Meridian, Idaho · Since 2023
We Started This to Buy Back Time
The Lawn Dogs began with a simple belief: your weekends belong to your family, not your yard. We don't just remove dog waste. We remove the obligation, so you get back the hours that chore was quietly taking from you.
Our Story
How Did The Lawn Dogs Get Started?
The idea was born in 2020 from a kid trying to earn a Nintendo Switch. The Lawn Dogs officially launched in Meridian, Idaho in 2023, and now runs weekly routes across 10 Treasure Valley cities.
How It Really Started
A Kid, a Nintendo Switch, and a Lawn Guy
It was 2020. Covid was new, everyone was home, everyone was stressed, and my son Manny (ten years old) wanted a Nintendo Switch.
I wasn't about to just buy him one.
He tried mowing lawns to earn money, but he was still too small to muscle the mower. So instead, he started scooping our own yard for a few bucks, the way most dog parents do it, with a little rake and bucket. One afternoon, our lawn guy pulled up while Manny was still out there working. The lawn guy watched for a second, then said something like: "Man, I wish everybody had a scooper before I showed up."
That was it. That was the whole idea.
We called ourselves The Lawn Dogs because everybody already had a lawn guy but nobody had a lawn dog. Manny worked that whole summer and made enough to buy his Nintendo Switch and games himself.
And a few years later, that accidental backyard hustle turned into a real business serving hundreds of Treasure Valley families every single week.
2023 to 2024
Word Spread Fast
We began small, just a few neighborhoods in Meridian. One route, one promise: show up on time, do great work, and make it easy.
Word spread fast. Neighbors told neighbors. Soccer moms shared our number in Nextdoor groups. Before long, we were serving families across the entire Treasure Valley: Boise, Eagle, Nampa, Caldwell, Star, Kuna, and beyond.
The secret wasn't complicated. We just did something simple, really well, and treated people right. That's still the whole plan.
September 2025
Underdog Poop Scoop Is Now The Lawn Dogs
If you found this page from an old Underdog bookmark or link, you're in the right place. Underdog Poop Scoop merged with The Lawn Dogs on September 1, 2025. Your service continued without interruption. Same yard, same schedule, same all-inclusive standard.
Here's how it happened.
It wasn't a takeover. It was two local businesses that shared the same values (and even the same software), deciding to build something bigger together. We're proud to have the Underdog community as part of The Lawn Dogs pack.
August 2026
Scoop Dog Idaho Is Now The Lawn Dogs
If you found this page from an old Scoop Dog Idaho link, you're in the right place. Scoop Dog Idaho joined The Lawn Dogs on August 26, 2026. Your service continued without interruption. Same yard, same schedule, same all-inclusive standard.
Two local businesses, the same job done the same way, deciding there was more in building one route than in splitting two. We're glad to have the Scoop Dog Idaho community in the pack.
This is the second merger we've done the same way we did the first: no interruption, same yard, same schedule.
🤝 Underdog Poop Scoop merged with The Lawn Dogs, September 2025
Two local businesses with shared values came together to serve Treasure Valley better. The combined team brought more routes, more clients, and the same all-inclusive standard both companies were already known for.
Former Underdog client? Welcome to the pack. Your service continues without interruption. Same yard, same schedule. Just a bigger, better team behind it. Questions? We're here →
Underdog's final visits left a tennis ball and treats at every door. The treats? Those are still coming. Now from us.
Middleton 4th of July Parade, 2025. Because showing up for the valley means more than just showing up in your yard.
Meet the Working Dogs 🐾
Every truck in our fleet is named after a tree, because even our vehicles have bark.
Old Blue
Toyota RAV4
Plate: LAWNDOG, The one that started it all.
Where every route began. Still rolling.
Aspen
Kia Santa Cruz
Plate: GOODBOI, Good boy. And BOI for Boise. 😏
Named for the aspen tree. Dark bark, bold character.
Syca
Ford Maverick
Plate: RUFMUTT, Who doesn't love a good mixed breed?
Named for the sycamore tree. White bark, dependable.
Atlas
Ford Maverick
Plate: LILDGGY, Cause it's a cute lil' truck.
Named for the blue atlas cedar. Cool tones, quiet strength.
The People Behind It
Who Are Donovan and Manny Johns?
Donovan Johns
Founder & Owner
Manny Johns
The Original Lawn Dog
You already know the origin story. A 10-year-old, a Nintendo Switch, and a lawn guy's offhand comment that accidentally started a business.
Manny was ten when he picked up that little rake and bucket and got to work in our backyard. He wasn't doing it to be cute. He wanted a Switch and I wasn't buying it. So he earned it. That whole summer, yard by yard, he worked for it.
That work ethic, that quiet commitment to doing the job right, became the foundation for everything The Lawn Dogs does. Show up. Do good work. Take it seriously. Every visit, every yard, every week.
I built this business to buy back time for my own family. Manny is why it exists. He's autistic, he was ten years old when this started, and he earned more than a Nintendo Switch that summer. He gave me the reason to build something that does the same for hundreds of other Treasure Valley families.
Join the Route →Or call 208-248-2098
Why We Do This
What makes The Lawn Dogs different?
Every Lawn Dogs visit includes full yard scooping, waste hauled away in our truck, gate photo confirmation, a 30 to 60 minute heads-up text, and a treat left at your door. All in one flat rate, no add-ons, no surprises. The real difference: we're not just removing waste, we're giving you back the part of your week that chore was quietly taking.
We started this business because we believe:
- Your weekends belong to your family, not your yard.
- Buying back even one hour a week changes how your whole week feels.
- Your dogs deserve a clean space, every week, not just when you get around to it.
- Small things done consistently add up to something people can count on.
Every Visit. Every Time.
The All-Inclusive Standard
Everything below is included in every single visit. No tiers, no upgrades, no surprises.
We Haul It Away
Every bag of waste leaves with us in the truck, never dropped in your bin and never left on your property. It's included on every visit, every time. No exceptions. No extra charge.
Gate Photo Confirmation
After every visit, we photograph your closed gate and send it straight to you. Your yard is clean, your gate is secure, and you have proof before your dogs go back outside.
We Text Before We Arrive
You'll get a heads-up 30 to 60 minutes before we show up. Bring your dogs in, plan your morning, or just know we're on the way. No surprise knocks, no gate surprises.
A Treat at Every Door
We leave a premium dog treat at your door after every visit. Made by adults with autism and developmental disabilities through a nonprofit in Lehigh Valley, PA. A treat that means something to us personally.
You'll Know Exactly Who's in Your Yard
Collared uniforms. Branded vests. Fully wrapped trucks. Our team looks the same every visit, so your dogs aren't stressed by a stranger, your neighbors aren't suspicious of an unmarked car, and you always know exactly who you let through your gate.
No Contracts. Risk-Free.
Cancel anytime, no questions asked. New clients are backed by our 4-week risk-free guarantee. If you're not completely satisfied in your first month, we'll make it right or refund you in full.
The honest answer
It is a family business, all the way down
The six steps did not come from a manual. They came from a father and a ten-year-old working out, yard by yard, what doing the complete job actually means. Manny started with a rake and a bucket in our own backyard because he wanted a Nintendo Switch and I was not buying it. He earned it that summer. Somewhere in there we stopped being a kid with a bucket and started being a route.
Every step on that list exists because we learned it the hard way. The day-before reminder, because a surprise visit is a bad visit. The grid walk, because the easy middle of the yard is not the yard. Hauling it away in the truck, because leaving it in your bin was never really finishing. Those six steps are just what two people decided was the right way to do it, repeated until it became the only way we do it.
Manny is autistic. He was ten when this started, and the whole reason I built a business at all was to buy back time for my own family. That is not a marketing story. It is just why the company exists.
Why there is a treat at your door
The last of the six steps is a treat left at the door, and it took a while to find the right one. The treats are made by Duke's Delites in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, a division of the Love Ran Red Foundation. They employ adults with autism and developmental disabilities, and they were started by a dad named Bill Wright and his wife, who were worried about what happens to their own teenage son once he ages out of school services and runs into an employment rate that leaves most autistic adults out of work.
So one family started a treat company because of their son. Another family started a scoop service because of theirs. Every visit we make ends with one being handed to the other. We did not plan the symmetry. We just went looking for a treat we would be glad to leave at your door and found people doing the same thing we were, two thousand miles away.
That is the honest answer to what makes us different. Not a longer list of features. A family business that hires carefully, shows up on the same day every week, and finishes the job the way it would finish it at home.
What We Stand For
What Values Does The Lawn Dogs Stand For?
Reliability
We show up when we say we will. We do what we promise. We communicate clearly. You can count on us every single time, not just when it's convenient.
Respect
We respect your property, your privacy, your pets, and your time. We treat every yard like it's our own and every client like they're our neighbor. Because they are.
Excellence
Good enough isn't good enough. We aim for excellence in every visit, every interaction, every detail. If we miss something, we make it right. No questions, no runaround.
Communication
You get a heads-up before we arrive, a photo of your secured gate when we're done, and a real person to reach when you need us. You never have to wonder if we showed up or what we did.
See What Your Neighbors Are Saying
What Do Treasure Valley Neighbors Say About The Lawn Dogs?
4.9 stars from 124 reviews
“These are the guys you want cleaning your lawn! They are very professional and efficient, their communication is exceptional and the pricing is very fair! They let you know when they will be arriving and they send a picture via text of your lawn after it's all clean. It's one less chore for me!”
“The Lawn Dogs do a fantastic job cleaning up my yard. They notify me before they will be arriving and send me a picture afterwards once they are done. My pup Patty is so excited to get her cookie each week also.”
“The Lawn Dogs are a wonderful business and provide excellent service. They do a fabulous job keeping our yard clean. They are quick, efficient and do a thorough job. Would highly recommend.”
“Great price for weekly services. Not only have they done a great job picking up after our two dogs, but Donovan has also been great in helping me connect with the right people for lawn care. Service is truly above and beyond!”
“The technicians were friendly and great at what they do! They also left a little treat for my dog at the door.”
“Very kind and easy to communicate with, they were able to accommodate my schedule with no issues and got my yard done quickly.”
Ready to Join the Pack?
Get Your Weekends Back
See why Treasure Valley dog parents trust The Lawn Dogs every single week.
Get started. We call back in 10 minutes.
No contracts · No commitment · Cancel anytime