That Darn Dog!

Do you walk your dog?

I know a lot of people who don't. I've always been a dog walker. It's good for the dog and home preservation. I've only had two dogs - Buddy Mae, a 90 pound giant Airedale (sweetest soul) and Aiden, a 55 pound (most likely) bearded collie. Young, bored and full of pep, Buddy Mae once chewed off half the baseboard molding in my bedroom. Aiden is a...busy dog, if not properly exercised. He would gnaw shoes, raid the cat litter box, and occasional steal my dirty clothes from the hamper and shred them. Outside, if left to his energized devices, Aiden has dug holes the size of small moon craters and carried the dirt on paws and face across the patio and into the house.

One of my pet peeves is the "I don't pick up my dog poop" people. I HATE mowing my lawn and finding deposits made by other dogs. EWWWW. ERRRR. ARGGHHH! I have to pick up my OWN dog's poop - why would I want to pick up YOURS!? I was recently walking Aiden and a neighbor's dog pooped as we were chatting. I offered her my pocket bag and she said, "Oh, no, its biodegradable, why bother?!" Because it's gross and disgusting and simple common courtesy to do so!?

After getting her border collie, Lucy, my friend Nancy joined "Dog Scouts". Are you laughing? I would never laugh at Nancy and the Dog Scouts (tee hee hee). One of their promises was to always carry TWO bags on walks. Even if I giggle, I'm committed enough to the no-crap-left-behind philosophy that most days I started to double carry.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: Be careful what you bitch about...it can bite you in the behind!

SO, my IPOD is persnickety, and I have to turn the headphone wires around and around until I hit the sweet spot of sound. I was fiddling with this for the first five walk minutes, and must have inadvertently dropped the single bag out of my pocket. I discovered this when Aiden pooped and felt terrible leaving behind the mess, but grateful my dishonor was probably hidden - the offended home had foliage covered front windows. Hopefully, there's no Gladys Cravits peeking out at my canine faux paux. THEN, you guessed it, the great dog double doos, and I am now a marked woman in the neighborhood, the one with "THAT DOG" who leaves her messes on only the best lawns.

Mea Culpa. It will not happen again. Double Dog Swear.