Dog Baggies

Some of my friends think I've fallen too far into dog world. That I'm losing it, a little bit. Maybe that's true. If so, I guess it's one of those things you can't recognize in yourself because it all seems normal.....

Some people don't clean up after their pups. Not only does that mean leaving something disgusting lying around, it is behavior that will turn people against your dog or just dogs in general when, like most pet-related problems, the problem is with the owner. Dogs CAN'T clean it up. (Sometimes the thrill of being the one with the opposable thumbs isn't quite as evident.)

I watched a nice, normal-looking woman take her two dogs for a walk in our neighborhood (and I've seen her here a couple of times) and, after one of them uh, did his business on the long, public lawn, she left it and just walked on as if she did that all the time. There was no rifling through all her pockets trying to find a baggie, no looking around using personal acting skills to show she was going to come back to pick it up and no hurriedly dragging the dog off from the scene. She lazily sauntered on without a look back. If this doesn't bother you, how about the fact that less than a block away, there is a dog baggie dispenser with a small attached trashcan. I was driving by at the time, otherwise I think I would've said something although I'm not sure what. Probably something like: "Lady - you're taking every other dog owner down with you."

I clean up after, Honey. I don't want people to associate her with the eyesores other dog owners let sit there. She's a good dog and deserves to be treated like one. Besides, the dog baggie stations make it easier. And this is one of those signs where my friends think I've gone too far. I talk about the merits of the different dog baggies. But, there are major differences. Let me explain.

There are three kinds of baggies I have seen dispensed. There is one that used to be supplied by the beach. It was light blue, had handle cut-outs and was treated with some kind of deodorizing scent. Which meant it was stinky and your hands would get stinky pulling it out of the dispenser. One crazy beach girl walked by me pulling one out and said "Oh, don't you love that smell." She was the only one that I would classify as a fan of that baggie. I hated carrying those around. Even without the smell -- you could see what you didn't want to see through the light blue. Definitely not a preference.

The second bags are from Dogipot . These aren't bad. They are dark colored, dispensed on a roll, strong and they sit very flat in the pocket. They have the dispensers with the small attached trashcans. A good second choice. Now, I wouldn't have gone to the website if I wasn't writing about this but, gotta say, they put in a lot of effort to jazz it up. More points for that.

But, the best brand - the Mutt Mitt . The top part is white, lower part is black. You put your hand in the white part and are able to safely scoop up with the black end. Their site isn't quite as techno-savvy but - they have a lot of testimonials (first name responders only). It's a solid baggie and you feel quite protected while performing one of the more unenviable dog owner tasks.

I've just come up with a better response to those lazy, irresponsible dog owners. I'll just hand them a Mutt Mitt.

dog litter