I hear that a few times a week. Apparently owning a dog is a public experience. It gives total strangers permission to talk to you, even if you're busy picking up dog shit.

When they ask the inevitable question I have to explain he's actually purebred registered collie, a smooth coat with blue merle coloring. If I don't explain all these details, they're going to ask anyway. So what if he's not Lassie, he's still a collie.

I'm not going to win new friends if I start out correcting them.

Leave me alone so I can toss the baggie full of steaming crap I'm stuck holding.