Absurd.

Dear Little Man, Thanks for reminding me that there are jerks in the world.  -Jennifer

So, this morning, like every morning, I was walking Cody.  We were on the final block of his walk, he lifted his leg and marked some house.  No biggie.  This happens approximately ten times a day, and I'm not including his actual bladder-relieving pees.  We continue.

In a couple of steps, we are about to pass a man.  By "man," I mean "jerk."

Jerk: Did your dog just pee?

Me: [Confused.  I mean, stupid question.  Was it supposed to be rhetorical?] Ummm, yeah.

J: That's not good.  I know that's not your house.  Is it?

M: [If you know, why are you asking?] No.

J: That's bad.  You should take your dog in front of your house to pee.

M: Ummm, okay.

J: It's not the dog's fault.  It's the owner's fault.  The dog doesn't know any better, so it's the owner's responsibility.  Do you understand that?

M: [This is actually something I agree with, so I nod.  Even though he was being a condescending a-hole.] Yes.

[Possibly there was another exchange, but in the interest of not hitting him, I tried to move along.]

J: See the difference?  One is being a good, nice person, and the other is being a pig.

M: [As I'm retreating.]  Got it.  And thanks for calling me a pig.  It's been awhile.

And now I've been thinking about this since I got home.  There are several other ways I have since thought of to respond to the jerk:

1. Punching holes in his theory.  Have you had a dog?  Clearly not, as you must know that you can't walk a [male] dog around, more than a block, without him marking his territory.  So, am I expected to pace in front of my house so that he only pees there?  (This is a hilarious image, given the number of dogs that live in the South End.)  Also, I don't own my house; so is it fair for him to pee there?  If not, where do I go?  Or do you believe that one shouldn't own a dog till they own a house?  (I actually suspect this jerk wasn't a dog person and would prefer that no one own dogs...)

2. Be as condescending to him as he was to me.  Did you have a bad weekend?  Did a dog once pee and kill your prize-winning [flower]?  Did Mommy and Daddy never let you have a dog?  Ugh.

3. Punching him in the face.  I'm just saying, I bet it would have felt good.

Okay, I must get on with my day, now.  Hopefully it'll continue better than it started!

And, for the record, I plan to let Cody pee pretty much wherever he wants.  Yes, I can control where I take him, but as far as starting and stopping his bladder...  Nope!