Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Dogs and common facilities

[Elizabeth Magill (pastorlizm]

I am highly allergic to dogs. Having dogs in the common house would
basically mean that I cannot go there.
And there's the rub.

How to balance the people who want x and the people who want not-x. In the
development stage you figure which is right for your community. Whichever
you figure will cut some people out.

I would not move into a community where dogs are in the common house. You
would not move into a community where dogs cannot go into the common house.
Or maybe one of us doesn't feel that strongly that it's an absolute
deal-breaker.

So the question really comes down to this: who will compromise and who will
you choose to exclude?

In our community, only certified service animals are able to use the common
house.

I will say that we also have a rule that dogs must be on a leash, or under
voice control. A large percentage of the dog-owners simply don't follow
that. Or maybe they think "under voice control" means "well my dog comes
eventually". Dogs jump on me often.
So while I'm sure you really do have a dog you can control, I'm not that
trusting of that sort of statement.

The idea of earning privileges is interesting; I'm not sure who would
decide who has earned the privilege, or what the standards would be.

Liz
Mosaic Commons in Berlin, MA
508-450-0431


On Thu, Oct 3, 2019 at 12:24 AM Linda Hobbet <coho [at] lindahobbet.com> wrote:

> We are in the process of developing processes for our move-in next
> Spring. I am interested in knowing what rules other communities have
> around dogs in the common house and other common facilities.
>
> I have a well-behaved dog who is an important part of my life. I enjoy
> his company. I do dog sports with him. I like to take him places. I
> enjoy going to restaurants with outdoor patios where he can be with me.
> I try hard not to let him be a bother to others. If I can't bring him
> with me into common facilities at least some of the time, perhaps on
> leash, then the common facilities are not the extension of my home that
> is the promise of cohousing. I will be torn between abandoning my dog to
> his lonesome while I socialize, or spending my time with my dog and not
> as much time with my community as I would like. It is distressing to
> consider.
>
> How do other communities handle this. Perhaps dogs can earn privileges
> with proven good behavior while under control? What works and what doesn't?
>
> Thank you,
> Linda
>
> --
> coho [at] lindahobbet.com
> 706-202-7178 (mobile)
> 919-596-4558 (home)
> www.VillageHearthCohousing.com
>
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-- 
-Liz
(The Rev. Dr.) Elizabeth Mae Magill
Pastor, Ashburnham Community Church
Minister to the Affiliates, Ecclesia Ministries
www.ecclesiaministriesmission.org
www.mosaic-commons.org
508-450-0431