Dicky Dog Blog

I know it's not a nice subject but I find myself getting increasingly annoyed by silly comments made by people in an atempt to justify why they don't pick up their dogs mess.  Like most people I used to believe that the worst thing about dog poo was stepping in it or getting it on the wheels of pushchairs or bikes but after some research I've discovered there is a far more sinister consequence and there is not such thing as leaving dog poo to break down "naturally".

On Monday evening I went to a fantastic seminar and listened to talk given by business guru Rene Carayol.  He is a truly inspirational speaker, calm and measured but also interesting and informative.  His speech wasn't overworked or contrite he just spoke about how you can get more from your  business if you can learn to look at it from a different point of view.  I was so enthused by his speech that when he asked the 100 strong audience if any one would be prepared to stand up and give what is commonly known as an "elevator pitch" I volunteered.  No one was more suprised to see my hand go up in the air than myself.  I have the normal British approach to the request of volunteering which is to avoid eye contact, slip down your chair pretending that you didn't hear them or look around the auditorium waiting for some other fool to step up.

I rose to my feet, was handed a microphone and I could hear, and feel, everyone waiting for me to utter my first words.  To my surprise I delivered a slick, stutterproof, concise and informative explanation of Dicky Bag.  I'm used to telling people about the dicky bag but I've never stood up in front of so many people at once and a business guru, I had great respect for, to deliver my speech.  I could feel my hands start to shake and my voice start to quiver but I kept my head in check and it was worth it.  I received an appreciative round of applause from the audience and Rene commemded me on a passionate and professional pitch.  I returned to my seat with a glow of success but for hours later re run the scene with slight ammendments here and there trying to improve upon it, being a perfectionist can have it's downsides you know!

I returned home with a list of things to work on to improve the business but I feel more confident than I have done for ages.  Most things are possible you just have to go about them in the right way for you.  As Rene said "In business, one size fits no one!"

If you ever get chance to hear him speak, you'd be a fool not to go.

The kids are back at school and the cloud is rolling in (could it be icelandic volcanic ash?) and I'm currently jealous of all those people stranded in beautiful countries in the sunshine because they can't fly home.  Never mind i've got my lovely customers to cheer me up and I got 2 emails this morning that certianly did that.

Nottinghamshire council have put dog bans in place in 72 of their parks due to an increase in the number of cases of dog fouling.  Irresponsible dog owners are to blame for the out right ban which means every dog and their owners will suffer.  People will have to drive to alternative locations to allow their dogs to exercise properly is this what we want to encourage at a time of concern over global warming and the excessive use of fuels and car congestion?

I agree that something needs to be done but this is a total over reaction, something which old fashioned councils can be very good at.  This is why I applauded Conwy Council for their forward thinking on tackling the dog fouling problem, by providing their residents with a cure not beating them down with more rules.  They chose to spend their money not on more dog bins but on Dicky Bags so that people are always prepared to pick up after their dog and able to transport it to a suitable bin or even back to their homes.  Unfortunately it looks like Newark and Sherwood District council are still stuck in the dark ages!  I pitty the the poor dog owners that live there.

Cornwall are another council that will be introducing tougher laws and punishments with regard to clearing up dog mess but they again are hoping to do it in conjuction with a positive action of offering Dicky Bags.

Education is a big factor in changing peoples attitudes so it's about time we told people about the health and ecological risks involved in leaving dog poo to bio degrade and perhaps they will think a bit differently about clearing up - stepping in it isn't the biggest problem!