I guess several of you missed the conversation starter mentioned earlier.

I don't take my three to dog parks - down here they are known as vectors for various diseases. I was at a recent early evening gathering of museum docents at the trendy party room of a downtown apartment complex and as I left many tenants from the buildings had large dogs leashed and heading out of the building and across the street to the city dog park. Poor dogs indoors all day waiting to get out for a pee. I imagine some of them have pads down for daytime needs, I've read about that. COVID working from home has made attention and access to walks easier for a lot of dogs; one wonders how returning to the office will work for those pet owners and their critters—back to the old days of hold it all day long.

When I walk the dogs these three are always interested in other dogs out walking with their owners, and if they were to get close it would be a tangle of leashes but it would be in their desire to meet and play. There are a couple of yards of friends with dogs who have invited us to stop by to visit through the fence, and when we do I offer a treat through the gate. Before another killjoy jumps up, I asked first, just as the next door neighbor asked before starting a daily routine of an over-the-fence treat for my dogs. I carry a few-ingredient type of treat because one of my dogs has allergies to wheat and chicken. They hear us coming and my dogs like to meet nose to nose through the fence.

None of this is like the old days (decades ago), when you just let the dog out and they came back when they were ready.