Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Dogs in Community

[Wayne Tyson (landrest]

Frances and CoHo:

A well-trained dog (and all animals should be well-trained including human 
children) does not need to be on a leash; in fact, they are better-behaved 
when off-leash (being tied to the Alpha "dog," its "owner," their defensive 
behavior is keyed up). It is unfortunate that people who are ill-informed 
about animals must make "regulations" and impose them on others, and almost 
never understand (after all, when one is possesed of superior knowledge, 
what does none need to understand?) that it is the very regulations that 
cause the unacceptable behavior. Actually, dogs and other animals are much 
better behaved than people.

Recommended texts: "Animals Make Us Human" by Temple Grandin and 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMm5uoZtXw

WT


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frances Freewater" <freedoan [at] sonic.net>
To: "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 9:00 PM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Dogs in Community


> I AM A DOG OWNER....LIVE IN YULUPA CO HOUSING IN CA.
>
> OUR COMMUNITY HAS A AGREEMENT ALL DOGS ARE ON A LEASE
> AT ALL TIMES.......I'M GOING TO ASK THE COMMUNITY IS THE DOGS
> COULD HAVE A FEW AGREED UP HOURS THAT THE DOGS COULD
> BE OFF LEASE?
>
> WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS..
>
> THANK YOU,
>
> FRANCES FREEWATER
> On Jun 22, 2011, at 12:03 PM, Mary McKeever wrote:
>
> > I'm interested in hearing how different communities deal with dogs
> > in their
> > communities -what are the policies/agreements regarding dogs and how
> > are
> > issues addressed and/or 'enforced'.  For example:
> >
> >   - can dogs be off-leash in any parts of the community and if so,
> > under
> >   what circumstances
> >   - can dogs be in the common house and if so, under what
> > circumstances
> >   - how does the community deal with dog poop in common areas
> >   - how are issues handled when practices are not adhered to by
> > residents
> >   and/or visitors.
> >
> > We are a small community of 18 homes, 8 of which have no yards.  The
> > others
> > have small fenced back yards and we have a smallish common lawn
> > between the
> > homes and the Common House.   We are surrounded by lots of open space
> > including a large fenced in dog park.  We have 10 dogs in the
> > community,
> > several of which are allowed to run freely in the common area with
> > limited
> > supervision/owner site or voice control.  When more than one dog is
> > out
> > unleashed (or even when one is leashed and another isn't)  there are
> > invariably "fights" and/or rough play among the dogs.  Some
> > residents are
> > not dog owners and are fearful when dogs are acting aggressive.  The
> > sheriff
> > was called in one instance.  Yet the situation persists.  Is it
> > unreason
> > able to expect dogs to be leashed and under owner control when in
> > the common
> > area?