Furry Friday: Crack & Manners

I cannot believe my mind has been so boggled with boat debacles (say that ten times fast) that I almost forgot to post a Furry Friday post.  I must admit yesterday I didn't win dog-mother of the year award.  Justin and I spent most of the evening out working on the boat in preparation for this weekend so Riley didn't get a lot of one-on-one time.  He forgave me though when I gave him a Dentastix.  I don't know what it is about them, but those things are like crack to him.  He'll whine and beg and persistently stand by the pantry doors until we humans catch on and give him one for snack.  I try to give him one a day.  On a side note, I think they keep him regular.

Speaking of poo, I'm not a fan of folks who don't pick up after their dogs.  It's just bad manners.  It's not such an issue now that we have our own house and yard, but when we lived in the apartment complex it was awful.  Our complex went so far as to provide "poop bags" back by the designated walking area, and yet there were still a ton of land mines everywhere.  It was even worse in the summer time.  There's nothing worse than stepping in a hot turd.  With that said, I am going to share the top reasons one should pick up after his/her pet (adapted from Somdog.org):

1. Just like littering, it's unlawful not to pick up after your dog.  There really are fines designated in each township! 
2. It's just common courtesy. Only irresponsible dog owners leave their dog turds behind for others to step in or clean up. 
3. It carries disease!  It's the perfect breeding ground for parasites.  People and other pets who come in contact with it can also become infected. 
4. Dog poop takes forever to break down. I'm not sure as to the science behind it, but it's true.  Next time you're at a park, see how many little white crusty piles you come upon.
5. Contrary to popular belief, dog poo is not fertilizer.  It actually kills the grass around it. 
6. Not picking up after your pooch makes the rest of us dog owners look bad.  The most received complaint against dogs and their owners is about them leaving around piles of number two.