Location, location, location: Need a sunny, well-drained site, within close proximity to a dog area. Need protection from rain, sun and wind, while at the same time requiring ventilation. Maintenance: While many who participated in the UAF study mentioned the ease of composting dog manure, the system does require regular and knowledgeable maintenance .

Need for accessible and affordable bulking material: As mentioned previously, a ready source of carbon is essential to composting manure.

Dealing with trash in the system: One of the largest social hurdles may be training dog owners to move from plastic bags to biodegradable bags or shovels. Along with the maintenance routine should be an inspection of the final product to make sure that no non-degradable trash is mixed in .

Smells: If done properly, the compost pile should be odorless. It is the actinomycetes that ferment the carbohydrates and produce the ‘earthy' smell of compost .(UAF, 2)

Pathogens: The most disastrous pathogens found in dog manure are round worms. Proper handling is a must, especially as roundworm eggs are invisible to the naked human eye. No research has proven that these heat resistant pathogens can be killed in the composting process. This was specifically a problem in the Alaska project, since Mushers are very good at controlling for round worms in the first place (see case study on Fairbanks , AK ). In addition, it is important for dog owners to be conscious of what medicine they feed they dogs. Medicine might not break down completely in the process (EPA is still conducting tests to validate to safety of this technique for usage in vegetable gardening). Maintaining proper temperatures and carbon to nitrogen ratios is the most effective way to eliminate the threat of pathogens.

Number of Dogs: While a residential scaled composter can handle single dog households, to compost on a large scale the University of Alaska , Fairbanks project mentioned a need for at least 10-20 dogs in order to compost effectively.

Need for multiple bins: Since the pile must sit there for up to 10 weeks, there is a need for multiple bins to handle additional input while an older bin is curing.

Storage while composting: The multiple bins and the long residence time requires a staging site to store the bins until the compost is ready to be applied. This location should be out of the way of the public, although a visual connection may be useful as a educational tool.

Composting over winter: Temperatures over the winter might stop the composting process. While this may not be as much of an issue in Seattle , WA as in Fairbanks , AK it is an important consideration. If the timing is right, the composting can be stored over the winter and turned again in the spring