Poop Bag Woes

Ok guys! It's time I talk to about a serious matter. This may be more serious than global warming or child hunger. Alright, maybe not that serious, but pretty serious. Now how many of you were told when you became puppy raisers that there are two very important things you always need to carry. You must always have paper towels (for accidental peeing) and what's that other thing you must always carry? Every one say it at once now. POOP BAGS!!!!!!!!!!

Wow you guys are smart. That's right, we are all suppose to carry poop bags just in case our puppy has an accident in a public place. Since they're puppies the occasional accident is very expected. Now I carried paper towels and poop bags when I had Freya when she was very young because she actually had a relieving problem until she was about 6 months old. But even when she hadn't had an accident for months I still carried poop bags and paper towels just in case. And they always came in handy if another puppy had an accident and no one had paper towels on their person. Since I've had Rocco he has never had an accident while out. Once he peed in Mary's office, but she admits that was partly her fault for turning back before she let him out to relieve. Even though he's never had an accident out what have I always carried? Yes, poop bags and paper towels and antibacterial wipes.

Now, if we are taught to do this before we are allowed to get a puppy why don't pet owners go through a crash course on what to carry if your dog is a known "walk reliever"? Here's the thing. I live around a large lake. I live in a small sub circle within a large circle. I love taking my dogs for walks around the lake because it's two miles of activity a day. Even if we do nothing else they have had plenty of exercise. But do you know what takes away the happiness. Irresponsible pet owners who have no idea how to work a poop bag. It's like they think that they have to touch the poop so they don't want to use them. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Erin, how can you be so unforgiving? Isn't it possible that it was a one time deal and they don't have poop bags because their dog has never relieved while walking before? Yes, I am fully able to understand if that happens, but there is no way that there can be that much poop everyday if it is all one time deals. We have a lot of dogs around here, but not that many. I counted, one walk, the number of poops on the side of the street I walking. 58 is the number people. Say there were that many on the other side and you get 116. Too much I say! I was fully prepared to be understanding about the not having poop bags thing because they are expensive. I was, until the lake counsel started providing poop bags and trash cans all around the lake.

My plan to solve this problem is to create a cute Dr. Suess type rhyme to ask people to please pick up their pups pooh. I will print parts of the rhyme on separate sheets of paper and post them on light posts in consecutive order so that you can read the entire poem. The last one will say "Poop Bags Here!" and have not only an arrow pointing to the dispenser but picture instructions on how to use the poop bags. When I think of the rhyme completely I'll post it.

These poop bags are FREE people! Am I the only one who gets excited about free poop bags? I grab one every time I walk by even though Arwen doesn't relieve on outings (she's leash shy) and Rocco doesn't either (he's just good).