Dog Days

When I first moved into this apartment complex, no pets were allowed. None. No dogs, no cats, nothing. Many of the residents had pets, of course, mostly cats, but we all had an understanding among us that we would never tell the owners or property managers. When it came time for one of our annual inspections (fire alarms, water, whatever), all of the cats would have to disappear for a day--to avoid any unpleasant encounters with the maintenance crew conducting the inspections. If you got into the elevator on the night before an inspection, you were very likely going to be sharing the ride down with a cat in a carrier.

The new property manager, however, brought a dog with him. He was a bit upset to find that dogs were not allowed, primarily because they have an annoying tendency to bark when their owners aren't at home, thereby disturbing the other residents. No matter. He just changed the rules to allow dogs in some of the buildings, not all of them. Thankfully, mine is not one of the "lucky ones" to allow dogs. I've lived under those circumstances before, and I wouldn't care to repeat it.

However, everyone who lives here has noticed the change whether or not you live in a "dog-friendly" building. People walk their dogs a lot around the complex, and there's hardly any time during the day when you can't see a pooch and her/his master on the sidewalk. I frequently pass five or six dog-master combos on my morning or evening walk around the block. Some of the dogs are friendly, naturally, but others of them apparently have to be kept on a very short leash. It makes me wonder sometimes why anyone would want a dog so prone to attacking others. Wouldn't that put the owner at risk too, given the dog's usual behavior?

Nevertheless, the biggest change isn't the presence of the dogs themselves. It's the dog shit. Yes, some owners are very good about taking a plastic bag with them on the walk. Others, however, are very inconsiderate and leave behind their dog's turds. There was a time not too long ago when you could just crank up the iPod and walk around the block without having to worry about stepping into something that would ruin your shoes. You won't do that nowadays if you're smart.

I don't know what possesses someone to allow a dog to use the sidewalk for a bathroom without cleaning it up. And it's not as if it's always a small...um..."offering" that's left behind. I've been careful so far and have managed to avoid the need to wash my shoes before entering the apartment, but why can't these owners just follow the rules and pick up after their pets.

This is one reason I've never had a dog in the city. Well, that and the thought of having to carry around a bag of dog shit. When we were growing up, we almost always had a dog, but we lived in the country. If the dog went into the woods to do nature's bidding in nature itself, no one cared. Here, though, we should be paying more attention to the people who live around us, and far too people seem to be concerned about the consequences of their and their dogs' actions. You know how you're supposed to train dogs not to go to the bathroom inside your home? I'm starting to think that might be necessary to use on owners who don't clean up after their dogs. So, if you come to my neighborhood and you see someone whose nose looks like it's been rubbed in dog shit, you'll know I've finally had enough.