Know Your Limitations!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

My daughter’s car broke down this week and because it could not get into the shop until Friday, she has had to enjoy some special mother/daughter time with me driving (a few days) her to and from work.  She works a long way from home and she would probably tell you it was hell.  Eventually, she found a co-worker a little closer to home and it shortened our drive, but not by much.  I have found when I have a member of my family in an enclosed space, with no way to escape, is when I can give some of my best advice.  Sure, I have had to get used to the shrill cries of, “I swear I am going to jump from this car,” but they never do, so in my mind, they really do want to hear what I have to say.  Like I do many nights, I used a story I heard on DK to make my point, ignored all the “who cares?” and hoped some of what I said got through to my daughter.  I could tell I made a small impact by the way she leaped from the car when we got home and said, “I am taking my dinner down to my room and I won’t be back up.”

 

The point of the story I told to her was to find what you are good at and work to get better at it every way you can.  Everyone has something they excel at and knowing what that is about yourself can help you both professionally and personally.  I told her in great length how I never wanted to be a boss to anyone when I worked, because A) people get on my nerves and B) I was never a good delegator and always thought I could do it better.  She didn’t seem surprised to learn any of this about her mother and in fact said, “in other words, you are impatient and think you are always right.  Tell me something I don’t know.”  I forged ahead without saying what I was thinking, “You are really bugging me and you need to listen to me because I always know best, “ and instead said,  “You are missing the point.  The point is I know what I am good at and my limitations.”  She followed up with, “did my car get fixed today, so I can drive myself next week?” Every parent knows you try and plant the seed and hope it grows, so hopefully, I can fertilize it a little next time we are alone and continue helping the little seed’s growth.

 

By now, you might be wondering where is this story going and in a roundabout way I am getting to my point.  Every day I take my dogs for a walk at a beautiful park near our home.  The campground is closed for the winter so we have the place mostly to ourselves, although we do see other people out walking their dogs.  I really do think every time I am at that park how lucky I am to have such a great place to take my dogs.  Beauty is everywhere and from time to time, we see a deer, an owl, a woodpecker, and too many of those darn squirrels.  This week, however, I noticed something not so pretty, dog poop that lazy owners did not pick up.  I noticed it everywhere once I started looking.  There can really be no other excuse except lazy dog owners for this because our park has poop stations all along the paths complete with bags and trashcans. 

For some reason, I am sure it is the same dog owners that allow their dogs off leash despite signs everywhere that say all dogs must be leashed.  We encounter these idiots all the time who always like to yell out, “Don’t worry.  My dog is friendly.”  One day I was walking Fudge and Vern and out of nowhere appeared a dog walking toward us with no owner in sight.  All coherent thought left me and I weighed several options as the dog approached, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to hoist Vern into the nearest tree.  Luckily, the owner finally appeared apologizing profusely and called the dog to her, but the dog continued to approach us.  He had no intention of listening to his owner and she had no more control over that unleashed dog than I did and finally as she closed in on him, I said, “you had better get him, because my dogs are not friendly.” Whether or not that is true does not matter and all this could have been avoided if she had followed the rules and kept her dog on a leash.  She did get her dog before anything bad happened and Fudge and Vern behaved far better than I anticipated as I stood there shaking in my boots and trying to decide if I had enough momentum in me to make a mad burst to the car or if it would be faster to just drop to the ground and have the dogs pull me.  A lot of “what ifs” crossed through my mind that day.

 

I think knowing your limitations applies to dog ownership, too.  If you have no intention of picking up after your dog, then don’t get one.  If you think all the dog rules posted throughout parks and public places don’t apply to you, then don’t get a dog.  Picking up dog poop is not my favorite thing either and I have one dog who waits to poop until we are way past the poop stations every single day, because I swear she likes to see me carry her poop around and juggle a filled bag and two dog leashes.  Don’t try to tell me that make no sense, because you won’t change my mind. I  know I am right and you will just bug me if you try :)  I never thought in a million years I would be walking behind my dogs with a plastic bag and encouraging them to do the one thing that was going to require me to pick up something gross. 

Ask my family, I don’t even like to know people go to the bathroom.  The next time I see anyone talking or writing about whether or not they should get a dog, my first question is going to be, “how do you feel about sticking your hand in a plastic bag, gathering up the goods, and turning the bag inside out and carrying it around like an unattractive purse until you can locate a trash can?”  Oh, and unlike kids, they don’t ever learn to go on a toilet and eventually cut you out of the equation. 

Oh, how I wish Fudge and Vern did this every day!

Nothing would give me greater pleasure then to walk up to those people who do not pick up their dog’s potty (I am getting grossed out from writing poop so much) and hand them a very expensive ticket and a poop bag.  Unfortunately, Pennsylvania does not have Poop Police, so I am SOL and pardon my French. The rules apply to all of us.  I worry that someday I will drive up to my favorite park and see another sign that reads, “No dogs allowed!”  It could happen, because it seems that the few who don’t follow the rules always ruin it for those of us who do.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Nancy, Good to know. We just went on a walk last night and again we said, "we need a flashlight." I just can't make myself pick up some other dog's poop UNLESS I had a shovel.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

My little flashlight is not much bigger than a lipstick, so Dori's bag would definitely hold it.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Dori  and Rua designed a bag to match leashes she made.  I don't know if it could hold a flashlight but it can hold bags, cell phones, lipstick.

I am one of "those" people who will pick up other dogs' poop when we are in a dog park or doggy relief station in an RV park.  I don't want my dogs or me stepping in it so......  But I grumble the whole time.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Jennifer, It sure sounds like this problem is everywhere. I do the same thing. I get the bag ready....LOL. We once saw a pile of poop on our boat dock and since everyone knows Fudge and Vern go on our boat, I felt compelled to tell anyone that came along, the mess was not our dogs. It really wasn't. I can't make myself pick up some other dog's stuff, so I hoped someone else would.

Jane. I had to LOL thinking about you parked in that park. Those perps won't know what hit them :) You go, girl!!

F, I doubt it will help, but I can try :)

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Sad but true! Even on our neighborhood sidewalks people let their dogs do it on the sidewalk! Then leave it. When Chloe goes on the curb side in front of someone's house, I pull the bag out immediately before someone yells are you going to pick that up??? We feel like they think it's us and sometimes even have to point out that our little dog does not drop those big ones on the sidewalk! On a good day, we even pick it up! Gross! Why can't we all just have common sense and follow the rules? Our Parks have said no dogs allowed and finally they have signs that say leashed dogs and pick up after your dog. But we have the same people here that you do that say don't worry he's friendly. Leash it!!!!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Laurie - when the boys and I were in MI over the holidays we went back to the small park we had gone to every day all summer long - and could NOT use it.  There was dog poop EVERYPLACE.  I was so angry - this next summer - I am making it my mission to get these lazy slobs - dh says I'm a nut job but I'm going to park my butt in the park for 2 full days and when I see the perps - I'm going to hand em a bag and remind them that they CAN get a ticket.  I need that park and it makes me so mad that people use it for a doggie dump.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good luck with that.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

F, I would never say anything bad about you :) I am going to tell your brother you said he needs to start picking up the poop and not make me do it. LOL

[F, Calla & Luca]

Oh poor Laurie and you have to bend farther too. Not fair, I say.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Sure Laurie, but for me it's sometimes for you always. :-)