The funny things about our neighbors is that we don't know their names

My husband and I have lived in our current apartment for a year now. For the first six months, we didn’t know a single person. The guy across the hall from us would smile occasionally if he saw us on his way out to walk his dog, but otherwise, the only person that really talked to us was the conceige, and frankly, that’s his job.

Then, Ross (that’s the husband) and I decided to adopt Tucker, a 10 week yorkie-bichon mix (or Yorkchon). Suddenly, we were shuffling in and out of our third floor apartment on an hourly basis to the dog park adjacent to our building. Truth be told, this is where all of our neighbors were the first 6 months. While Ross and I were playing Wii and watching Netflix, and going out, our neighbors were drinking beers in the park, throwing balls to their dogs, and trying to keep their mutts from clawing the rest of the pups.

Because Tucker is the cutest, and smartest dog in the whole world, he made friends very early. Several of the dogs have become his very best pals. As Tuck grew, we’d let him off of his leash to be chewed on and chased so that he’d sleep through the night. While our dog was running amuck with the others, we’d talk to the other owners about what they did, where they worked, and how long they had been puppy parents.

But, we didn’t really know anyone’s name. In fact, a typical conversation between Ross and I would go like this:

Me: Did Tuck play with anyone?
Ross: Yeah, Eli and Bailey.
Me: Sweet.
Ross: ...Yeah, and I was talking to Eli’s dad and he’s a huge Caps fan
Me: Eli’s mom was out there earlier and she said they’re moving next month.
Ross: Man, Tuck is going to miss Eli.
Me: His parents are so nice!

So, now it’s awkward because we know every dog, but don’t know any of the owner’s names. We joke that you should have to wear a nametag for your first few weeks in the park (something like “Hi, my name is Allison, and Tucker is my dog, Yes, I know he’s adorable) to avoid the awkwardness that comes with asking someone their name when you know what they do, where they were born, and that they’re dog prefers to go to the bathroom in the left corner of the dog park.