LMNO.

I was walking one of the dogs when I came across a property that apparently sees a lot of dog traffic. They'd done some heavy replanting, it appears, because there must have been half a dozen hand-painted stones like this one around the perimeter. 

So... They think dogs can read? Or maybe that people are doing the peeing?

Naw, I know, they want us to keep our dogs off these areas. Silly. It's a nice area to walk the dog, especially in summer, as it's a shady block with lots of trees. But some people say all it takes is one Spot using a spot for, uh, leaving a spot, and that sets off a micturation cascade among all other dogs that pass by.

It's different for different dogs, though. There are different reasons that may compel a particular dog to go in one spot and not another. Some are taggers, like Tralfaz's friend Magic Dog, who uses little shots of urine to leave his scent on everything. My guys seem to prefer more detailed messages. Some dogs like to use the same area over and over, while others never want to repeat themselves. Boy dogs who like to pee on poles often seem to want to get the high-water mark, even tiny dogs who go to extraordinary lengths. Others want to just get the last squirt in (hilarious Twitter feed with bad words here). But I guess some just want to go the same place others have been, and if you're trying to establish some plants in that place, you have to take steps.

When I was a kid my dad started a small garden and the dog next door thought that was the best bathroom ever. We never got any berries.

So I make sure to do my bit, keeping my dogs away from the marked areas. I did see a couple of feral cats by there on Sunday morning, though, and I know they can't read. Good luck, gardeners.