Do you get frustrated when pet owners allow their animals to urinate in your yard, dispose of their dog’s poo bag in your trash receptacle, allow their dogs to bark from their yards and car windows at you or expect you to tolerate their dog jumping at you or act aggressively as you walk by or disturb your restaurant patio meal?
Colorado is a highly dog friendly state. Pet owners often bring their dogs to public places, shops, restaurants and venues. As dogs appear so many places, it’s important to remind pet owners to practice good citizenship and pet ownership etiquette. Please don’t dispose of your dog’s poo bag in other’s privately serviced trash receptacles. Allowing your animal to toilet on other’s lawns can kill the grass in that spot.
Regardless, pet owners should respect other people’s private property. Be aware no one likes a begging dog when they are eating a meal on a patio with your dog staring at them. Barking is an annoyance to others (and is against city animal ordinances in most towns). More importantly, a barking dog is a stressed dog. Letting your dog off leash in non-designated off-leash areas can be very scary for others and dogs, even if your dog is friendly. An off-leash dog can distract other dogs in training, service animals, or even cause a dog fight as not all dogs welcome another dog running up to them. Some people are afraid of dogs and your dog charging them is terrifying. Courtesy goes a long way. Did you know there are laws that say an owner should refrain from keeping working dogs from doing their job and that includes letting pets harass the working dog? Obeying the leash laws keeps your dog safer and respects others. For dogs that need off leash time, consider resources such as websites that allow pet owners to privately rent a back yard/space for a time so a dog can play off leash there. Boulder allows owners to get their dog off-leash permissions.
You can learn more about how to give your dog the best life it can have and how you can have the best life with your dog through a private consultation via video or in-home with Beverly. Her contact information is found at www. beverlymorgan.com.
