Thursday, November 3, 2011

A pain in the repository of irritations

Note: due to the sensitive nature of this topic, no photos are posted.
When walking around the neighborhood, most dogs slow and sniff several locations before deciding on the optimum point of deposit. Not Alanis. She freezes mid-step in order to contemplate the state of her bowels.

I walk my dogs for exercise; we do not stroll. Alanis has different ideas. At some point during every walk, she wants to poop. The problem is that she has trouble making up her mind—or other body parts—about when and where she wants to do it. We trot along briskly and she’ll suddenly stop, looking bewildered, as if experiencing a new sensation she can't identify.

I say, “Well, if you’re going to do it, do it.”  I wait. She waits. Finally I drag the dogs along because Alanis has decided she's not read to rumble. She’ll stop five times before she finally tucks her legs under and poops. Then the dogs want to move on and I’m saying, “Wait just a minute” because I have to pick the stuff up.

You might say that Alanis is zen-like, in tune with her body, with all this contemplation. I wish, however, she'd do her contemplating in the back yard.

13 comments:

  1. That would be no fun for her....

    Horses...1st thing they do when you put them in a horse trailer...poop.

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  2. My son had an odd thought, why can't we teach the dogs to go in a sand pit in the back...kind of like a cat?! I told him,"Good idea but that would be way too easy", can you just see their faces as we try to 'train' them to the big litter box out back. Haha!

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  3. Pallo will stop dead with no warning to poop, but then if there is the slightest pressure on his leash, say, I don't stop that second, he decides he must not be allowed to poop there, and will keep walking. Very annoying, especially when riding a bike. At least most dogs slow down or give other indications they need to stop, rather than just stopping dead in mid stride.

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  4. Sherri, it is possible to train some dogs to go on command in one potty area. When I was house training Miro, I'd take him to one part of the yard and say, "Go potty." I didn't keep it up once he was house trained, though I have to go outside with him and give the command if it's late at night and he doesn't feel like getting up for a last emptying of the tank, as one person put it.

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  5. Fred refuses to go on a walk- I can tell when he has to poo cause he will start to pull really hard and stop sniffing the ground. I walk my dogs for exercise too. Haylie on the other hand will poo but whats funny is on the leash she cant stand still why she poos - drives me nuts but in the last year haylie has only went poo on a walk 3 times, im pretty lucky

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  6. This is not funny for you when you're out on a walk (and it wouldn't be for me, either) but I can seem the humor in her stopping to consider.... Or maybe it's just the way you described her that makes me chuckle....

    Hannah just stops and does it. Sometimes if I catch her just as she's starting to squat I can keep going and insist that she wait till we get home. I, too, have heard that dogs can be trained to go on command but I haven't succeeded in doing it yet.

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  7. This are great stories. My girl just poops and walks away like "I'm not going near that stuff - You handle it"

    crack me up

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  8. But there are just so many interesting things to contemplate out there!

    Like reading the "Daily Dog News"!

    Big Nose Pokes
    The Thugletsx

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  9. Mitch is a fussfudget about where he goes but I say, when you gotta go, you gotta go and who cares where it is!

    Love ya lots,
    Maggie and Mitch

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  10. That *is* zen-like. Maybe you should create a zen garden for Alanis to do her business in the backyard. LOL

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  11. Both of us are picky poopers...We rarely take brisk walks. Between sniffing and leaving peemail and finding the best poopy spot we don't make very good time. We LoVeD this subjuect matter Miss Sherry! bol.
    Smooches from pooches,
    BabyRD & HOotie

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  12. Dogs are funny that way. Wyatt NEVER #2's on a walk, too many other things to do! Stanzie on the other hand does her #2 on every walk. She is all about leaving her scent and then trying to kick it around with her back legs. Ever been hit by flying poop when you are trying to pick it up? Bol

    Wyatt's Mom

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  13. @ Wyatt's mom--I was complaining about Alanis. After reading your comment, I feel very fortunate that she doesn't kick!

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