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Hey! Pick up that poop!

I had a strange thing happen on Monday.

So I’m out running one of my client’s dogs. This is in a peaceful, well-established neighborhood on a golf course with big trees and nice homes.

This dog and I (she’s a small, shepherd mix) tend to see some of the same people out and about each time. Everyone is generally laid back and respectful.

So, there’s this woman with a little Bichon dog who we see maybe once a week. I’ve never thought anything but positive thoughts about them. The woman always wears a cute sundress and sun hat. Her dog never barks.

So this day, we happened to pass her three times as we made sort of a figure-8 through the neighborhood.

I generally move to the other side of the street when we pass other dogs, just to allow some space. On this day, I saw her looking over her shoulder at us, and I thought, that’s really nice of her to be aware of where we are. Because, you know, let’s face it, most people are not very aware.

Running with shepherd mix

So we continue on our way and make another loop. By this time I’m carrying a bag of poop, as I usually am by this point (so predictable).

And then we pass the woman again, and as I prepare to move across the street, she goes, “Mam, excuse me? Mam?”

And I think, oh, she’s going to start some chit-chat, as dog people tend to do. I figure she’s going to tell me how nice my dog is.

Only she goes, “You need to start picking up after him.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, I saw you. You need to pick up after him.”

And I go, “Oh, I always do. I agree! People should always pick up after their dogs.” (I’m literally holding the poop.)

And she just goes, “Yeah. Pick up after him,” and keeps walking.

WTF?

So I keep running, and I’m not really mad, but shocked. Like, how random is that? If only she knew I’ve been a professional dog walker and blogger for the last six years and I literally pick up after my dog and my clients’ dogs Every. Single. Time.

Sometimes (usually?) I’m running with two or three used bags in my hand wishing there were more trash bins.

Sigh … what can you do?

I suppose she must’ve had me mixed up with someone else. But no, the more I thought about it, I realized when she was looking over her shoulder she saw my dog squatting and peeing, and just assumed “he” – who is really a she – was, um, pooping.

This dog is a skinny, leggy dog, so when she squats, she does look pretty awkward. But what can I tell ya? She was peeing.

Sigh again …

There’s not really much of a point to this story, I guess. I just thought it was so weird and random, and I thought maybe some of you might have similar stories.

There was another time when I was running with a male dog, and the dog squatted and peed in the grass, and this man across the street hollers, “Hey! Aren’t you gonna pick that up?”

I just kept running that time.

Because, what can you do?

First world problems, I guess.

You got any stories like that?

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Jason

Friday 21st of November 2014

How very annoying! This has to be one of my pet peeves. I too have been accused when my dog was peeing. Yes- he is a boy, but he still sometimes squats to pee! Of course, there are so many people that aren't respectful. We walk on a bunch of very common trails and it is so annoying to see dog poop lying right in the middle of the trail. Then, there are people who actually pick it up, but put the bag alongside the trail to get on the back and then seem to forget to pick it back up.

Lindsay Stordahl

Friday 21st of November 2014

Ugh ... what can you do? :)

Sylv

Thursday 20th of November 2014

Yep, happened to us once when we were volunteer walkers at the local shelter. Dog was peeing and someone driving by rolled down his window and yelled "pick it up!". Gotta shake your head at some people.

Lindsay Stordahl

Thursday 20th of November 2014

Haha! So ridiculous!

Kathleen

Wednesday 19th of November 2014

I usually walk my dogs late at night when there's not much of anyone else around, but I'm always paranoid that someone might be peeking at me through their window and thinking my dog is pooping when she's peeing. One night a couple weeks ago I spent a good twenty minutes or so searching for a small random piece of poop my dog did on the parking strip grass where it was very shadowed. My dog started fussing wanting to move on, and I was getting so frustrated feeling around in the grass with my bagged hand. Ugh! I finally gave up. One lousy piece of poop is not the end of the world I guess. But now I always bring a flashlight at night!

Lindsay Stordahl

Wednesday 19th of November 2014

Haha! I think we've all been there!

Rebekah

Tuesday 18th of November 2014

I don't know why, but I cannot stop laughing at this!

Rachel @ My Two Pitties

Tuesday 18th of November 2014

One time Zoey pooped on the grass strip between the sidewalk and the road (which is actually public property) but either way, she was walking slowly behind me and stopped to poop for the 3rd time that walk. I really was not expecting it, did the move where the leash got tight, then I turned around to see what she was doing and felt bad for pulling for a second.

As I was picking up after her, a woman in a parked car on the street, rolled down her window and started yelling at me, "Don't let her poop on my grass!" as if she was about to poop, not post-poop. But I apologized, tried to explain the situation, etc. told her I was cleaning it up & there's nothing else I could do but she just kept repeating herself. Then I was just annoyed with myself for wasting my breathe apologizing to such a rude & angry person:/

Lindsay Stordahl

Tuesday 18th of November 2014

Oh God! So funny.