Please Leave the Phone @ Home

O.k., please excuse this rant... there's just something that I need to get off my chest. I have noticed, while walking the dogs during the past few months, that there is a trend that seems to be increasing in popularity in my community - that is, talking on a cell phone* while walking fido. I just don't get it!

I have seen people with all sorts of dogs do this recently: yesterday, we saw a guy on the phone that had two dogs on leash; a few weeks back, we encountered one guy who had a golden retriever that was off leash while he was on the phone; the other day we saw a kid with a yellow lab doing the same thing; and not too long ago, we came upon a woman (on the trail in heels, no less!) walking a little mop dog while talking on the phone.

Tahoe, enjoying our time at the lake, sans cell phone

Come on people! Walking your dog is a great time for bonding and exercising. When we keep our focus on the dog we're walking, we're equipped to do a much better job of providing the outdoor exercise that our dog so eagerly looks forward to each day. I realize that many people are very busy these days and any opportunity to multitask is appealing.  However, talking on the cell phone is sooo distracting! Not only are you ignoring your dog when you do this but, you're also ignoring your surroundings and the other people and dogs that maybe nearby. Not to mention the fact that having a phone in your hand and a leash in the other hand makes picking up your dogs business a challenge... that is, if you even notice that you're dog has left a pile of poo behind.

So, when walking your dog, please do all of us all a favor and leave your cell phone at home. Make the activity of walking your dog your main focus. Talk and play with him or her. Point things that you see on the walk to your dog. Make your walk a bonding experience between you and your favorite four-legged friend.

Thank you.

*I must admit that I'm mostly annoyed with hand-held cell phones. I realize that there are headsets and such out there that help to keep hands free but really... unless you're expecting a call from the President, leave the phone at home.