Jon's Ego (in print form!)

Some Thoughts on Dog Poop and Its Relation to Human Behavior

Dogs don’t have shame. They poop outside. In public. In front of everyone.

However, when I was little and walking my dog (a big, lovely golden retriever named Ginger in case you’re curious), I always noticed what seemed like a weird expression on her face when she was “doing her business.” She would close her mouth tight and begin looking furtively around.

In my human need to empathize and personify, I always interpreted this look as a look of embarrassment. It was enough to force me to awkwardly look the other way until she was done.

Of course, this is stupid. Dogs don’t get embarrassed. If I had to guess, the look I was seeing actually signified a kind of primal vulnerability. She knew that, for the next few seconds, she was stuck in place and unable to defend herself against any kind of dog-eating predators that might be wandering through our neighborhood.

Anyway, that look has always stuck with me.

I’m writing about it now because I just realized I make that same exact look every time I have to tie my shoe in public.