There are a lot of homeless people here (and also a lot of drunks) who sleep in the park or in the median between streets or on the sidewalk. Those places serve as beds and bathrooms to these people.
This morning O took Celeste to the park to run. They left happy! They returned angry, disgusted, and disenchanted with each other.
Apparently Celeste discovered that the trees in the park serve as commodes for the homeless. She went wild. One moment, she was O's darling gal, running free and beautiful...and the next she was this ghastly canine creature, eating a pile of YUCK at the base of a tree. The toilet paper had been left over the pile, but Celeste brushed that aside with a deft flick of the snout. O gagged, then screamed, Celeste took one more big gulp and ran off to fight over another pile with two or three other dogs. By the time O snapped the leash back on Celeste's collar, he was sick to his stomach and outraged that she would lower herself to such an act, and Celeste was outraged that he would have interrupted her at such a lavish meal. They returned to the apartment and without mincing words, O told me that he couldn't look at Celeste today, and why, and went back outside to wax the car - for hours.
Celeste waited for O at the front door, but he didn't come in very soon. When he did, he simply stepped over her and went into the bedroom to change his clothes. She followed him, but he shut her out of the room. Later, after we'd eaten at the table and Celeste had eaten in her crate, he lay down in for a nap and Celeste crept in to find out what his big problem was. Shortly thereafter, I heard Celeste barking at O, O yelling back at her, then he ran out of the bedroom with Celeste close on his heels. He snapped her leash on her again and out they went to the bike path.
Apparently they worked out their differences, because at the moment, they are both in the bedroom, both on the bed.
We had a short discussion about dog habits and those little disgusting things that endear the mutts to us and that completely turn our stomachs. Celeste is the first dog that O has shared his living space with. She has taught him a lot, and obviously opened his eyes to dog life, but I know this morning, she went too far. By the time they arrived back at the apartment, she knew it, too. I think he has forgiven her now, but there are no kisses being given there.
The honeymoon is over and reality has set in.