Dogs

I’ve been meeting three men in the morning to walk my dog, Taetu. They are all in their late forties – early sixties and their booming voices are thick with New York. I spend most of the time listening to them talk over each other as they argue about everything from the latest movie to Olympic bobsledding. Taetu loves their dogs and they tolerate him as we make our way around the great lawn. They meet every morning “like clock work.”
When I first met up with them and told them of my recent move, Arnie, the oldest in the group asked, “Why did you move to this stinky, dirty, miserable town?”
“Meet Arnie,” Ben, the tallest one with grey hair said. “The New York welcoming committee.”
Dogs are ubiquitous in the upper west side. It’s difficult to describe how many dogs are in the neighborhood. Because of its proximity to both Riverside and Central Park, all dog owners seem to congregate to this area of Manhattan. Weekend mornings, the parks are to capacity with dogs of all sizes barking, squeaking dog toys, running and leaping over each other. It’s a dog paradise.
People love to spout out statistics about dogs in the UWS. The Upper West Side has more vets than any other neighborhood in the city. The Upper West Side has more dogs per capita than any other area in the country. The Upper West Side has over 100 pet stores from 59th to 90th street. It’s astounding. I could not have picked a better area for my puppy. He is in heaven.
The dog parks are a great place to meet people. I’ve been spending two hours a day at the park (an hour in the morning and another at night) and because there’s not much to do while the dogs play, people tend to chat it up. It’s a pleasant way to start and end my day. The dogs create a great energy and people are kind. It’s a complete shift from the intensity of my job with the multi-tasking and extreme focus. The time at the park is a time for idle conversation mixed with the occasional giggle at the dogs’ personalities.
This morning I remarked to Brian (another man I’ve met recently) about the dogs in the neighborhood as his dog Annabelle played fervently with mine. They were almost identical in size. “This is nothing,” he said, looking around at the mass of dogs. “You should see it when the weather’s warmer. There are thousands!”
I can’t imagine the park fitting any more canines on Saturday mornings. I enjoy the early morning walks, where dogs are around, but it’s tolerable. When it gets crowded, it’s easy to loose yours or even step on one.
On weekend mornings, you also get more of the crazies - people that love their pet a little too much. The outfits are incredible. There are doggie parkas, hoodies, hand-knit sweaters, bonnets – you name it, they’ll put it on a dog. During snow, many of the dogs wear little booties on their paws. These pieces of plastic are often bright yellow or red, and even though the dog might be having fun, you can tell he’s a little ashamed of them.
The craziest thing I’ve seen (so far) was at Riverside Park around 91st street. There was a woman there with her toy poodle. She had died the poodle’s hair and painted her nails hot pink. It was obscene. Taetu wouldn’t even look at that dog – it was just too bizarre.
I leave my house at 8:00 am and come home around 6:00. It’s a long time for my dog to be alone, so I’ve started looking into a dog walker. I know dog walkers exist around the country, but in New York, they’re a way of life – like grocery delivery and subway cards. This idea has taken me some time to get used to, but my guilt has lead me down this path. Dog walkers are an exercise in total, complete and utter trust. You trust these strangers with keys to your apartment. You trust them with your four-legged best friend. You trust that they walk your dog for the length agreed upon. If they’re mean to your puppy or treat him bad, your puppy can’t let you know. Your dog likely doesn’t speak English. It’s a very trusty occupation in such a skeptical town. But when you live alone with your pup and work full time, it’s a leap of faith you may be forced to make.
The first dog walker I interviewed did not go very well. I found his name on Craig’s list and he seemed legit. He had worked at an agency (yes, they have dog agencies – that’s another story) for six years and was just branching out on his own. He was taking a semester off school and dog walking to earn some cash.
When he met Taetu, I feared for his life. When he reached down to pet Taetu on the head, Taetu nearly bit off his hand. He tried to act nonchalant about this very aggressive act, but it was obvious Taetu was not fond of this character. He was in my apartment less than five minutes before I sent him on his way.
The second dog walker I met was a reference from Andy, a guy at work who also lives in the upper west side. He had used “Pampered Puppies” for his dog and loved them. When I called however, they wanted $50 a walk. $50!! I love my dog, but I’m not spending that kind of cash on what’s essentially a potty break. For 50 bucks they should throw in a doggy facial and massage. After hearing their rates, I dropped the phone like it was on fire.
I just interviewed the third contestant – Rubin. He’s young and likes the Yankees, but he seems like a good person. He left a list of references, his prices are right ($10 / walk) and most importantly, Taetu loved him immediately. It looks like hiring a dog walker might my next step in adapting to this crazy city.