Recently I moved suburbs. Where I used to live everyone seemed to carry plastic bags when walking their dog. All owners picked up their dog’s droppings. There was very little dog shit on the nature strip or footpath.

I assumed that my new location, a more affluent place with big houses and expensive cars, would have even better standards with owners cleaning up after their animals. To my surprise this was not the case. In the rich suburb, there was much more dog shit laying around for others to step in.

Lesson 1: More impressive surroundings does not guarantee good behaviour or better culture.

Walking Lily, my dog, each day in the ‘leafier’suburb, I now noticed owners who would openly ignore the shit their dog left in public places. Some would pretend not to notice their dog taking a dump, while others reluctantly would pick up the pooh, but then hide the full bag under a tree or leave it on top of someone else’s fence as though it was another person’s responsibility to put in the bin.

I became upset with these behaviours, but over time I also started to hesitate when Lily took a pooh. If no-one else picked up after their dog – why should I? Why should I carry a steaming bag of excrement around with me?

When Lily paused, arched her back, and started to strain, I began to surreptitiously look around, to see if anyone had noticed my dog doing her business.

Lesson 2: In poor cultures, new members may initially become disillusioned with suboptimal practices, but will eventually adopt similar behaviours which become unconscious and unquestioned.

In the first suburb there was a communal park where dogs could be off the leash. At this park were a number of outlets that dispensed dog-pooh bags, provided by the local Council. These bags were accessed and used by all. In addition there were bins handy to deposit the full bags in.

Lesson 3: To generate optimal behaviour the overarching organisation must make the desired action easy. When the desired behaviour is convenient, simple, and frequently seen, it becomes the norm. The underlying assumption held by the group is that all do the right thing.

During the Covid lockdown, services were reduced and the free bags at the park were less often replenished. However, despite this, the good practices continued. Local residents began carrying their own bags from home and still picked up after their dogs. The amount of dog excrement lying around did not increase.

Lesson 4: When good culture is well established it will overcome times of difficulty. Good behaviour will continue.

Today, in the newer suburb, I still carry bags with me and I pick up every time. Often I have to uncomfortably carry the filled bag for some time before finding a bin. Why do I do this? Why carry an uncomfortably warm bag of pooh around when no-one seems to value this?

I guess it’s because even when no-one else cares whether or not I have done the right thing – I still know. The influence that I have in this practice of neighbourhood cleanliness is over my own actions, rather than other people’s.

Lesson 5: Good cultural practices must start with each individual.

Happy dog-walking!