I bet you didn't think you'd read a blog post about poop today.

My husband and I have two dogs.

Otter, our beagle:



and Willy, our miniature dachshund:



Walking them is an adventure, especially when we are not in our own backyard, but for today I will focus on just one oddity of Otter's.

Our yard is not fenced in. This makes leashes a necessity, particularly for Otter. Beagles love to follow their noses, and this makes him a definite flight risk. Otter's leash is a normal, six foot leash that lets him go far enough away to explore some of the weird and gross things he finds interesting, but not so far that we can't keep him out of trouble (or piles of cat poop).

This six foot separation is not up to his standards. Whenever he finally picks the perfect place to go about his business, it is, without fail, roughly one arms length PAST the end of the leash. He can't face you either, because I guess he thinks that invades his privacy. He likes to have his side to you, if not his rear end. This results in him dragging me along the yard until he finally chooses the prime location, and then me taking one step closer to him so my shoulder does not become dislocated.

From afar, this must look like I just want to get closer to the action. That would also make me look like a crazier person than I probably am.

But he is my dog, and I am his person, so I will deal with this weirdness in exchange for the smiling and tail-wagging with which he is so generous.

And at least he doesn't eat his own poop like Willy. But that is another story.