Advantages of Dog

Having a dog gets you in touch with 1) your neighborhood and 2) the wonderful world of podcasts.

Let's be honest here. Walking your dog is boring. It's a chore. I love my dog, but walking around in circles while she sniffs and pees and marks territory (I know, I should not let her do that...working on it) is...boring.

And then we have the occasional squirrel incident:

But otherwise, it's a bit boring. This is where I discovered the wonderful world of NPR's Serial (if you haven't heard it yet, you are missing out). But you also get to know your neighborhood in ways that you wouldn't otherwise. I mean, how many other people spend upwards of an hour a day walking circles around the neighborhood?

Here are a few things that I realize you discover:

• Where the non-locked trashcans are -- for easy poopy bag disposal.
• Which lawns have been fertilized in the last day or so. Of course, your dog will insist upon spending the most time sniffing around these lawns, even rubbing her face in it, much to your horror.
• Where the lowest points (literally) in the neighborhood are, accentuated most wonderfully on days it rains.
• Where squirrels hang out (which is, apparently, right in front of our complex).
• An unprecedented number of combinations to weave in and out of blocks just to ease the boredom.
• Which front doors and fences are the most interesting to a dog, probably meaning they are saturated with doggy pee.
• What time the local schools let out, because you have to navigate high school students waiting for the bus with your dog, who insists on sniffing everything everyone is holding.
• A really good way to debrief the day with your partner. While getting in your daily exercise. Provided you both are home at the right time (this is often a bit of a challenge with us)
• There is also a pleasantly plump woman with a pleasantly plump shepherd mix (ok, the dog in question is morbidly obese -- I mean, seriously. It looks like a giant ball with fur, and is absolutely the cutest thing in the world -- I will try to get a picture next time)...except I can't seem to remember where they live since I, uh, weave in and out of the blocks too much. Le sigh.

I have, as a plus, seem to have lost 5-7 pounds since getting dog (especially since she will steal my croissants and cupcakes). Dog ROI is very high.