Comments on: What’s Your Town’s Dog Culture?

By: Groovy Goldendoodles

Groovy Goldendoodles — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 13:54:17 +0000

In reply to Pamela. Oh Pam, you just have to. And when you do, let me know when you're coming and Harley and I will be there waving to you at the docks. We're moving there in 2015

By: Pamela

Pamela — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 13:52:43 +0000

In reply to Groovy Goldendoodles.

I’ve never been to Charleston but I hear it’s lovely. I really hope to sail there some day.

Now that you’ve told me it’s particularly dog friendly, I’ll make a point of visiting.

By: Groovy Goldendoodles

Groovy Goldendoodles — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 02:30:57 +0000

Dog culture where we live is nice, but I yearn to move south – Charleston specifically, because there, dogs seem to be as important when it comes to the city trying to please. Love that place/

By: DZ Dogs

DZ Dogs — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:42:49 +0000

It’s kind of a mix where we live. Many people pick up after their dogs but we also see tons of poo left behind by rude dog owners, including in my yard! (Just wait till I figure out which neighbor is doing that!) We have leash and poo pickup laws, but they are not often enforced. I see lots of dogs living outside in backyards, but also quite a few dogs who live indoors.
Most dogs I see are not trained very well, often we laugh as we watch someone being dragged down the street by their dog. We gets lots of compliments because I walk both Dante and Ziva in a proper heel when we’re out and about, when most owners can’t handle a single dog.

What’s really sad is that right now we do not have a breed ban (that’s the good news), the sad part is that it means I see lots of homeless people and “trailer trash” types strung out on drugs and alcohol with powerful bully breeds. Unfortunately within the last 6 months we had a “pit bull” type dog attack a small child, and one innocent “pit bull” type dog who (was in her own yard I should mention!) was shot by a police officer! The stigma around “Pit bull” type dogs is growing and we are worried about a potential breed ban.
Most people i’ve met don’t understand that “pit bull” isn’t a breed – it’s an umbrella term for many different dog breeds. And I’ve even had a man approach me telling me you can’t have two of those “pit bull” dogs because they will fight with each other. 🙁 It makes me sad because while we are trying to be good dog owners and promote breed ambassadors, no matter how hard we train the stigma still exists. We’ve changed a few people’s minds about our dogs, but they don’t believe that it translates to other bully breeds. It’s frustrating to say the least.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:47:26 +0000

Interesting survey results so far. The area where I live is completely different from a nearby small town where a lot of dogs are chained outside and pretty territorial. We often drive into town to do a walk and it’s interesting seeing the contrast of dogs and their owners. We do have to be careful to avoid some aggressive dogs that are known to run loose.

By: Pamela

Pamela — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:23:15 +0000

In reply to Kristen. Education and awareness will be key in overturning BSL. So glad you're volunteering with school groups. That's wonderful!

By: Pamela

Pamela — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:20:17 +0000

In reply to KB. I wondered if dogs in more rural areas learn a better skill set for being off leash. According to you, it appears that it's hit or miss and probably depends on both the nature of the dog and his person. I do see shock collars more in areas where people have their dogs at a greater distance from them. I hope someday they disappear from the market.

By: Pamela

Pamela — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:59:27 +0000

In reply to Misaki. Yucky, someone needs to tell the people in your area there is no poop fairy to clean up after them. I feel very lucky that most people do clean up after their pups in my area. Unfortunately, when someone does leave poop behind, I always seem to find it after I step in it.

By: Lauranne

Lauranne — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:57:57 +0000

What scares me most about dog culture is, as with most of life, the people who know about dogs and are conscientious aren’t the ones making the rules or deciding what will and won’t be allowed!

By: Pamela

Pamela — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:51:59 +0000

In reply to Blueberry’s human.

How sad. It must feel very depressing for the small minority of people with strong relationships with their animals.

I’ve heard about people who have set up really great dog groups at meetup.com. I wonder if there are enough people in your area who would find it encouraging to occasionally get together IRL to do dog stuff?

When I was choosing where to move after I decided to leave Philadelphia, I only thought a little about the dog-friendliness of my new home. Now I would definitely make those considerations higher on the list.