My Dog, My Child

I was recently watching a segment on "Good Morning America" about the new designer disposal diapers for children. Apparently a white diaper is no longer good enough, not enough of a fashion statement for today's children and their mothers. Manufacturers are now producing diapers which look like denim or camouflage pants not to mention different feminine patterns for girls. For the really over the top you can go on-line and custom design your diaper or even have photographs printed on them. The last option strikes me as more than a little creepy to tell you the truth.



Imagine my surprise when I realized this trend had also taken hold in the world of doggie poop bags here in the US! The old black or dark brown bags are no longer good enough for man's best friend, no sir. During my time in Boston I had booked Nera in for a day of grooming and doggie daycare. As the people at the doggie daycare were nice enough but not the world's most organized people during my dealings with them on the phone, I decided to stop by the day before to make sure that everything was okay. I had spent 30 minutes on the phone discussing everything from Nera's personality traits to what kind of shampoo she preferred (oatmeal apple, kiwi, something floral) only to receive a second call the next day to review all of this information. While I was there I decided to buy more doggie poop bags in order to make sure I always had a supply. (While they are supposedly provided on the Boston Common, the containers were always empty). Imagine my surprise when I saw that one can buy pink floral bags, camouflage bags, biodegrabable bags etc. - the list goes on and on! Apparently our dogs are more a refection of our identity than we think. Unfortunately for Nera I chose to stick with the run of the mill brown bags - I didn't want people making assumptions about me based on my choice of doggie poop bags.