Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: fences - immediate concern

[Jim Snyder-Grant (jimsg]

Laura Fitch asked asked about dog fencing.

At New View (Acton MA), we do not have any backyard fences, but we do have
dogs. Three owners decided to go with those 'underground' fences that teach
the dogs via a shock-collar about staying within a home zone. Very effective
& the dog owners report that their dogs seem untraumatized by the
arrangement.

The only minor problem I saw was that the other dogs learned how to tease
the fenced-in dogs & had to be taught not to do that.

As time has gone on & people & dogs have gotten to know each other, most of
these fences have been turned off, for at least most of the day & most of
the year. Acton is far enough out from the city that it has no leash law, so
we have had to work this out for ourselves.

If we did get a backyard fence request, we would handle it with the same
sort of design-review committee you describe. We don't have any criteria set
in advance that would allow it or disallow it, other than a clear map of
'exclusive use' areas filed with our condo paperwork that define a clear
outer boundary for any possible fence.

-Jim Snyder-Grant