somerville dog: a weblog

How can you know if a dog is going to jump on you?

How can you tell if the person with an off-leash dog is an irresponsible dog owner who will not prevent her pet from jumping on you, or if she is a responsible dog owner who, without a leash, can prevent her pet from approaching you?

1. If the person with the dogs says, "Don't worry! He's friendly!" you can expect with high certainty that the dog will jump on you.


2. If the person with the dog is not paying attention to her dog, you can expect that the dog will approach you.


3. If the person with the dog is paying attention to her dog and makes eye contact with you and greets you, you can expect with high certainty that the dog will not approach you unless you have asked the owner for permission to greet her dog.

A responsible dog owner will never let her pet greet a person unless the person has asked to meet her pet. Many of us need a leash to be responsible.`

Posted by Michèle at 6:41 PM
Categories: Canine Good Citizenship, Safety Around Dogs
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The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is hosting a public meeting and trail planning workshop for the Middlesex Fells Trail System Plan this evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the McGlynn School auditorium, 3002 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford. (Follow directions to Hormel Stadium, and continue past the stadium to the school.)

The DCR expects to complete a draft trails plan by April 2010, according to a press release.

The Fells Dog Owner Group has been leading efforts to get families who enjoy Sheepfold and the trails of the Middlesex Fells with their dogs to come to the meeting to support safe and legal options for off-leash recreation at the Fells. The Somerville Dog Owners Group is among the dog-owner groups that are supporting the efforts of FellsDOG. At least ten Somerville dog owners have already submitted written comments to the DCR for the Plan, and the Somerville Board of Aldermen passed a resolution "that this Board supports off leash dog areas in the Middlesex Fells and requests that DCR designate such areas."

The Greater Boston Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) has also been involved in the trail-planning process. In the interest of "all muscle-powered trail users" Greater Boston NEMBA has posted on their website "An Open Letter from the New England Mountain Bike Association Regarding the Middlesex Fells Trails Evaluation."

With more people and more different groups than ever before participating in the public process for public open space at the Middlesex Fells, it is curious that Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the Friends of Middlesex Fells, feels that there is "insufficient information" to proceed with the Plan. Globe Correspondent, Alix Roy, spoke with Ryan for an article that ran in the Sunday Globe: "State seeking opinions on future of the Fells."

According to NEMBA, "for the past twenty years, many of the trail use policies at the Fells have been heavily influenced by a single user group, the Friends of the Fells." NEMBA accuses the Friends not only of "publicly misrepresenting" NEMBA but also of "derailing" projects that would preserve the natural resources of the Fells while enabling the trails to better accommodate a more diverse group of park users.

I join the Greater Boston NEMBA in encouraging all true friends of the Middlesex Fells, including dog owners and mountain bikers, to come to the public meeting tonight to work together for ways that everyone can enjoy public open space in the Middlesex Fells.

Posted by Michèle at 10:31 AM
Categories: D.O.G.s (Dog Owner Groups), Destinations, Friends of somerville dog, Massachusetts
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The Lexington Minuteman was inundated with letters this week about the upcoming Feb. 23, Conservation Commission hearing about whether dogs should be leashed at Willard's Woods. There were too many letters to publish

Excerpts from the letters were published online by the Lexington Minuteman: "Residents sound off over dog leash proposal."

The Lexington Conservation Commission is considering enacting "new regulations that could limit off-leash areas at Willards Woods or ban the practice altogether," according to an article in in the Boston Globe today ("Lexington considers curbs on dog owners" by Brock Parker).

According to the Lexington Code § 9-2A, dogs must be "in the immediate restraint and control of some person by means of a leash or by effective command".

Posted by Michèle at 6:01 PM
Categories: Massachusetts, Off-Leash Recreational Areas—i.e. "Dog Parks"
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