When I raised my first pets I lived in rural areas, and many people still do; however now I live with my pets smack in the middle of urban Los Angeles. That density presents a whole host of responsibilities that weren’t so important even a few years ago. In the days before dog parks, I lived in the apartment community of Westwood near UCLA. The dog owners and the non-dog owners shared the local park. I was always shocked when I heard someone exclaim, “but you don’t understand…. dog owners have rights too.” Unfortunately that was usually after some incident where a dog had tackled a jogger running on the local track. Having a bad and irresponsible attitude like that really makes it difficult for the “good” dog owners out there. A better reaction would have been to apologize and put the dog on leash.

As pet owners we have obligations not only to our pets, but also to other people in the environment around us. Our pets have a significant impact on others. They bark, they jump on guests, they trample newly seeded lawns and flowerbeds, and commonly they soil in public areas and owners pretend to be or actually just are oblivious to the damage they cause. Just last night I overheard some people say, “OOOH careful, don’t walk on the grass here, there is always dog poop.” It’s a shame that some people can’t walk to their own front door because some self entitled dog owner didn’t clean up after their dog.

There are some obvious obligations that all dog owners should follow, beyond the first and most basic obligation to provide properly for the dog. (Basic grooming, daily care, feeding and proper training and veterinary care are topics for another time.) We need to be respectful of other people all the time and not just when it suits us. The next time you take your dog out, think twice about how you behave. Go that extra mile and don’t let your dog be a nuisance. Keep it on a 6-foot leash instead of a 20’ retractable one. Always be conscious of where you let it use the bathroom and always make sure you clean up after your dog.

Lets go the extra step to make dogs welcome in our world.