Dog walker and scoop - broadening / slight shift

[Dave Wilton]

I don't know about Seattle, but in both the Bay Area and here in Toronto,
the dog walkers are hired to pick up your dog at home while you are at work
and walk them. That walk often includes a stop at the local dog park. It's
all part of the "dog walking" service.

Many dog parks have limits on the number of dogs one individual can bring to
the park to ensure that such professional dog walkers provide adequate
supervision of the canines.

Lots of my walks include just such a stop, but since I own the dog (or, more
accurately, he owns me), I'm not a "dog walker."

Today on our walk, I noticed a sign designated the green area in the middle
of a traffic circle as a "parkette."


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Benjamin Barrett
Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2010 5:52 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Dog walker and scoop - broadening / slight shift

In Seattle, the term "dog walker" is employed for a person who exercises
dogs at the off-leash areas (known colloquially as "dog parks").

AFAIK, nobody refers to watching the dogs, scooping up their poop,
disciplining them and letting them exercise as "walking."

Also, the word "scoop" is clearly used to mean "pick up poop with a
(plastic) bag inverted around the hand." My recollection is that going
around the park with a bucket and a shovel to clean up the poop is called
"picking up poop" not "scooping."

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

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