Dog People

So I'm fussing about today and editing and arranging things here, and I discovered that according to my Profile, I am in fact in the Accounting field! Imagine my surprise and delight! I had no idea that I was so smart with numbers. But being a person who is required to subscribe to rigorous honesty, I went and found the list of occupations so I could correct this. However, much to my rigorous annoyance, homemaking is not on the list. So I was torn with choosing between Agriculture and Law Enforcement. Somehow they both seem oddly fitting. I settled on Education in the end which seems fair enough.

I could also be some sort of animal wrangler I think. Or observer. Or annoyee. (is that a word?) I am an expert at being woken up at all hours by the neighbor's lobotomized mutt who barks at Every. Living. Thing. It's barking RIGHT NOW in fact. I confess that I am not a dog person by nature and I mostly just find them dirty and hairy and slobbery, and I get enough of these qualities from my children. But the sad reality is that dogs are a lesser evil in comparison to dog people. Dog people who think nothing of leaving their dog outside to bark at 11pm and 7am. Dog people who think nothing of letting their dog leave a large steaming deposit on my front yard and then scooping it up with a plastic grocery bag, as if somehow that makes it ok for your canine to defecate on my lawn. I'd like to see how they'd react if I sent my 5 year old over with his own fertilizer. Note to dog people - it's disgusting and offensive even if you clean it up with your baggie. Nothing will make it ok for you to allow your animal to POOP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. (I'm not yelling, somehow the capital letters are meant to convey my utter disgust.)

I do like some dogs though, lest anyone brand me a hater or PETA come with their torches. The Man's aunt has a spaniel that is an absolute gem and so very sweet. If all dogs were like her, and all dog owner's like the Man's aunt, my worldview of doggies would certainly improve. I think my overall frustration is the lack of concern in the universe for how one's actions affect the people around you. Put yourself in someone else's shoes the next time you walk your dog, or honk your horn, or grouse at a cashier. It's not so hard to be considerate and HUMAN.

*NOTE* The author is familiar with plenty of lovely and considerate dog people (including her own husband who is a mystery to her and who will live dog-less until the kids are grown) and this rant is mostly focused on two families in her neighborhood that do not comply with the normal standards adopted by humanity. It is by no means meant to be a slam at the dog community at large.