Nauset Kennels

Oprah recently had a show where moms confessed to all sorts of things that, I think, were supposed to shock all of us. I actually had the opportunity to watch thanks to my second case of strep throat in two weeks. While I wasn’t thrilled about the show because I kept thinking, “Yeah, I’ve thought that before,” or “Yeah, I haven’t done that, but something similar certainly,” it did give me inspiration to write a new blog! Today’s entry, in homage to Oprah, is aptly titled, Confessions of a Dog Owner.

1. I like one of my dogs more than the other. Sad, isn’t it? It’s kind of that nasty secret that isn’t talked about. Pecan is just easier. He comes when I call him, he is super at the kennel and loves playing with the other dogs, he snuggles like a pro, the list goes on.

2. Sometimes I forget to feed my dogs. Trust me, my dogs used to start the pre-dinner sit-in around 2 p.m. just to be sure that I remembered. Now that we are down to two dogs, there just doesn’t seem to be that kitchen sit-in. In fact, I usually have to call them for dinner, so perhaps I can have a pass on this one since they aren’t in the kitchen to remind me?

3. I can’t stand sleeping with my dogs. It is always the same thing every night. I go into my room and find one or two of them on my pillows. They look super cute and snuggly so I figure why not? Within a few minutes, Scout is huffing and puffing under the covers because she is so darn hot, but won’t actually move to get air. At that point the bed is shaking from her heavy breathing and it feels like the quarter beds at cheap motels!! I have to give her the boot. Pecan is small, so how much trouble can he really be, right? Well, he snores like a champ and starts right as I am drifting off to sleep. He has positioned himself on my pillow like a human being, and will even nuzzle the back of my head trying to get comfy. (This all sounds sort-of pornographic, doesn’t it?!). And to top it all off, he stays comfortable for about ten minutes and then needs to re-position, tapping at my shoulder to go under the covers and then, ten minutes later, he’s back on my pillow snoring away. Arghhhhh!

4. There are those rare moments that I wish I didn’t have dogs. (Actually, that was on Oprah too, where one mom said something about actually having just a moment or two where she wished she could go back to a simpler life without kids and I was nodding along knowing that I have had that same thought once or twice). So, there it is. I’ve said it. Most of you are gasping in horror, falling to the floor, mouth agape, eyes bulging type of reaction. Some of you are actually nodding your heads, just oh so slightly. Admit it. We love them tremendously, but every rare once in awhile you think how easy it would be…

5. I’m so glad we don’t have any cats anymore. For those of you who actually knew Puck, my little black kitty, you will be totally surprised by this comment. She was one of a kind, true, but with all cats come litter boxes, wet cat food that stinks up the whole house, hair balls, etc. My daughter keeps asking when we can get another cat and my voice tells her, “Someday, honey,” but in my head I am saying, “Never!!” But we all know how persistent children can be.

6. Sometimes I like my pets more than my children. No back talk, no cajoling, no strings attached. Pets are just there to love you back. Period. They don’t need to find their own ways, figure things out, stuff like that.

7. Even after all I’ve said, my last confession is that I really can’t imagine our house without at least one dog. I always wanted a dog as a child, even bringing one home from the mall where someone was giving away free puppies. My mom had other ideas though, so we had more years without dogs than with dogs. Even without the kennel, we are animal people. At one point we had so many animals we called our house “The Zoo.” Two snakes, five dogs, and three cats kept us busy and smiling. Like I said before, we are now down to two dogs. They provide constant joy, they teach my children responsibility and compassion, they provide lots of cuddles, and who can resist a dog who snores right in your ear?

87 pounds in Wiley Park. Need I say more??

For more info on the Wiley Park clean-up go to http://www.easthamdog.org/

My kids and some of their friends had a glorious playdate yesterday at Drummer Boy Park in Brewster. The rain held off and it was actually warm. We started on the playground, laughing as rear ends got wet at the bottom of the slide. From there we started running towards the huge open area with our soccer balls, ready to run like the wind. Instead, we ended up playing “dodge the piles of poop” that were everywhere.

Now I work with some serious poop at the kennel, so I can tell you that I am not exaggerating here: there was no escaping the poop piles. We stepped in it, played baseball and soccer in it, we even found it on our clothes. It was disgusting. We tried moving to a different area - poop, poop, and more poop. Kids, being kids, just kept playing, while I tried not to think about it. But I did keep thinking about it and it really bothered me.

Dog owners on Cape keep complaining about how limited the options are to run their dogs. We know it. Old Cape Cod, where dogs, particularly black labs and goldens, used to roam the neighborhoods and beaches, doesn’t exist anymore. So we congregate at the few areas dogs are allowed off-leash, chatting with fellow owners, lamenting the loss of yet another beach or dog-friendly area.

After yesterday though, I am seriously thinking about switching to the other side. Blasphemy, I know, but what’s a girl to do when she has to choose between letting her dogs run free at a place like Drummer Boy or letting her kids run unimpeded by piles at Drummer Boy? Come on!

Some of you are horrified right now, and probably not for the same reason I am. You are sitting there thinking, “Well, I pick up after my dog, so I can’t be blamed.” Unfortunately though, you will be blamed; you are being blamed. All are lumped together because of some. It happens all the time. It’s why new laws are created, why new stop signs are put in where there used to be none, etc. etc.

Personally, I can’t figure it out. We are provided this fantastic area for our dogs to run. Bonus that kids can be entertained too! And yet we don’t keep it clean? A friend suggested that it can’t be the Sunday regular group since they are always cleaning up after their dogs. It sure wasn’t the group of dogs there yesterday, because I actually saw people picking up the piles. Wait, I was certainly distracted at times. I might have missed a poop or two, right? And, now that I think about it, sometimes the owners were busy chatting or actually in the process of cleaning up when another one appeared (surprise!). And, there were even times when the dogs were out of the owners’ sights; while not for very long, it does make you wonder. So, where do these mysterious, unclaimed piles come from?

Rather than play the blame game, I’d like to encourage everyone with dogs to bring plenty-o-poop bags when you go out to run your dog. While you are there, be super courteous and pick up a few extra piles that may, or may not, belong to your dog. Think of it as making up for those you unintentionally miss, okay? Or think of the mantra that I try to instill in my children: leave a place better than you found it. Or, follow Eastham’s lead.

In Eastham, a group of citizens have banded together to form the Eastham Dog Owners’ Association. One of their functions is to facilitate and participate in poop pick-up parties. Rather than see their options dwindle even more, they decided to make it a group effort, even providing prizes for the heaviest bags! Yuck! (By the way, the first poop party is tomorrow 4/4 at 3 pm at Wiley Park. Another will be held on April 4/18 at 3 p.m., at Bee’s River, First Encounter Beach. For more information, go to the EDOA website http://www.easthamdog.org/). While poop parties aren’t the only focus of the group, you can bet your poop pile that it is one of the most appreciated by everyone who enjoys Wiley Park and Bee’s River.