I found this on the web. "Although dog and cat manure both contain organic nutrients useful to plants, neither is safe to use in soil containing food crops. Both contain parasitic pathogens that are harmful to human health. Dog manure can contain the eggs of Toxocara canis (the common large roundworm), which can also infect humans. It's estimated that 90% of young puppies are infected with this worm-many are born infected-and up to 50% of all adult dogs. The eggs can be transferred to the human mouth by a person's fingers or from foods that have been in contact with dog feces. Toxocara eggs can remain viable in the soil for up to 10 years depending on environmental conditions. Because no information is known on the effects hot composting has on Toxocara eggs, it also unsafe to add dog manure to compost heaps intended for food crops. If you have a dog feces problem in your garden, remove the feces and take care to use good hygiene practices (thoroughly washing hands and vegetables) to avoid possible contamination." Also, google a search on "dog poop/feces garden." A gardenweb search will find opinions as well. eg...Kelly Slocum from the vermicomposting forum advises strongly against using/allowing dog feces in the garden.

Thanks so much everyone! I'm not going to worry about the dog dobbins. I haven't yet gotten a temp on my compost (my candy thermometer doesn't work so well - anyone want to come over for a fresh batch of FUDGE? haha), but I've had heat off and on. I even had a little steam a couple of times. But these dogs that visit are actually mostly housedogs who go out in their backyard and jump the fence, so I'm hoping they're fairly healthy boys. Plus, I did read somewhere that roundworms are in the soil anyway. So that solves the dog doo. The blue mud, I don't know. I really don't think it's cat because I have had cats my whole life and know cat poop very well. Also, the only cat in the neighborhood who goes outside doesn't use my front yard. When he needs to go, he has a nice spot picked out by my butterfly bush. My mom thought maybe the leaves somehow matted down the soil and trapped some moisture, causing the blue mud smell. If I still lived in the boonies, I'd swear someone let their pigs loose and they were rolling around in my yard. But the only pig on the loose I know of is long gone. He died, froze solid, and became the traveling gnome for an entire winter. Every day that frozen (large) pig would show up in someone's yard, propped against a tree or a bench. Sometimes he'd be leaning against a stop sign on a lonely road, frozen solid. My mom and I tried to haul him to my uncle's yard, but he was too heavy. Poor Mr. Frozen Pig. Donn has it right...I'm coo-coo for composting!

Best way to prevent this is to start walking your pup daily, if you have the time, every hour outisde for 15 minutes or so, and when he goes pp or #2, praise him, and give him the command of what his is doing, say pp outside when he goes pp, he will start associating his actions with your commands. Puppies explore the world with their mouths, so what he is doing is pretty normal, to train him out of it, teach him to leave it. No need to yell or hit, just a solid firm voice. Replace what he has in his mouth - whether it be the cat, or a slipper or his poop with something he can have, like a ball or a toy. Always follow up your actions with commands. Say leave it, or drop it when he has something you dont want him to have, with a good boy when he drops it, or leaves it and when replacing the thing with the toy or ball, tell him, play with your toy or play with your ball, this teaches your dog what you dont want him to do as well as teaching him what you do want - this is the part we forget the most. Telling your dog what is okay. Good luck with your pup.

I believe that experiences are shaped by experiences themselves. Especially in the medical field, weather it be human or veterinarian. I have just had so many problems misdiagnosed by vets that I've lost count. I have a memorable one. My Shepherd/Lab, Tara, about 10 years old had an off smell. Not a dirty smell, just an off smell. I couldn't figure out what it was, my regular vet wasn't concerned, and my dermatology vet said not to worry. Weeks past, and the smell got worse, plus Tara's coat was appearing very oily. Then one day she started to bite herself severely trying to relieve itching. She was literally damaging herself trying to get relief. My regular vet consulted with dermatology vet, and they both agreed that the dog had "fox mites" even though there was no evidence of them. Treatments that lasted about three weeks took place. In the meantime, the situation was getting worse. By this time, Tara had chewed off at least half of her fur and had severe infections. I was sleeping with her on the floor to comfort her. Because I was so concerned, I took her into dermatology vet and left her for a day for observation. Again, vet said that medication was working (even though I could see that it wasn't) and that we should continue with the medication prescribed. The next day the situation took a drastic turn for the worse, and I decided I couldn't take it any more, and the dog was suffering. I was so desperate that I called the Pennsylvania Veterinary School and was ready to take her there from Maryland. They told me that the best dermatology vet to be treating her was the one I had. The day I decided that things just had to end, I located another dermatology vet. I took in Tara, and the vet came up with a completely different infection for a diagnosis. In short, the treatment was taking place for the wrong problem for at least three weeks, new vet fixed things, and Tara lived for another 4 years. This experience and others prior and after, have made me extremely cautious when it comes to what is being done to my pets. I have also learned that if there are multiple vets in a practice, things can take place to increase revenue that simply should not be allowed. But again, when we who do not have formal training, we take our pets to someone who we think we can trust to fix things. I have come to rely heavily on all advice, weather it could be wrong or right when health issues come up with my dogs. When I get all of the information I can find in front of me, I weigh my decision, consult with at least 2-3 other vets, and I alone have the final say, as to what is going to happen to my pets. Just a thought. SG