Dog waste and the type of dogs were the independent variables. The dependent variables were the rate of reproduction and worm length. The composts each received the same amount of water, sunlight, and sawdust. There were 4 equally sized bins, with the same size holes, the same amount, type, and source of compost, all with 10 worms each, roughly around the same length.
The dogs ate their normal diet of dry food, along with occasional treats and dental chews. Two large dogs, boxers, and two small dogs, dachshunds, were used as sources for the waste. Each dog was up to date on treatments for heartworms, fleas, etc. It was important to keep the dog’s conditions the same as they normally would be so that the test would produce results that are applicable to real world families.
500 grams of compost were placed in 4 shoe-sized plastic bins with small holes. Each bin had 10 earthworms that are about the same length. 1 cup of sawdust was added each day along with varying amounts of dog waste. Bin 1 had received no dog waste and serve as a control. Bin 2 had received 25 grams of dog waste. Bin 3 had received 50 grams of dog waste. Bin 4 had received 100 grams of dog waste. At the end of each week, the compost was emptied into a different bin to count the number of worms and measure the length of each in millimeters. This continued for 5 weeks and was repeated twice for 4 different