Dear Dog Owners

I sort-of get it. I had dogs when I was a kid and I loved them. Maybe my dad was really good at cleaning up the dog poop, or maybe I just didn't notice it clogging all the crevices in my sneakers.

Maybe I wandered around through my entire childhood smelling faintly of dog? I don't know.

Here's what I do know, though: as an adult, I don't have a dog because I don't want to clean up dog poop.

It's as simple as that.

And while you're perfectly entitled to have a dog and love your dog and even take your dog to the park, you know? It's your  responsibility to clean up that beloved pooch's poop. 'Cause guess what happens when you don't? Other kids, like mine, go to the park. And then they step in your dog's poop.

And I  am stuck cleaning up your dog's poop out of my kid's shoe.

Seriously. I understand. You love your dog. But I don't love your dog. Especially when my hand slips and now not only is your dog's poop on my kid's shoe. It's also on my fingers. And then I had to lean over and dry heave into my daylilies.

You're lucky I hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

So really. Love your dog. Rub his nose and pet him and throw a Frisbee for him to catch.

But clean up his damn poop, OK?

Love,

Me

Comments

[wendy]

I won't own a dog for the same reasons. Uh-uh. No way.

[Lyndsay]

Amy,
This is so weird, I had a dream just last night about writing a post on FB (for my dear neighbors to see haha) I got rid of my dog for the same reason, I was too lazy to clean up after her and felt bad when my neighbors or anyone else had to.. Our back yard is full of dog crap and cat crap. Our back yard is fully fenced to keep them out but somehow they find a way in and it DRIVES ME NUTS! Jayven can't walk to his swingset without stepping in Shit!! Ugh I feel ya.. Very funny you posted about it..

[Margot/NZ]

I am so with you on this one. We took over my parents' dog after Mum died and Dad moved into a retirement village. She was a lovely old thing and no trouble - except for the poop. We run an olive grove and it was great exercising her all over (she loved it), but for 6 weeks before harvest we had to keep her away from the grove because of the poop. I doubt we'll ever have another dog - because of the poop!

[cris]

I own 3 dogs - guess you could call me a dog lover, but I ALWAYS, ALWAYS clean up the poop. I never understand how a dog owner can feel ok not picking up after their beloved pup! I would feel huge amounts of guilt. So, I am a dog owner/lover but am completely with you on picking up after your dog - and I get so annoyed with dog owners that do not. This is just one of those things I don't understand. So - On behalf of the responsible dog owners --- I am so sorry! :(

[Lucy]

AMEN.

[Ray]

I agree with everything you said, without qualification.

And I own a dog. (Okay, actually, it's my wife's dog...)

Irresponsible dog owners irritate me almost as much as irresponsible cat owners. But that's another story for another time.

[Ray]

p.s. to @Lyndsay
Wanna keep dogs and cats out of your fully fenced back yard? Get a male rabbit!

Male rabbits are VERY territorial, and they're not afraid of cats or dogs. They have a good kick, and will send four-legged trespassers flying over your fence and out of your yard.

They're also sanitary - clean freaks, even. They will choose one or two places in your yard to make their deposits, and no place else. Clean up is easy.

Even though they're territorial w.r.t. other critters, they are very friendly as long as you pet them and hold them often enough to keep them accustomed to you.

I could tell you stories. But this ain't my blog, and I don't want to hijack Amy's blog.

[Jamie]

oh, i could have written this post! amen ,amen, amen. I, being a veterinarian's daughter and the black sheep of my family with no pets understand about people's love for their animals and I'm grateful to say I have very responsible pet owners in my family but I have a neighbor who has a fenced yard and every day, he lets his dog out for a while to go crap/pee on the neighbor's yard. I see the dog all the time taking care of business in all the neighbors yards. If i lived closer we'd be having serious problems right now and I might be visiting the bishop's office working on my anger issues and neighborly issues so good thing I'm not and I feel very very sorry for his neighbors.

[Judy]

Hi there! I just want to say AMEN to your Entry and Ditto to Cris's comments. I love my dog and I ALWAYS pick up after him and it drives me CRAZY when people do not clean up their own dogs' deposits. I see it at the park especially, for some reason. Jamie, I'm curious about which neighbor you're talking about ... no, never mind ... best I don't know. :-}