I think I’ll start a series each and every Thursday, where I present a list of things (I don’t usually like the word THINGS… it’s kind of like the word NICE… what does it really mean? But that’s just it, it can mean ANY thing!) I don’t know that I’ll specify what kind of things, but there’ll be a list of them, you can be sure! Maybe I’ll do things in a certain theme or category each week, maybe I won’t. So, who’s with me? Let’s do this thing!!!

Five types of people you’ll always find at the dog park:

The Chatty Cathy or Chatty Cameron – This person usually strikes up a conversation with you the moment you arrive at the park, perhaps before your dog has even taken his or her inaugural poop and wants to know everything about your dog,”What breed is it?”, “Is it a boy or a girl?”, “What’s his/her name?”, “How old is he/she?”, “Did you adopt? Tell me the story!” At first, it seems harmless but by the time you leave you know this person’s life story, their dog’s life story and what this person plans to make for dinner when they get home.

The Crazy Dog Person – This person usually owns several different breeds and sizes of dogs of all ages. They arrive with leashes tangled, the owner looking exasperated and exhausted. The Crazy Dog Person slowly unleashes each animal, and as each animal explores the park you’re not sure who’s more batty, the owner or all the dogs.

The Ignorer – This person arrives, and promptly unleashes their dog, only to completely and utterly ignore them for the next 30-60 minutes. They let their dog leave poops everywhere, and never clean anything up. The Ignorer is usually glued to their cell phone. They won’t talk to anyone else at the park, and won’t help discipline their dog if they’re getting too rambunctious or aggressive towards other dogs. They’ll get bored with their phone soon enough, and that’s when they’ll look up and try to spot their dog for the first time since they arrived.

The Cliques – These are the folks who all have the same breed of dog, around the same age, who come to the park religiously on a certain day and a certain time and stay for a certain amount of minutes and only speak to one another. If someone new attempts to strike up a conversation, they’ll give one-word answers until the new person gives up and moves away, to the clique’s great relief.

The Not-A-Dog Person – This person usually arrives wearing white, and is upset when their clothing is almost immediately soiled by a dirty paw or drool. This person usually keeps their dog on the leash entirely too long, even after they’re completely inside the enclosure. The Not-A-Dog Person usually sticks very closely to their dog, hovering, following it around doling out commands that the dog usually doesn’t have the patience to listen to. This person also gets upset when his or her dog starts to hump other dogs as if their dog is trying to embarrass them on purpose, not just acting on a canine impulse inherent in their DNA. This person usually doesn’t stay long, because it’s all just too much.

Have I missed anyone? Please feel free to let me know in the comments! ❤