

This thread reminds me of the compost bin song:

When Grandpa died from drinking gin
We put him in the compost bin.

Good luck to you, Gardenpooter. You are a sweet Grandchild.

Karen

OK Karen now you've went and gone toooooo far! LOL
I agree with most here that poop is poop. I live on a lake and all my neighbors are just terrified of the goose poop. I started a new pile last year and a huge part of it was just that. I'd go around a very big area once a week and get 90% of what they left and wow you talking about being gone in a hurry in less than 6 months I couldn't even tell where the pile was because everything decomposed that fast.

Strouper

Strouper: have you heard the compost bin song? If not, I'll post a link. It still makes me laugh.

It's what my neighbors think of my bins- mysterious voodoo compost bins.

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: compost bin song