Dog walker and scoop - broadening / slight shift

[Benjamin Barrett]

The same applies here as well, though my impression is that the dog park stop is the main service, not simply something (often) included. We have a high OLA density (about dozen OLAs in the city, plus a few nearby) which may account for this.

Also, I think this sentiment "my dog owns me" and the like is also an exceedingly typical expression that has come with the shift in how pets are viewed in the construction of the family.

BB

On Oct 31, 2010, at 3:50 PM, Dave Wilton wrote:

> 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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